Embed Notice

So I've been thinking, after setting up my Canon 9500 on Windows 11 with "old drivers" for 8.1, just how bad ARM windows is going to be with printers.

ARM windows printing essentially relies on built-in drivers, and the new "driverless printing" craze where all the printer companies and OS companies got together to develop "universal" printers that'll print with any OS. This is a boon for phones, "less supported" OSes such as Windows RT/ARM or Linux, and other devices where you no longer have to fiddle with print drivers.

There's just one issue: there's no manufacturer specific "universal" drivers like there for say HPs on Android (that'll print to even older printers like the Photosmarts or PCL6 LaserJets), and there's tons and tons of printers that won't work on ARM but have good driver support on CUPS or x86/AMD64 Windows.

It's the problem everyone had with Vista all over again.