I received another computer question request on a third party website where by I earn supplemental income answering computer and technology related questions. This one dealt with hardware which is at times more of a rarity. Here is the initial original request quoted verbatim below:
Where is the USB cable connector on a Pixma MX922? I just bought the printer and trying to connect to my laptop.
This individual had purchased a Canon Pixma MX922 printer. Canon just like every other major printer manufacturer that I know uses standard universal serial bus printer cables. Here is my initial original response:
The universal serial bus connection should be on the back right hand side if looking at the printer from the back. It should be near where you plug in the power cable. Also, Canon suggests to install the software and driver first and then connect the printer with the universal serial bus cable when prompted to.
That is a printer universal serial bus connection. A printer cable universal serial bus connection is square on one side that connects to that printer and not standard flat shaped. Did you receive a printer universal serial bus cable with that Canon printer?
One end of a printer universal serial bus cable is flat standard the other end is square. You can look at the image in the thumbnail image of the video embedded at the top of this blog post. This request was one of just ignorance.
Those new to printers may have assumed that printer cables have to use flat standard connections. Universal serial bus printer cables have always had one end that is square that I remember. This end connects directly into your printer.
What I find stingy is that Canon did not include one with this Canon Pixma MX922 printer. Canon is not the only major printer manufacturer that does not include printer cables. I am pretty certain back in the day when I purchased both a Hewlett Packard and Canon inkjet printers, that a printer cable was included.
Technically these printer cables are known as universal serial bus a/b cables. A is used to describe the flat end connector, which you will see on more standard universal serial bus cables. B is used to describe the square four corner end connector, which is what an average computer end user is accustomed using with printers.
This allows the universal serial bus to become standard. Most computers even in this day and age have universal serial bus connectors. Printers then are manufactured with the universal serial bus B type square connector.
Inkjet and laser printers are supported with this type of cable as well. Commercial office copiers, large commercial grade printers, as well as all in one devices use these types of universal serial bus cables. Back before the universal serial bus cables were manufactured, printers had serial bus connectors.
Computers also had serial bus connectors. These types of connectors were quite a bit larger. That might be one reason among many why the universal serial bus became standard for printers.