"stock" Internet software like web browsers, web servers, and web client
libraries don't seem particularly helpful for a printing application.
Yes, it's easy to prototype new protocols using http, but when you try to
productize those prototypes, you may find there are more features in
http 1.1 than you wanted to support in your product.
I hate to see products and protocols saddled with baggage that nobody needs.
(or are there some other kinds of "stock Internet software" that I'm
not thinking about?)
Keith
p.s. Several people have expressed interest in an "http-lite" protocol,
that is, a generic http-like, text-over-tcp, request-response protocol
which isn't adapted for any one particular application, but can
take adavntage of standard url types, security mechanisms, etc.