reading memory cards from a networked photo printer

[Gregg Dinse]

Hi,

I started to write this email to ask if the task in the subject line  
was possible under OSX, and if so, then how to go about it.  Well, I  
decided to experiment a little before writing, and the first thing I  
tried just worked.  So, I thought I'd pass the information along, in  
case there are others looking for a similar solution.

My wife just got a new digital camera, which uses a Sony memory stick  
(MS).  Our old USB card reader does not handle this format -- it's so  
old that it only reads Compact Flash (CF) cards.  However, we  
recently bought an all-in-one (printer/scanner/copier) and it has a  
built-in card reader.  This card reader can handle MS (and CF and SD  
and XD), but my understanding was that its intended use was to print  
directly from a memory card without requiring a computer.  Our new  
all-in-one is connected to our macs via its built-in ethernet port,  
so I wondered if its built-in card reader would be accessible from  
the macs.

Well, just to try something before writing, I took a picture on my  
old digital camera, which uses a CF memory card.  I stuck the card in  
the printer and a set of menu options automatically appeared on the  
printer's LCD.  One of the 4 choices on the main screen was SAVE (to  
a computer).  I chose that option and the next screen asked which of  
our networked computers was the target.  I chose my mac and it  
automatically opened iPhoto, just like when I connect my old USB CF  
reader.  That all seemed to work very well and very easily, and it  
saves me the trouble and expense of buying a new card reader (which  
would not have automatically showed up on our network).

Perhaps this is not of interest to many of you, and those who are  
interested may have already known this or assumed it was obvious, but  
in case there is anyone else like me out there, I thought I'd pass  
the information along.

Finally, I don't want to sound like a commercial for HP (and I have  
no connection to them), but our new all-in-one is VERY nice!  I ended  
up getting the HP Photosmart C5180, though there are models above and  
below it.  It's an inkjet that prints, scans, and acts as a stand- 
alone copier.  It also is a photo printer (and has a separate tray  
for photo paper). This all-in-one is normally $200, though because of  
a sale and a coupon, I got it for $140.  Also, it's small, fast, and  
has a wired ethernet port -- the ethernet port alone used to add  
$100!  It has 6 ink individual ink cartridges and the few photos I  
printed look great.  The next model up (C6180) is normally $300 and  
adds fax capabilities, a paper feeder, and wireless ethernet.  The  
next model up (C7180) is normally $400 and adds bluetooth and a built- 
in slide and negative reader.  They all have built-in card readers  
and LCDs.  I believe there are lesser models (C3180 and C4180), but I  
do not know which features are eliminated.  I noticed this morning  
that many of the local stores still have these on sale.  I think Best  
Buy has them for $170 right now and there in an online (Best Buy)  
coupon for 10% off, which would bring it down to $153.  Even the top  
of the line C7180 was $320 last week (without a 10% off coupon),  
which still sounds cheap compared to the $500 I paid a few years ago  
for a low-end model...

Happy holidays,

Gregg