Epson Adds AirPrint Support, HP Takes the Feature to the Next Level

When Apple unveiled AirPrint last year, there were only 12 printers that supported the feature. Since then, manufacturers have been dragging their feet on supporting the wireless printing option.

Until now, HP has had the lion’s share of the AirPrint-compatible printer market. But it seems like Epson is looking to get in on the action, as MacRumors reports that the Japanese company has several printers coming out this Fall that support the feature…

AirPrint is the wireless, driverless printing service that allows iOS devices to find and print-to compatible printers on a common Wi-Fi network. Unlike standard printer setups, AirPrint requires little user intervention. It just works.

According to MacRumors, Epson has 6 printers on deck that will support the wireless printing option. The Sylus NX430 Small-in-One printer is actually available now, and the rest of the models shouldn’t be too far behind.

Not to be left out of the festivities, HP also has an announcement regarding Apple’s printing technology. The AirPrint veteran has just unveiled a new iOS app, HP Printer Control, that takes the feature to a whole new level. 9to5Mac elaborates:

“In addition to the usual assortment of features ranging from automatic printer discovery and setup, printer status notification, remote ink/printer status and troubleshooting cartridge identification, HP Printer Control turns your printer into a two-way communications device with scan to Facebook, scan to Google Docs and scan to email capabilities.”

The app should work with most ePrint-enabled printers released in 2011, and will be compatible with iDevices running iOS 4.2 or later. Although the title doesn’t currently show up in the App Store, it’s expected to be available very soon.

I’m a huge fan of the AirPrint feature. I use it to print off receipts from my email, and photos from my iPhone. But I’m not sure I’m sold on HP’s Printer Control app. I just don’t see myself needing third-party printer software. I left that back in my PC days.

What’s your take on Apple’s AirPrint feature? What about HP’s Printer Control app?