14 DAY TRIAL // Alongside a number of major Mac OS X updates posted at Apple’s Support Downloads section, there is a Bonjour Print Services update for Windows users, recently released by the Mac maker. Allowing those who haven’t yet made the switch to find and configure a Bonjour-enabled printer from their PC, Bonjour Print Services deploys what is called a "Bonjour Printer Wizard" onto their hard drives, complete with a desktop shortcut to manage the service whenever it’s needed.
On its website, Apple addresses Windows PC users explaining that, "Bonjour Print Services for Windows lets you discover and configure Bonjour-enabled printers from your Windows computer using the Bonjour Printer Wizard." It encourages you to fire up Windows Update first, in order to make sure you have the latest Service Pack installed for your computer. Only then will Bonjour Print Services work properly for you. The system requirements for three different versions of Windows are listed as follows:
- Bonjour Print Services supports Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later, but we strongly recommend either: - Windows XP Service Pack 3; - Windows Vista Service Pack 2; - Windows 7.
A number of printer requirements is also provided, with Apple noting that, "Bonjour Print Services works with either: network printers over Wi-Fi or Ethernet [and/or] USB printers shared via a Mac or an AirPort base station." As a fan of Apple’s Mac OS X, you’d probably believe that only a Windows PC user would not frown at the sight of a third set of requirements that, without fail, Apple posts just under the printer requirements.
Sure enough, even those who rock Microsoft’s OS without a hiccup will be annoyed by having to check and see that UDP port 5353 is open for Bonjour to work correctly. The Bonjour installer configures the Windows firewall automatically during installation on supported systems, according to Apple, but if you have a separate "personal firewall" enabled, you’ll have to tweak that UDP port. The Bonjour Printer Wizard will be installed in "\Program Files\Bonjour Print Services," Apple says.