Lets be real: Most printers today follow one of a handful of standards. They can interpret Postscript, or PCL, or in some cases raw PDF files. CUPS is common driver/filter package that can convert between a few formats and direct the output to the proper port (be in /dev/lp1, /dev/sc01, or an IPort combo).

Most unix-based programs that have print functionality print in Postscript. MicroB is based on Mozilla, which has a PS generator. There are some nice wrapper scripts one can use to print text to PS printers with lots of formatting options. Support for this exists in debian, it's just been stripped from the version Maemo did to cut some fat out of the system.

I'd love to see this as a package users can install that's optional. I'd really prefer to see a universal PDF output generator too that can "print" (from MicroB and the like) to a PDF, which I can later print on a real computer later if I like, or edit with Xornal, etc. I don't think we'll ever see an OS-level universal interface for printing under unix of any flavor. But having the option of postscript or PDF output will solve the issue for 95% of the people out there. (And the other 5% can suck it up and buy a real printer...)

Are we any further with printing on network printers, it is definitely something I miss on the phone/computer.

The absence of print support on this otherwise fully-featured "handheld computer" is so glaring that it almost merits a bug report.

It does exist since 2008-04-16 and already closed WONTFIX

https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3099

I have ported cups to the N900. I am waiting for the maemo.org
response, because I forgot to fill the maintainer field correctly.
Now I am not listed as maintainer of cups, so I cannot promote
it yet. When this was corrected, applications can be build with
cups support.
I tried recompiling libgtk2 with libcups2-dev installed. The libs were
found and gtk has printingsupport.
Then I recompiled leafpad and abiword against the new gtk libs.
Now I am able to print out of leafpad and abiword.
At the moment, only printing to a network printer was tested by me.
Maybe bluetooth printers, or even usb printers over hostmode work,
too.
Just try the packages in extras-devel. The modified gtk, leafpad
and abiword packages are located in this thread:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=56932

Hi
maybe nokia's next windows phone will have a print function
Here's hoping the mythical n950 can print something