With the introduction of the iPad, Apple is faced with a dilemma -- their excellent iWork apps can’t print. There’s now speculation that may soon change, with iPhone OS 4.0 about to be previewed on Thursday.

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple’s own support pages for the iPad versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote all mention that “printing directly from iPad is not currently available” -- instead of stating flat-out that the apps do not print.

While it may be a stretch, it’s a given that Apple will have to address the issue sooner or later if the iPad ever has a shot at being a truly mobile mini-computer. At the moment, the only option is to send documents to a desktop computer for printing, either by e-mail or using the iPad’s file sharing feature in iTunes.

It would make sense for Apple to adopt printing on at least the iPad via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and AppleInsider is expecting such an announcement at tomorrow’s media event for iPhone OS 4.0. The other problem is how to address the huge quantity of printer drivers necessary for different models when space is limited on the device in the first place.

There are already a number of printing apps for the iPhone, but they generally require a nearby desktop computer to do the actual printing -- the app simply pushes the photo or other document to the desktop.