Re: IPP> RFC: Add required document-format values for IPP v2?

From: Michael R Sweet (msweet@apple.com)
Date: Thu Jul 31 2008 - 13:57:39 EDT

  • Next message: Michael R Sweet: "Re: IPP> RFC: Add required document-format values for IPP v2?"

    Ira McDonald wrote:
    > Hi,
    >
    > I sympathize with Mike Sweet's point and Dave Whitehead's comments.
    > However:
    >
    > (1) The IPP WG can charter a new project (e.g., "IPP Required Document
    > Formats") for a new PWG standards-track spec anytime
    >
    > (2) If the IPPv2 project adds ANY new content, then our whole schedule will
    > fall apart completely, because we'll have to show actual prototyping before
    > taking the IPPv2 spec to Formal Vote

    Ira: Change the schedule. Putting out useless specs that nobody
    will use is a waste of time.

    We're already adding new content - new version numbers - and there
    is significant effort needed for interoperability and conformance
    testing. Adding requirements for supported document formats (all
    of which are already in ISO, IETF, PWG, or W3C approved standards)
    will actually make that testing *easier* since then we won't need
    to use vendor-specific drivers to create content suitable for the
    device to the tested!

    > (3) The PWG Steering Committee remembers all too well the structural error
    > in the Abstract Counters (PWG 5106.1) and Counter MIB (PWG 5106.3)
    > - waving PWG Process and adopting untested new IPP content is NOT
    > going to happen

    Then IMHO IPP/2.x will be as much of a failure as IPP/1.1 has.

    I say that IPP/1.1 is a failure because few vendors provide full
    support for it, and even then it is only for a handful of devices.
    Even fewer support "generic" document formats like PDF, making it
    impossible to realize the dream of universal network printing.

    Interoperability is a serious problem, in part because some vendors
    never went beyond IPP/1.0 (Microsoft, Linksys, others), only support
    HTTP/1.0 (HP), or have serious bugs in their IPP implementations
    causing printers and network cards to hang (every vendor).

    I am convinced that if we put out another IPP standard that does
    nothing to address supporting standard/generic document formats, then
    there will be no compelling reason for any vendor to adopt IPP/2.x
    because it will not significantly improve interoperability or open up
    new markets/opportunities.

    Put simply, I think we need to provide an IPP/2.x spec that will help
    vendors sell more printers.

    -- 
    ______________________________________________________________________
    Michael R Sweet                        Senior Printing System Engineer
    


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