[boston pz]

I work I use Windows XP with a selection of networked laser printers.

When i print a Word document or Outlook email the printer starts going instantly and there is really no big intrusive printing indicator coming from the Windows OS.

When I print at home on my mac using mac os x (10.3.9) and my new epson stylus cx6000 there is a GIANT print monitor applications that opens up and stays in the Doc and doesn't dissapear even AFTER the printer is over.

can't my Mac print more ellegantly and 'covertly'?

please deposit two cents here:

hehe thanks :-)

[Homer1946]

Whenever you print in OS X the printer will show up in the Dock as an application. I would not call it intrusive and it makes it easy to access the print job if needed. I am not sure why I would call some application running in the Dock GIANT as compared with any other application.

Either way that application (the print monitor) should automatically quit as soon as printing is complete unless while it was printing you brought it to the front. In that event you would need to quit it manually.

I suppose you could modify the printer application to make it a background application if you wanted. Managing print jobs would then be very problematic I would think.

[alex_kac]

Also, in this case this may be the Epson Print Monitor which is an Epson abomination. Normal OS X printing is completely silent besides the dock icon.