Patent ID: 7254354

Claim:
An image forming apparatus having a plurality of functions, comprising: a control panel that is adapted to set a trial using mode to a main body of the image forming apparatus for limiting usable times of a network printer function among the plurality of functions; a printer portion that is adapted to execute a printer operation according to an image signal input from a computer when a print instruction is input to the main body from the computer via a network in the state that a print enable key is not inserted to the main body; and a CPU that is adapted to control the printer portion to finish the trial using mode of the network print function when a number of printing times reaches the limited usable times in correspondence with the print operation; wherein the CPU judges whether the print enable key is inserted to the main body or not, and permits subsequent use of the network print function when it is judged that the print enable key is inserted to the main body after the end of the trial using mode and a code read from the print enable key coincides with an identification code intrinsic to the main body.