Mac - Windows Printers

[Chris Hunter <cjhunter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

extract from:  Windows Compatibility and Mac OS X (Apple)

Network-based services enable workgroups to collaborate more=20=20
productively and
individuals to access the files and applications they need even when=20=20
they=92re away from
their usual computer. Mac OS X supports a wide range of popular=20=20
network services.

File servers

Windows PCs and servers use a networking protocol known as SMB/CIFS.=20=20
Mac OS X
supports SMB/CIFS with an open source technology called Samba. Samba=20=20
enables a
Mac to easily connect to a Windows server or Windows PC that has file=20=20
sharing enabled.
Through file sharing, Mac and Windows computers can open, edit, save,=20=20
and copy the
same files using a folder or directory that=92s common to both of them.

Through Samba, Mac OS X users can also provide Windows users with=20=20
access to the
files on their Mac systems. Shared Mac folders or volumes appear in a=20=20
Windows user=92s
Network Places=97just like a Windows server=97enabling Windows users to =
=20
browse folders
and share files without having to install any additional software.=20=20
Mac OS X also offers
support for native Windows access control lists, so on Windows-=20
managed networks with
sophisticated access permissions, Mac OS X fully respects the=20=20
controls put in place=97
just like a Windows computer.

Print servers

SMB/CIFS support also provides the basis for Mac compatibility with=20=20
shared Windows
printers. Through Samba, shared Windows printers appear in the Mac OS=20=20
X Printer
Setup Utility, so they can be added to the Mac in the form of a local=20=20
printer queue.
You can create a queue for as many shared Windows (and Mac) printers=20=20
as you like,
and any application that can print on the Mac can print to the shared=20=20
printer via the
queue. Printer vendors provide Mac drivers with new printers or make=20=20
them available
on their websites, and for several hundred of the most of the popular=20=20
printers, the
appropriate printer drivers are already included in Mac OS X, so you=20=20
don=92t need to
install any additional software.

It=92s even easier to share a printer connected to your Mac with=20=20
networked PCs. Just turn
on the Printer Sharing and Windows Sharing options in Mac OS X=20=20
Sharing preferences.
The printer queues you=92ve already configured for your Mac will be=20=20
made available to
other Mac and Windows systems on the network. Windows users can=20=20
create a queue for
a Mac printer the same way they do for a shared Windows NT printer=20=20
server, using the
print wizard built into Windows. Because the Mac uses the same SMB/=20
CIFS protocol as
Windows, no additional software is necessary on the Mac or PC.




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