alt Hacker NewsI've always thought USB-only made no sense on a printer. If there was one device in your house that multiple computers (and phones, don't forget) would want to use simultaneously, it's a printer. I'll only buy a printer that has its own built in network connectivity. Infuriating to have to stick a Pi onto your printer just so it can do what should be basic, table-stakes functionality.
Replies
skydhash • 08/18/2026
A usb controller is way less expensive than something that can run a TCP stack and the associated software.
USB-only is a cost cutting measure. Canon CAPT printers have so low amount of RAM that the page is streamed over USB. There's not enough RAM (1-2 MB) to accept the full compressed page at once for complex pages.
Network/Wi-Fi printers have at least 16 MB of RAM, usually 64+ MB nowadays.