Printer technology has moved forward with the times, going networked and then wireless. But now, more and more people are working from smartphones and tablets, which creates a dilemma when it comes to needing a physical copy of a document. Google attempts to solve this with Cloud Print, but despite having been around for a couple of years, it remains a beta and is less than intuitive for any users.
Other technologies exist that are much simpler and more efficient. Today we’ll be setting up Breezy, which is compatible with Windows, as well as iOS and Android.
Setup
Before you can go off and print from your Nexus 7 while in a hotel room, you will need to prepare everything at the home-end, where your printer resides. Head to the Breezy web site and download a little app called “Personal Connector”.
If you have already registered a Breezy account then go ahead and enter your email address and password when prompted to do so during the setup process. If you don’t yet have an accountm then you can create one right from the same prompt.
You will now be presented with a list of available printers attached to the computer you are on, including those virtual ones supplied by apps like Office and Acrobat.
Working with the Desktop Connector
With the setup behind us, we arrive at the rather simply and easy to understand desktop app interface. There are four self-explanatory options here.
“Account” allows you to change your password if you find it necessary; “Printers” lets you add, remove or change the printers you wish to have associated with your account; “Settings” contains three options governing how the app runs and “Help” speaks for itself.
Settings may be of mild interest here – it contain only three options, once of which is enabled by default. That lone one tells Breezy to start when the computer starts up – a necessity in case your computer is restarted while your out. The other two are “automatically minimize Breezy when it starts” and “do you want to use and HTTP proxy?”. Choose these if you see fit.
Going Mobile
Breezy produces mobile apps for iOS, Android and Blackberry – sorry Windows Phone users. The apps are all free and easy to setup, as you need only enter your Breezy account login information.
Once setup, you will find a simple home screen that allows you to choose files and photos for printing, as well as view the list of your recently printed items.
Once everything is all setup, then you can send files to Breezy from other apps on your device, such as Office 365, Google Maps and more. Then simply open the app, set preferences such as portrait or landscape and more to get them going to your printer back at home or the office.
Conclusion
As I stated earlier, this is not your only option for printing from a mobile device, but I have found it to be the best of the ones I have used. If you need something printed right away while you are on the road, you even get the option to send it to any of the thousands of locations in the network – places such as FedEx stores and others.
Alan is an avid fan of all things technology, including Microsoft, Android, Google, and more. When not writing about or using gadgets and software, he can be found on the trails hiking or mountain biking.
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