Peripherals forum: Do printers benefit from USB?

The USB printers can be cheaper since the connectors and cables are that much less. The USB transfer rate can be higher than parallel and can result in less CPU load since most OS's 'poll' the printer port. USB is interrupt driven so you usually see less spikes on the CPU chart.

Let's bottomline this. Why not just connect it and use it?

Bob

FROM A PRIOR, UNANSWERED, POST:
Do printers benefit from USB?

Canon's i560 inkjet printer comes with both a parallel port and USB interface. Will improved data throughput of USB really improve printer output speed or quality? Will the use of the USB rather than the parallel port put a bigger or smaller drain on computer processing speed when printing? Do printers benefit from USB 2.0? Are there other specific benefits to using the USB connector on an inkjet printer, rather than the parallel port interface?

Posted by: cps1 Posted on: 12/17/2003 8:09 PM

I have the exact same question so I thought I'd bump this up to see if someone might enlighten us? Thanks, grandpaw

On paper USB2.0 is suppose to be the better choice. Since LPT ports have been around so long and quite simply work as intended, as you rarely have a port problem. Keeping all this in mind, it seems USB will delevope a problem sooner or later, while LPT usually doesn't the output of print quality is the same, and if speed is a measuring factor, for most home users or typical PC users(non-business) it hardly makes a difference. Use whatever suits you and be happy. For simple install sake, USB is heads-up better but only a tad IMHO.

good luck -----Willy