"A printer that relies on the host computer's processor to generate printable pages. Most host-based printers on the market today use the GDI interface built into Windows. Because they don't need a powerful processor of their own, host-based printers tend to be less expensive than conventional printers. But because they share your computer's processor, they may be slow and they may slow down your other computer work. How fast these printers operate depends on how powerful the host computer is and how occupied it is with other operations."