Moto Print vs PrinterShare?

[aggiechase37]

So I noticed the Amazon market has a pretty rad looking wifi printing app as a free app of the day. Has anyone used the Motoprint? Does that seem to work ok? Does anyone have any reason to believe that the Amazon app works better? I was thinking about uninstalling Motoprint and installing that one, but wanted to get some opinions. I guess I could just try them both out and see if I like them, but I don't even have a printer. But let's not worry about that. Let's worry about which app is better, Motoprint, or PrinterShare?

 

[SSHGuru]

Printer share does more like the option to print k9 mail. Both work well.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using DroidForums

 

[liftedplane]

I tried moto print today and it worked well but a free 13.00 app that says it can do all of that I couldn't pass it up. Haven't tried it out yet though

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using DroidForums

 

[REMilk]

We do not own a wireless printer. Our printer is an Epson Color Stylus 875 which we have had about 6 or 7 years. This is a wired printer.

Yesterday,09/16/2011, I installed PrinterShare on both my Droid 3 and my wife's Droid 3. It worked surprisingly well.

Later I found out about MOTOPRINT, that was installed. I was under the misconception that it only supported wireless printers. After figuring out the 'credentialing information', I tested it and it worked well on my wired printer.

Later I installed the app 'Cloud Print' which makes it easy to use Googles Cloud Print service. Surprisingly, Google has not released and app for this yet. You must have the Chrome browser on your PC to set up the functionality. The Chrome browser does NOT have to be open for using the cloud print facility.

For all three I tried a small .jpg picture and a 1-page MS Word doc. I could not tell a difference in the final print. For all three there was a slight delay of about a minute from the submission of print until it was ready for print on my PC.

There are some differences in the functionality. For example, to print a Picture in the Gallery:

1. MOTOPRINT (a);
   a. Long press the picture
   b. Select the option Print/"Print with MOTOPRINT"
2. MOTOPRINT (b);
   a. Start the MOTOPRINT app
   b. Select Picture Gallery/Gallery
   c. Touch press the picture
   b. Select the option "Print with MOTOPRINT"
3. Cloud Print
   a. Start the Cloud Print app
   b. Select Files option
   c. Got to folder
   d. Long press the file to be printed, then select yes
4. PrinterShare
   a. Start the PrinterShare app
   b. Select Pictures
   c. Long Press the picture
   d. Press Print

For both Cloud Print and PrinterShare, when you access files through a file manager app, such as "Files" or "OI File Manager" and you touch press a file, both the "Cloud Print" and "PrinterShare" options are available.

It is important to note some important differences in file access capabilities:

1. Cloud Print - on the Droid 3 and other devices with internal storage (folder named sdcard) and an external SD card (folder sdcard-ext), you cannot access files on the external SD card, only the internal storage. To me this is a major weakness.

2. MOTOPRINT - when you select the type document for printing, this seems to search both the internal storage and external storage and presents a consolidated list for printing

3. PrinterShare - when you select the type document, you have direct access to the folders for both internal storage and external storage.

There are other differences, but accessing the files/data on both internal/external storage is important to me.

This information was based on about an hour of playing with these. You may identify other strengths and weaknesses in these products so you can decide which works best for you.

Bob

 

[pistacio]

Thanks for the research, very informative post.

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums App

 

[alfred74new]

Bob,

Any tips on figuring out the credentialing info? I have tried every variation of my user name with and without my computer name and password and its no go. I have turned password protected sharing on & off. I have Vista. It recognizes there is a Motoprint Host, but it won't let me log in. If I go through print shares, it shows all my print drivers, but my primary wired printer is not supported.
This is driving me crazy.:disappointed:
Alfred

After figuring out the 'credentialing information', I tested it and it worked well on my wired printer.

Bob

 

[REMilk]

Bob,

Any tips on figuring out the credentialing info? I have tried every variation of my user name with and without my computer name and password and its no go. I have turned password protected sharing on & off. I have Vista. It recognizes there is a Motoprint Host, but it won't let me log in. If I go through print shares, it shows all my print drivers, but my primary wired printer is not supported. It was by trial and error that I finally got this to work.

If PrinterShare does not support your printer, then you might be out of luck. I would recommend that you do a little research. Many times, printer drivers are not always limited to one print device. Go to the manufacturer's site for your printer and search printer drivers for your printer driver, next check out several other printer drivers for models similar in name to yours. If you get a match, then I suggest you check to see if PrinterShare supports the driver for the other printer. If you still have a problem, within PrinterShare, try assigning a printer driver close in name to your printer and see what happens.

Sorry I could not be more help.

Bob


This is driving me crazy.:disappointed:
Alfred

By "credentialing", I mean the User Id/Password needed during the 'start-up"/login of the computer. I could not get MOTOPRONT to work with "no password" so I ended up adding a password to the startup/login of the computer.

 

[Shadez]

I've used printershare since it was released and always worked well for me. Have yet to try the others.

 

[alfred74new]

By "credentialing", I mean the User Id/Password needed during the 'start-up"/login of the computer. I could not get MOTOPRONT to work with "no password" so I ended up adding a password to the startup/login of the computer.

My understanding is that the Motoprint pc host lets you use most printers, not just supported ones. It is the credentialing that I can't get pass. My computer is already set up with a user account and password, but motoprint keeps telling me its not correct. I've tried just Alfred, Alfred@Laptop, Laptop\Alfred as the user name (all suggestions from the droid 3 motoprint help section, but alas no joy.
Thanks for getting back to me so soon.
Alfred

 

[Shadez]

I did just notice however, that motoprint doesn't allow you to print 4x6 pictures...

 

[tcrews]

Printershare supports "cloud printers" as well. So you can have WiFi local printers, Bluetooth printers, "remote" printers and Google cloud printers accessible from Printershare.

Just hit the Menu button to choose which you want to print.

 

[icicle]

The major weakness I have found so far is my Canon MP470 series printer is unsupported, while my HP B8550 printer works.
I also found that the older printers are not supported.

I will be trying other printer apps as well to compare the differences.

Edit:
I just downloaded Printer Share, talk about hoops to jump though, not only do you need to download app on your smart phone, but you have to download program onto your computer, then you need to create an account, then select printer(s), then it takes about a minute to print

Double Edit:
I also looks like you have to buy free pages to use, 100 for about $5.00 online, motoprint no need to buy anything.

Triple Edit:
The Printer Share app does allow to change paper size, and other options that Motoprint does not support.
I just might have to save up the $12.95 for this app.