Patent ID: 7171131

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of attach/detach sections to and from each of which a developer container for containing developer can be attached and detached; and an image bearing body for bearing a latent image; wherein when a developer container is attached to each of said plurality of attach/detach sections, said image forming apparatus is usable as a color image forming apparatus for forming a color image by developing the latent image borne on said image bearing body with the developer contained in each said developer container; wherein when a developer container is attached to only one of said plurality of attach/detach sections, said image forming apparatus is usable as a single-color image forming apparatus for forming a single-color image by developing the latent image borne on said image bearing body with the developer contained in said developer container; wherein said image forming apparatus has a device ID that is sent to a computer when said image forming apparatus communicates with said computer and that is used by said computer to recognize devices capable of communicating with said computer; and wherein the device ID of said image forming apparatus for when said image forming apparatus is being used as said color image forming apparatus matches the device ID of said image forming apparatus for when said image forming apparatus is being used as said single-color image forming apparatus.