Inking up: now coming to a printer near you—files from a cellphone or PDA

Entrepreneur, July, 2003 by Mike Hogan

As wireless devices proliferate, so does the need to print what's in them. Now you can zap e-mail, contact lists and even photos to network printers or to infrared- or Bluetooth-enabled printers.

There are so many devices that one size doesn't fit all. Nokia and other handset makers are equipping some models for Bluetooth printing, and Palm users can find print solutions at PalmSource (www.palmsource.com).

For other devices, Hewlett-Packard is teaming with various companies to work out the kinks. BlackBeny users can wirelessly print to a network if it includes HP's Mobile Enterprise Printing server. A company with up to 100 employees can license it from HP or Research in Motion for $35 per person per year. Workers with Pocket PC 2002 handhelds need only a software download from HP's Web site (www.hp.com/go/mobileprinting) to print to Bluetooth or infrared printers.

On the road, you'll find a number of hotels and other Wi-Fi hot spots offering wireless printing for your 802.11 notebook, a capability you can achieve at the office by adding HP'S $239 (street) Jetdirect 380x to any printer's USB port.