Printer formatter with print server

1 . A printer formatter comprising:

a processing system;

a system input/output (I/O) coupled to the processing system;

a formatter control; and

a print server; and

wherein the processing system is configured to perform a first function associated with the system I/O, wherein the processing system is configured to perform a second function associated with the print server, and wherein the processing system is configured to perform a third function associated with the formatter control.

2 . The printer formatter of claim 1 wherein the first function comprises receiving a print job, wherein the second function comprises adding the print job to a queue, and wherein the third function comprises processing the print job.

3 . The printer formatter of claim 2 wherein processing system is configured to cause the print job to be converted from a first format to a second format in response to processing the print job.

4 . The printer formatter of claim 3 wherein the processing system is configured to provide the print job in the second format to a print engine.

5 . The printer formatter of claim 1 wherein the second function comprises generating status information associated with a print job, and wherein the first function comprises providing the status information to a computer system.

6 . The printer formatter of claim 1 wherein the first function comprises receiving a cancel request from a computer system, and wherein the second function comprises removing a print job associated with the cancel request from a queue.

7 . The printer formatter of claim 1 wherein the system I/O is configured to communicate with a plurality of interfaces.

8 . A printer comprising:

a formatter that includes a processing system, formatter control, a print server, and a system input/output (I/O);

a print engine coupled to the formatter; and

a print mechanism coupled to the print engine;

wherein the formatter is configured to perform a first function associated with the system I/O, wherein the formatter is configured to perform a second function associated with the print server, and wherein the formatter is configured to perform a third function associated with the formatter control.

9 . The printer of claim 8 wherein the first function comprises receiving a print job, wherein the second function comprises adding the print job to a queue, and wherein the third function comprises processing the print job.

10 . The printer of claim 8 wherein the print mechanism comprises a laser print mechanism.

11 . The printer of claim 8 wherein the print mechanism comprises an ink-jet print mechanism.

12 . The printer of claim 8 further comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with a network device.

13 . The printer of claim 12 wherein the interface comprises a 10/100 interface.

14 . The printer of claim 12 wherein the interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

15 . The printer of claim 12 wherein the interface comprises a parallel interface.

16 . A method performed by a printer formatter that comprises a system I/O, a formatter control, and a print server a comprising:

performing a first function associated with the system I/O;

performing a second function associated with the print server, and

performing a third function associated with the formatter control.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:

performing the first function by receiving a print job;

performing the second function by adding the print job to a queue; and

performing the third function by processing the print job.

18 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:

performing the second function by generating status information associated with a print job; and

performing the first function by providing the status information to a computer system.

19 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:

performing the second function by executing one or more instructions associated with the second function.

20 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:

performing the third function by providing a print job to a print engine.