Online HP Printer Support, Install HP printer, Install dell printer, Dell printer Support

Battcursor feature For latest Windows 7

2009-10-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

If you do a lot of work on your laptop or when you are away from your home, the battery life is always the cause of the worry to the user. The user always remains anxious about

how much battery is left and how much work can be done on the laptop.

Windows 7 provides the solution to it. Battcursor feature in the latest Windows 7 feature keeps the track of the battery life and keep the user aware of the battery status. Its power

saving functions are quite impressive. Though it is a little program but offers many useful features.

The tool includes indicator to the cursor. The cursor itself turns into a floating battery meter and whenever the battery power is low, the percentage and the visual indicator

will be displayed. Aero Glass style feature allows you to set BattCursor to show Windows title bar which itself alters the color to warn you when your battery is low.

The title bars will give the blue color if the battery is full or nearly full and if your laptop is running out of battery the spectrum will shift to the warning colors. By

default it displays yellow for low and red for critical. You can also modify the colors and activate the Power profiles as the battery diminishes.

To keep the user aware, BattCursor also shows the current charge level. It also allows you to disable the Aero Glass and Windows Sidebar when certain level is attained by the

battery to extract more life out of the battery. Power Profiles in Windows 7 feature can be automatically switched with the BattCursor. Once you enable the function, at the specified

charge level your system will be changed from high performance to balanced to power saver.

Windows 7 features – Virtual Hard Disk

2009-10-21T02:28:00.000-07:00

Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7, comes with a number of new features including relatively lesser known Virtual Hard Disk that enables a user to install various operating systems on a single machine.

The tool, which is a file formatted to be structurally identical to a physical Hard Disk Drive, enables you to test software on different operating systems and reduces the cost or hassle of actual hardware.

This feature which is included in latest Windows 7 allows a physical computer to mount and boot from an operating system contained within a VHD.

VHD’s ability to directly modify a virtual machine’s hard disk from a host server supports many applications, including:

* Life-cycle management and provisioning
* Backup and recovery
* Image management and patching
* Disk conversion (physical to virtual, and so on)
* Antivirus and security
* Moving files between a VHD and the host file system

In a nutshell, following are the advantages are provided by Windows 7 new feature VHDs:

Multiple operating system support: Now you can easily install multiple operating system without making changes in Master Boot Record.

Backup-and-Restore: Changes to the contents of a VHD (such as infection by a virus, or accidental deletion of critical files) are easily undone.

Multi-User Isolation: Many current operating systems support having multiple users, but offer varying degrees of protection between them (e.g., one user of the OS could become infected by a virus which infects other users, or make changes to the OS which affect other users). By giving each user their own version of the operating system — say, by creating for each of them a differencing VHD based on a base installation of the OS — changes to any particular child image would have no effect on any of the other child images.

How to Find Discount on Printer Supplies With E-Shopping

2009-09-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Many of you must have printers with your personal computers. Would you like to know where to find their supplies when they get finished or over used? Finding discounted printer supplies is not a tough job especially in the present era where everything is accessible to you at home. But first of all, you must have all the information about the requirements of your printer. Only then can you shop for them yourself.

As you know, printers are of many different kinds. There are thermal printers, dot-matrix printers, laser printers, ink jet printers and so on. Every printer is equipped with different parts and thus the supplies used for their proper working will also be different. Here, as an example, we will inform you about the supplies used in most commonly used printers. Let's know about the requirements of your printer before searching for discounted printer supplies.

For instance, thermal printers work on a particular principle. When a thermal paper passes through the print thermal head, the printer makes a printed image. There are several things that are used in the functioning of thermal printers. These components or supplies are the thermal head that prints images on the paper; Platen that feed the thermal paper; spring that makes pressure over the paper and helps it to come in contact with paper; and the board controller which controls the whole mechanism. If there is any problem in the above mentioned parts, the printer will not work properly. Every part performs a peculiar function.

Similarly, in other printers like ink jet printers or dot-matrix printers, we have components like printer filings, cartridges, ribbons, etc. Through Internet shopping, you can get the wide range of products and get heavy discounts on your purchasing as well. For instance, in the shopping of printer ribbons, you will find at least 15 websites selling the same product. This will give you a chance to compare the different ribbons, evaluate their features and get the one at the most reasonable price.

Print heads, ribbons, and cleaning supplies are available to you at your home on various websites. What you need to do is just click on the Internet browser and search the relevant websites. Finding discounted printer supplies is possible if you make elaborate search and a wise comparison between the same product offered by two different companies.

When you are convinced that a particular website is providing you a suitable printer supply, you need not go elsewhere. In fact, unlike retail shopping, you need not do any bargain in e-shopping as they already offer you the product with handsome concessions and discounts. So, next time when you need printer supplies, go for e-shopping rather than finding discounted printer supplies in the market. Why should you waste your time and money in the market when the things are available at home at fabulous discounts?

Unable to Create New PDF Port or Printer while installing Adobe Acrobat

2009-09-12T02:37:00.000-07:00

Error: Error Warning 20225

Cause: The error may occur if the Printer spooler is not running or is not set to Automatic.

Solution: Click ‘Start’, click ‘Control Panel’. Double-click ‘Administrative Tools’. Double-click ‘Services’. In the right pane, select ‘Print Spooler’. From ‘Action’ menu, click ‘Properties’. From ‘Startup type’ drop-down list, select ‘Automatic’. Click ‘Apply’ button. Click ‘OK’.

Details: Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Standard enables you to create and share PDF documents. It also provides various options for printing. The print spoolers has to enabled before printing. The print spooler loads files to memory for printing them later. If the service is disabled then you may encounter errors while printing. At times while creating a new PDF port you receive an error.
To resolve the error:

1) Click ‘Start’ and click ‘Control Panel’. (The ‘Control Panel’ window appears.)

2) Double-click ‘Administrative Tools’. (The ‘Administrative Tools’ window appears.)

3) Double-click ‘Services’. (The ‘Services’ window appears.)

4) In the right pane, select ‘Print Spooler’.

5) From the ‘Action’ menu, click ‘Properties’. (The ‘Print Spooler Properties (Local Computer)’ dialog box appears.)

6) From the ‘Startup type’ drop-down list, select ‘Automatic’.

7) Click the ‘Apply’ button.

Click ‘OK’.

Symptoms: Error: Unable to create new PDF port or printer while installing Adobe Acrobat. | Error appears while installing.

HP expands its Printer and PC recycling program

2009-08-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

HP Printer today announced the expansion of its "HP Planet Partners Program" to consumer and small business customers. Previously available only to its direct enterprise customers, the recycling program will allow consumers and small to medium businesses to drop off their broken and end-of-life HP-branded equipment at one of 10 locations around Australia for environmentally friendly disposal.

Accepted equipment includes broken and unused printers, computers, monitors and computer peripherals. These will be accepted in key locations in Australian capital cities, as well as the Gold Coast and Central Coast. HP says the initiative will allow the electronics manufacturer to reuse key materials like plastic and metal in new products.

There are some key differences between the enterprise program and the one for consumers and small businesses. Unlike the enterprise program, consumers and businesses are expected to drop off the equipment themselves, and only HP-branded equipment will be accepted. The program is free of charge, however.

"The environment is top of mind for consumers and businesses today," said HP South Pacific Environmental Manager Kok Wah Boey in a press statement. "HP believes in the shared responsibility of producers and customers in handling end-of-life products in an environmentally responsible way."

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The program's expansion to consumers and small businesses comes after HP trialled a one-off initiative at two Dick Smith (DSE) locations in Sydney recently. HP said the trial was a success, with consumers dropping off 3228kg of equipment over the course of a week.

HP already offers several recycling programs for specific products and consumables in Australia. Consumers and businesses can safely dispose of printer and multifunction ink cartridges and laser toners through Planet Ark's "Cartridges 4 Planet Ark" scheme, which is available in various retail locations around Australia. The environmental organisation also collates recycling initiative information at its Recycling Near You Web site. HP is also involved in Byteback, a free scheme in Victoria which collects and recycles component equipment, components and peripherals.

How to connect a wired printer to wireless network using a wireless router

2009-08-17T01:40:00.000-07:00

Connecting your inkjet printer to a wireless network will let you share the printer with many different computers without the hassle of tangled cables and connectors. Follow these steps make the connection.

Step 1
Check if your printer is network ready. Many newer models are designed to work on networks. Examine the documentation to see if your printer supports Wi-Fi (802.11x) or Bluetooth.

Step 2
Add network support to your printer. If your printer is not already wireless you can connect it to a wireless router using the RJ-45 Jack (it resembles a large telephone jack). You can also buy an expansion card that will add a jack or buy an external print server that will connect to the USB or parallel port.

Step 3
Connect your printer to the network. If your printer is not wired, you’ll have to connect it directly to your wireless router. Connect a networking cable from the RJ-45 Jack on the printer (or adapter) to the router. Plug it into any jack except the UPLINK. The printer should automatically connect to the network when turned on.

Step 4
Install printer drivers on all computers. Using the disc that came with the printer or drivers downloaded from the manufacturer, install the printer’s drivers onto each computer on the network.

Step 5
Print. You should be able to access the printer just like any other wireless device. Select the printer from the Print menu when you print.

Step 1
Install the printer. Set up the printer as normal on a machine that is already connected to the wireless network. Connect all necessary cables and install all necessary drivers.

Step 2
Open the printers and faxes folder. Click "Start," then "Control Panel," then "Printers and Other Hardware" and then "Printers and Faxes."

Step 3
Share your printer. Find the icon for the printer you just installed. Click the icon once and then select SHARE THIS PRINTER in the tasks pane on the left. Now, right click the icon, select properties and go to the SHARING tab. Click "Share Name," and then click "Okay."

Step 4
Connect to the printer. On the other computers within the network, open the control panel and click "Printers and Other Hardware." Select "Add a Printer."

Step 5
Select "Printer Connection." When prompted, select this option instead of the local printer. Find and select the printer you just installed and select it.

Step 6
Print as normal. Next time you print a page, send it to your networked printer.

How to get the printer driver from the Lexmark CD?

2009-08-10T04:18:00.000-07:00

You can use Add Printer Wizard (APW) and directly install the printer driver yourself.

To launch:
Start->Printers and Faxes->Add Printer (upper left)
Dialog:
1. Click Next
2. Choose Local Printer attached to this computer
3. Next
4. Choose the USB port (If you know the USB). Otherwise go back to to screen (step 2) and check automatically detect checkbox under the Local Printer option.
5. Next
6. Click Have disk and browse to the CD and look for something Win_2KXP folder with .inf files in it.

Then from there it will install the printer driver only. Don't worry about committing mistake. If you correctly chosen the USB port where you've connected the printer APW will only pickup the correct inf file.

In News: iYogi Re-Defines Technical Support – BizTech2.com

2009-07-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

Remote managed services are gaining a lot of attraction these days. Companies are looking to outsource the maintenance and monitoring of their IT infrastructure to a third party to improve efficiency and save costs. BizTech2.com caught up with Uday Challu, founding partner and CEO, iYogi, to see what the company has to offer in this space.

As far as Enterprise and SME customers are concerned, which verticals are you focusing on?

Our focus will mostly be on small companies with around five to 100 users and also firms that have multiple small branch offices like travel agencies, retail stores etc.

What kind of support services do you provide to your customers? What is the Green PC service?

iYogi provides the next generation of remote computer support services for consumers and businesses. For consumers, our live 24/7 support extends to technologies we use everyday, including hardware, software applications, devices, peripherals and networking equipment. iYogi also offers a full range of business IT solutions including managed monitoring, managed services, set-up and installation services, and incident-based services.

Green PC Service

With the current state of the global climate and increasing dependency on the computer, iYogi helps PC users reduce their carbon footprint and save money at the same time. iYogi’s Green PC service is the first in the independent computer support industry to offer customers a way to save money, conserve energy and protect the environment by optimising their PC’s efficiency. Consumers and businesses can save up to $200 per year, per desktop, in energy costs with iYogi’s Green PC application. This green application makes the computer environmentally friendly by reducing power consumption by almost 50 percent.

Our Green PC dashboard helps customise power settings and calculate power savings in kWh (kilowatt hour). The Green PC dashboard also gives a status on the reduction of CO2 and how responsible usage will benefit the environment by saving trees. A customised service that increases the energy efficiency of computers, undertakes the below-mentioned three primary initiatives:

- Computer assessment, analysing settings and PC energy use
- Customised efficiency planning geared specifically to the individual’s usage patterns
- Implementing setting changes to maximise the computer’s energy use

What are the technologies that allow you to offer 24/7 support and ensure there is no downtime at the client site?

We have invested significantly in developing a comprehensive monitoring and management tools stack. This enables us to manage and monitor all devices in the office network as well as for branch offices and mobile users. Our tools continuously monitor the customer’s network and notify our NOC (Network Operations Centre) in case of problems. Based on the set of events, tickets are automatically generated and escalated to corresponding teams. Over and above our proactive approach, the customer always has an option to call our 24X7 support line for issues that are not identified via the monitoring tools.

Please throw some light on your proprietary iMantra technology.

iMantra is a CRM system, which is tailor-made to suit the emerging business needs at iYogi. It allows for the formation of individualised customer relationships with the aim of providing personalised services to each subscriber. This tool is built on the latest java technology with a layered architecture that makes it scalable and secure. This architecture provides a seamless workflow and independent channels for various business needs: sales, support, quality and customer service. The entire system can be exposed in the form of secure APIs and Web services, which makes it a re-usable entity.

Your business model is similar to BPOs in India providing technical support to offshore customers. What unique values do you bring to this ecosystem that would help a potential client choose you over a competitor?

iYogi’s business model is different from traditional BPOs. Some key factors that differentiate iYogi include:

- Direct-to-consumer and -small business: iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is a global technical support brand based out of India. Unlike traditional BPOs in India, iYogi does not provide any private label support and/ or work on behalf of large OEMs or software publishers.

- Optimised Processes: iYogi has developed proprietary processes for consistently delivering on a resolution rate of 87 percent, which is among the highest published benchmarks in the support industry, where averages hover in the range of 50 percent.

- Comprehensive technology platform: iYogi’s global delivery platform, iMantra, gets smarter with every customer interaction. It documents every problem, the solution and relevant hardware and software aspects, while capturing each customer’s demographic information and creating a behavioural profile. All of this information is at the fingertips of iYogi’s Global Tech Experts. This set-up combines a knowledge base with a comprehensive set of tools and technology expertise. iYogi offers a range of tools that complement its remote support services for helping customers maintain technology at peak performance levels. iYogi’s products include iYogi Smart PC Scan, iYogi Support Dock, iYogi Green PC and iYogi PC Optimisation.

How do you plan to move up the value chain in the times to come?

The growing use and penetration of the Internet and new Web-based applications has consequently opened the door to threats and vulnerabilities, which affect the system performance and ultimately lead to degrading performance. If the threats are diagnosed early on, the impact on efficiency can be minimised considerably. Currently, a user only realizes that he needs technical support once the damage has occurred and reactive methods of support are used to recover from the loss.

At iYogi, we are developing our capabilities to not only provide support when demanded, but to also monitor, pre-empt and fix threats before they can cause any damage to the computer. This will be possible only by combining technology with processes that are capable of re-defining the way technical support is delivered today.

What is your India strategy?

Technically, we are capable of servicing any geography including India. At this stage, we are looking for the right kind of partners to find access to potential customers and provide them a consolidated, 360-degree solution and services for issues relating to hardware, software, network etc. We aim to launch our India services in the coming six to eight months. Our services will offer clients a one-stop solution for all their business needs.

Apple Pushes Third-Party HP Printer Driver 1.1.1 Update

2008-10-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today, Apple pushed another third-party update - this time for HP Printer Driver 1.1.1. As Palluxo! readers may recall, Apple also used its Software Update in June to push out updated printer drivers for both Canon and Brother’s line of printers. Then again in July, Apple delivered two third-party printer updates - one for Lexmark and the other for HP.

The HP Printer Driver Update includes the latest drivers for printers you have used on your system. This update is available via Software Update and will only be visible if the printer is connected to your computer or a print queue has been created for an earlier version.

To download the latest HP Printer Driver 1.1.1 update manually, you can do it directly from Apple Download’s web site. The latest update requires Mac OS X 10.5.3 or later and weighs in at 405 MB.

Source: palluxo.com/2008/09/11/apple-pushes-third-party-hp-printer-driver-111-update/

HP Intros Large-Format Home Printer

2008-10-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hewlett-Packard announced a large-format home photo printer and new scanner at the Photokina trade show, here, this week.

The Photosmart B8550 HP photo printer can produce photos up to 13 inches by 19 inches in size, down to 4 by 6 inches. The unit also supports printing 12- by 12-inch scrapbook pages and 11- by 17-inch calendars.

It features memory card slots, a 2.4-inch color display, five individual ink cartridges and prints black text at 33 ppm and color at 31 ppm.

It will ship this month for $299.

The company also announced the G3110 photo scanner, which features a resolution of 4,800 by 9,600 dpi and 48-bit color depth, built-in photo restoration, several one-touch buttons for automatic functions and the ability to scan three-dimensional objects.

A built-in trasparency adapter lets users scan up to four 35mm film slides or five negatives. Up to three 4- by 6-inch photos can be scanned at once and saved as separate files.

It ships this month for $99. Starting in 2009, HP will begin promoting its Creative Print projects and Windows Live Photo Gallery across its Photosmart and Deskjet line of products.

Source:twice.com

Wireless HP printers have arrived

2008-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Printers go wireless: HP Photosmart C6388, all-in-one, will be among the first wireless-enabled printers to be launched in India. But owners of older printers can add a wireless adapter.

Internet access increasingly goes wireless — thanks to home, office and public WiFi hotspots — PCs are freeing themselves from Internet access cables. It was inevitable that the printer, too, should unshackle itself from the mess of wires.

Last week’s annual regional tech showcase of printer leader Hewlett Packard underlined the trend: At least half the consumer printers due for launch in India in the coming months will have wireless connectivity, through a built-in 802.11 link, otherwise known as WiFi.

As almost all laptops now sold come, by default, with the same feature, it will be easy to send files and pages from laptop to printer. “Wireless-enabled printers will be the rule rather than the exception,” Mr Chris Morgan, HP’s Vice- President for the Imaging and Printing group in Asia-Pacific and Japan, says.

India launch

Wireless-enabled HP printers, whose launch in India is imminent, include the Photosmart C4580, C6388 and C5380 — all multifunction print-scan-copy inkjets. In addition to WiFi capability, they have an optional Bluetooth link which enables quick transfer of pages or pictures from mobile phones or digital cameras, over a few metres. The machines are internationally priced at $139, $149 and $199 respectively. Even the cheapest of these can print 30 pages a minute in monochrome and 23 pages in colour. The HP trend means wireless is coming to the budget end of printing, and not just to the pricier offerings. Indeed, wireless will first be common in the consumer end of the printing spectrum — and not at the enterprise end, Mr Morgan says.

For legacy printers

For those who have legacy, non-wireless printers of any make, wireless kits (mostly Bluetooth) are available; so the old printers can print wirelessly by simply plugging in the USB device. This costs about $50 equivalent.

For home users who increasingly have at least one desktop in the family as well as a laptop for professional uses, wireless-enabled printers allow greater use of a WiFi home network. As home WiFi routers now cost less than Rs 2,500, many domestic as well as small-office users have already installed one to better utilise their wired broadband connection.

A wireless printer for such home or corporate users is just the last piece to be slotted into their wireless Web world.

Source:thehindubusinessline.com

HP OfficeJet J4680 Inkjet Multifunction Printer

2008-09-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

HP's OfficeJet J4680 is a $130 multifunction color inkjet printer that gives small- and home-office users a reasonable helping of business features at a really low price. Unfortunately, it falls short in speed and long-term economy.

The OfficeJet J4680's star attractions are its integrated 802.11b/g wireless and fax connectivity, and its 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF)--rare features on such a low-priced machine. Those features make up somewhat for the minimalist 100-sheet input tray, which doubles as a 20-sheet output tray--yes, printed pages drop right on top of any blank paper you have loaded. I dislike this design: there's too much going on in one place.Duplexing (two-sided printing) is not available. The similarly priced Dell V305W lacks an ADF or faxing, but it has separate input and output trays, and supports manual duplexing.

The control panel of the OfficeJet J4680 consists of a one-line monochrome LCD and a second line of simple arrows that point to function labels beneath the display. You use the two navigation buttons to choose a major function and to drill through the menus. This system is easy to use--except that longer messages scroll across the display like ticker tape, making them hard to read.

In our tests, the OfficeJet J4680 delivered good-quality output at adequate speeds. It printed plain-text pages at a rate of 7 pages per minute and graphics pages at 2.1 ppm or worse. On plain paper, text looked dark, crisp, and precise; color images looked natural though somewhat grainy. On HP's own photo paper, color images improved, acquiring a smooth and natural appearance. Scans and copies looked okay, but scans came out very slowly.

The OfficeJet J4680's ink costs are reasonably good--and far better than those of the Dell V305W. The machine ships with a standard 200-page black cartridge and a 360-page tricolor cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridge. Both cartridges yield consumables costs of around 7 cents per page. A high-yield (700-page) black cartridge costs $28 (approximately 4 cents per page).

The OfficeJet J4680 might be too slow to show well in our rankings, but it's still a nice machine. A small office that doesn't do much printing would probably be happy to have the OfficeJet J4680's feature set in such a compact, low-cost package. HP's performance in our recent Reliability and Service survey was average.

Source:washingtonpost.com

iYogi Computer Repair, PC Repair Support Video

2008-08-31T22:20:00.001-07:00

iYogi Announces Launch of Monitoring and Performance Tool For SMBs

2008-08-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

iYogi – a leading provider of technical support services with horizons in the US, UK, Canada and Australia – today announced the launch of its exclusive server monitoring tool for small businesses. The new product offers integrated technology solutions to surmount the users’ unique IT support requirements thereby enabling them to derive and share information, data, enable network performance analysis, and security trends critical to plan and manage their set of servers – 24x7.

Uday Challu, iYogi’s CEO commented, “Holding a significant niche for itself in the computer support industry, iYogi has always known to be on the forefront of adapting breakthrough technology to exceed customer service expectations. This time we have developed a tool offering value-add functionality which will help small business customers maximize the business outcomes of IT.”

iYogi’s monitoring tool provides real time observation and monitoring solutions to ensure more robust and reliable IT infrastructure for small buinesses. Small Business owners also get a comprehensive assesment of their IT environment to meet technology needs with the scalability for future growth and create preventative measures based on quick analysis of network device alerts, pre-failure indicators, performance benchmark and security issues.

The new Monitoring and performance tool will provide small businesses with the opportunity to test all technical and non-technical aspects of their servers and help them to strengthen overall IT infrastructure. The array of services will include: Patch Management, Security Auditing, Site Inventory, Real Time Alerting Script Based Management, and Remote Management for all critical server issues.

“Irrespective of the business being small or large, when the consumer chooses iYogi, he leverages the potential of an elite taskforce of Microsoft Certified System Engineers and Cisco Certified Network Associates, ready to service their critical assets, using the most advanced network asset tracking and Performance monitoring”, adds Challu.

Another factor where the Company aims to distinguish itself from its competitors is product pricing. Embracing the concept of service quality, iYogi offers competitively priced technical support services at no-haggle, low prices.

As for its small business support, the Company has integrated its exclusive Monitoring and Alerting Services under one price umbrella of just $480 annually. per server i.e. $49.99 per month. The price is certainly hard to find anywhere else.

For more information on iYogi Small Business Support, visit www.iyogibusiness.com

HP Makes Wireless Network Printing Easy

2008-08-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

HP recently introduced the HP JetDirect 690n Wireless Print Server, an enterprise network solution that allows extended printing capabilities over a larger number of users. Providing 802.11g printer connectivity to telecommuters and remote offices, the HP JetDirect 690n Wireless Print Server is bound to meet numerous printing needs, thus, increases workgroup productivity.

Easy to install and configure

Installing the HP JetDirect 690n Wireless Printer Server is easy and convenient. With a modular internal card that slides into the EIO slot of any compatible HP peripheral, there is no need to deal with bothersome cords and other accessories. Some HP printer series, such as the HP LaserJet P4014n, P4015n and P4515n, even come already equipped with it. Meanwhile, setup is made even faster by a revamped installation wizard which ensures that the print server will be up and running in no time.

Enterprise-class security

The HP JetDirect 690n Wireless Print Server provides robust security functions. To protect business-critical data, it is equipped with IPSec wireless security that provides advanced authentication and encryption. Other security features include Kerberos, 802.1x authentication, SSL/TLS, Access Control List, password protection, SNMPv3, and IPP over TLS.

Full manageability

To further ensure convenience, the HP JetDirect 690n Wireless Print Server works seamlessly with these HP management tools:
• With HP Web JetAdmin, one can install, configure, monitor and troubleshoot a variety of printing and imaging devices—and supplies—from anywhere on the network.

• Use the HP Embedded Web Server to easily configure, manage and monitor your network printing from any standard Web browser.

• HP Universal Print Driver solutions provide easy, familiar and consistent set up and printing across a network of HP printers.

• HP Easy Printer Care Software is the simplest way to monitor and maintain about 15 HP devices.

Broadly compatible

To improve efficiency, the HP JetDirect 690n, with its wireless 802.11g and 802.11b capabilities, is compatible with qualified HP peripherals with EIO slots—including HP Color LaserJet MFPs with scanning capabilities. It also fits into a business’ existing IT capabilities, supporting a wide range of operating systems such as Microsoft, Novell, Apple, UNIX and Linux. Meanwhile, network protocols supported includes TCP/IP (IPv6/ IPv4, IP Direct Mode, LPD, FTP and IPP), IPX/SPX, DLC/LLC and AppleTalk. Future enhancements can also be added with flash-upgradeable firmware.

Source:hardwarezone.com/news/view.php?id=11207&cid=8

Brother MFC-7840W Multifunctional Printer

2008-08-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Brother’s MFC-7840W is a multifunction device with a monochrome laser printer, copier, scanner, fax machine, and wired and wireless networking. Budget-conscious users will especially appreciate the MFC-7840W’s inexpensive cost per print (approximately $0.03 per page). Capable of printing very good quality text and business graphics at reasonably fast rates, the MFC-7840W is a fine choice for offices that work in a black-and-white world.

Setup is a snap. After powering up the machine and installing the toner cartridge, you have three connection options: Ethernet, USB 2.0, or 802.11b/g wireless. The USB connection is plug and play, and when we connected the printer via Ethernet, the MFC-7840W automatically appeared on our Mac as a Bonjour printer. The trickiest connection was the wireless, which required setting up IP printing. After some time flipping through the user manual, we figured it out and wireless printing worked smoothly.

The device’s control panel is well designed and clearly labeled. Three large buttons allow you to choose between the fax, scan, and copy functions. The control panel consists of rubber buttons, and a bright, backlit LCD clearly displays the settings you can choose from.

Disappointingly, the included scanner software doesn’t offer flexible scanning options. Though straightforward to use, the software doesn’t allow you to perform a full preview scan. The scanner performs a preview scan on specific parts of the glass based on the document size you select, requiring you to be very precise about where you place your documents on the glass.

The Brother Printer MFC-7840W output had very good results overall, impressing our panel of experts. Text quality in a Word document looked clean and professional, earning a Very Good rating. We also printed a document containing mixed elements, including fine, curved lines and graphics, which earned another Very Good rating. The scanner’s output was too heavy on the blues compared to our control image, earning a Good rating. The MFC-9840CDW’s copier received a Good rating: in a test copy of a Macworld magazine cover, some details was lost, and shadows lacked detail.

Print speeds were reasonably fast. It took just under 38 seconds to print a ten-page Word document, and 17 seconds to print a one-page Word document. Color scanning was a bit on the slower side: it took 1 minute and 57 seconds to scan an 8-by-10-inch photo at 600 dpi.

Since the MFC-7840W is a monochrome multifunction printer, you only have to worry about replacing one toner cartridge. For $45, you can purchase the standard toner cartridge, which Brother estimates will yield 1,500 pages-that’s about $0.03 per print. Keep in mind that eventually you have to replace the drum unit, which costs $100 and has an estimated yield of 12,000 pages. As always, these page rating are estimates; just how much you’ll get out of each toner cartridge and drum unit depends on the types of documents you’re printing.

Source:macworld.com/article/134466/2008/07/brothermfc7840w.html

Brother Printer HL-5240

2008-07-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lightning quick, top-quality prints and the running costs are as low as the price tag
This is the cheapest printer we’ve tested in this group test, costing only $211. Despite this, it provides excellent print quality and is one of the fastest mono machines on test – as well as being laden with a decent feature set that puts the more expensive models to shame.

The sheer quality the HL-5240 consistently churns out is impressive, too, especially given the money you’ll save compared to pricier printers. Scores from our judges averaged above 7/10 in all areas, giving it the highest overall quality rating by some distance.

This superior standard of printing is matched by a slick and speedy output only beaten – and it’s debatable – by the HP P2014. It was fastest in our DTP test, and right among the leaders with plain text and Excel documents. It slipped up slightly only with its warm-up time: 16 seconds to first page from sleep mode is pretty good in this group test, but the HP took just half that. How important you deem this will decide the speed winner, but they’re both extremely quick.

This stunning overall performance is backed up with a competent, if not mind-blowing, set of features. You won’t get ethernet unless you upgrade, which could prove problematic in an office, but everything else is present and correct. It will print a generous 7,000 pages per toner cartridge, which are well priced at $91 for extremely cheap running costs across the board, regardless of your monthly usage.

This performance does come at a price, though; the HL-5240 consumes more power than any other printer on test, especially when running at full blast. It won’t win any green competitions, which did make us consider whether it should be victorious in this group test.

But there’s simply little else not to like about the Brother HL-5240. It’s quick and, importantly, possesses unbeatable quality to match the scorching pace. The upgrade potential and rock-bottom cost – both at purchase and during use –contribute to a score that’s unbeatable in this group test. It was A-Listed before this test and retains that honour.

Source:pcauthority.com.au/Review/117732,brother-hl5240.aspx

Wireless Server With Seamless Printing

2008-07-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

The WFP-101U is an advanced WFP server that has a combination of a virtual USB device and print server, which provides seamless scanning, faxing and print sharing. The server supports USB 1.1/2.0 printers.

Multi-Purpose printers use mostly proprietary printing protocol that makes device sharing very difficult. The AirLive WFP server integrates the features to make WFP printer sharing possible in a network environment making it more convenient for you to do these daily office functions.

The Airlive WFP unit is a basic-looking product which inside is a complex unit, yet easy to setup and install. Simply connect it to your router and run the installation, which is mostly automated.

The Airlive is fully working on Windows XP and Windows Vista, with support of Mac & Linux but with printing-only capability.

RRP
Wireless - $149
Wired - $119

Source:smarthouse.com.au

Dell launches V-family of all-in-one printers

2008-07-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Dell has launched its latest range of all-in-one inkjet printers. The company says V105, V305, and V305w feature easy-to-use print, copy and scan capabilities in compact designs.

Aimed at home and home office users, the V-family printers also offer photo printing options including border less photo printing up to 5- by 7-inch in both colour and black and white.

The V305 and V305w get direct photo printing via memory card slots, PictBridge, and USB memory devices - with or without connection to a computer - and photo-editing capabilities, including red-eye reduction.

In addition, the V305w has an integrated wireless function that means it will print anywhere within your wireless network.

The V105 is on sale for £39.99, the V305 is £59.98 and the V305w is £74.99.

Source:pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/16092/17116/dell-v105-v305-v305w-printers.phtml

HP Introduces the World's Fastest Mobile Printer

2008-07-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

HP introduces a printer that lets you enjoy fast, on-the-go printing at its best---the HP OfficeJet H470b Mobile Printer. Known to be the world's fastest mobile printer1, the HP OfficeJet H470b Mobile Printer offers an impressive set of productivity features for more effective business on-the-go. Lightweight and rugged, this printer boasts exceptional speed and professional print quality at a low cost. Plus, with an included long-lasting lithium-ion battery and optional wireless connectivity, adding mobility to your business just gets better!

Freedom to print anytime, anywhere

Highly compact and weighing only 5 lbs, the HP OfficeJet H470b Mobile Printer lets you stay mobile with its impressive features. Enjoy the convenience of mobile printing with its optional Wi-Fi and optional Bluetooth connectivity2. Flexibility is also one of its key features, with its compatibility to Windows, Macintosh, Palm, Tablet PC, Pocket PC, and Symbian Series. You don’t even need a PC to enjoy its multiple print functions. Just plug in your notebook PCs, PDAs, digital cameras, cellphones, or even memory cards3 and go print!

The HP OfficeJet H470b Mobile Printer enables you to print far beyond your office space for extended periods of time with its easy-to-install and long-lasting Lithium-Ion battery that enables the printer to deliver up to 480 pages per charge. You can even use your car’s power by using the 12v auto power adapter2.

This mobile printer also helps you and your business withstand the rigors of the outdoors. The printer is drop-tested from heights of up to 0.5 meters to ensure its durability. It also can be fitted with an optional mobile printer sleeve2 to protect it from scratches.

Fast, high-quality and reliable printing

With the HP OfficeJet H470b Mobile Printer, you can have great printouts in any place you want and need to be. Get your documents and graphics at fastest-in-class speeds1 of up to 22 pagers per minute (ppm) in black and 18 ppm in color8. You also get to enjoy 4 x 6 photos4 in as little time as 49 seconds7.

Also, by using HP’s Vivera inks, you can produce laser-quality text and brilliant, smudge-free, lab-quality photos, which can also last for decades without fading6. You also get to have a more cost-effective ink usage, and much more prints than competing printers7, while delivering laser-quality text and vivid graphics.

Large print jobs are a breeze with its impressive 500-page monthly duty cycle and easy-to-fold 50-sheet paper tray. What’s more, it can print photos in sizes from 4 x 6" borderless3 to 8.5 x 11" with borders, and it has convenient low ink alerts to indicate when the supplies should be replaced.

Highly rated supplies and printer support

Having won the PC Magazine's Readers' Choice Award for service and reliability for 16 years in a row, the HP OfficeJet H470b Mobile Printer is always up and running wherever you go. You can receive exclusive offers and discounts on HP ink, toner and paper as well as a list of customized supplies with HP’s "My Print Rewards" program. It comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Now, print anywhere, everywhere with HP’s fastest mobile printer!

(1)Based on published manufacturer specifications of highest rated speeds available for A4 mobile printers under $500 as of June 2007. Test methods vary.

(2)Optional (not included, sold separately).
(3)Card slots support Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard.
(4)Using HP 4 x 6" photo papers with tab.
(5)Cartridges for 6-ink photo printing sold separately.
(6)Based on paper industry predictions for acid-free papers; colorant stability data at room temperature based on similar systems tested as per ISO 11798 and 18909.
(7)Based on published manufacturer specifications of the highest rated yields available for mobile printers under US$500 as of June 2007. Test methods vary.
(8)Upon first page.

Source:hardwarezone.com

D5463 HP Printer: Eco Friendly Printer

2008-07-09T02:31:00.000-07:00

There’s a lot of talk about ink cartridges these days - the cost, disposal, recycling. What many people are overlooking is the opportunity to conserve. HP hasn’t overlooked this notion and has come out with the new Photosmart D5463 Printer which can help save ink.

The Photosmart D5463 Printer is an everyday printer for the home that provides lab quality photos and pristine laser-quality documents. The HP website points all the fact that the printer has all kinds of nifty features, including a “3.8 cm colour display, memory card slots, HP Smart Web Printing, and an auto-engaging photo tray, making printing photos and photo projects effortless. The HP Photosmart D5463 Printer also prints photos and text directly on CDs and DVDs.”

The ink scheme is quite brilliant. The Photosmart Printer allows you to say goodbye to the days when you had to buy multi-color cartridges and were forced to replace them when one color ran out. This printer has separate cartridges so you only have to replace them as needed. The cartridges are also bigger so they last longer.

Not only does the 5 ink system reduce over use of particular colors, but HP Vivera inks allow you to print enhanced detail photos and documents while using dual-drop-volume technology - a system that delivers an extremely small ink drop size.

Then, when it’s time to buy new ink, HP offers free, convenient recycling through HP Planet Partners. Recycle and be recycled. It’s the best way to go.

Source:recycle.co.uk

What's Behind HP's Printer Reorganization?

2008-06-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Reorganizations are usually done when a division, unit or company is performing poorly or not executing properly. They tend to be quite disruptive, complete with layoffs. So why in the world would a company reorganize one of its most successful divisions?

In the case of HP, it has begun a restructuring of its Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) to offer some efficiencies, but it won't be anywhere near as big a change as is normally associated with a reorg. No one, for example, is going to lose their job.

"There's no big change or anything to signal," Alyson Griffin, a spokesperson for HP, told InternetNews.com. "It's literally just a follow on from our Print 2.0 transformation last year and a continuing effort to streamline the organization."

HP's Print 2.0 initiative is designed to connect better with the digital age with support for new devices and means of capturing, sharing and displaying images.

The five previous divisions, run by Vyomesh "VJ" Joshi, who has led the group since 2000 and will remain its head, were LaserJet, InkJet, Graphics, supplies, and Enterprise. Graphics remains unchanged. It will continue to support everything from billboards to packing slips with their printing supplies.

Connecting products with their parts

One of the shortcomings of the old structure was that parts were separate from the devices, so things like ink and paper were separate from InkJet and LaserJet. Now all of the InkJet parts will be in the InkJet unit and LaserJet supplies like toner will under the same roof as the printer.

InkJet and its supplies, as well as Web solutions, will be streamlined into one group while LaserJet and enterprise, due to their natural pairing, will become the third group. "We basically said 'hey, let's make this tighter', so we can be more agile, reduce cost structure, enable growth and enhance the customer experience," said Griffin.

Analyst Shaw Wu of American Technology Research figured it wouldn't be a huge change. "I think it's just adapting the business to cope with the realities of the market, and what's likely to emerge as the newer reality," he said. "It's already a pretty decent business as it is. I think it's just a feeling that the new culture with [CEO Mark] Hurd is they don't want to rest on their laurels."

Indeed, the IPG group is one that should be treated with the old maxim "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." IPG revenue grew 6 percent year over year in the first quarter to $7.6 billion. Operating profit was $1.2 billion, or 16.2 percent of revenue.

Peter Grant, a research vice president with Gartner, said this looked like the work of Mark Hurd. "Hurd is good at trying to squeeze out redundancy," he said.

"I think he's just looking for synergy and he has aligned LaserJet with the commercial business, which makes sense, and InkJet with retail, which is where they sell. They have the same customers and the same channels."

Source:internetnews.com/hardware/article.php/3754226/Whats+Behind+HPs+Printer+Reorg.htm

Windows Vista finally made to play nice with Dell printer

2008-06-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista has its share of compatibility problems but when a senior Microsoft employee is dispatched to a customer to fix a driver issue, things are bad. The average consumer will never get this level of help but one Charles Walling did get it.

The SeatlePI must be reaching for stories because this isn’t really news, in fact, it’s not much of anything. Yet here I am writing about it. The headline “Man gets Windows Vista to work with printer” reads like something The Onion would print.

Charles Walling was trying to get his Dell 942 printer to work in Windows Vista but it wouldn’t. He had installed the XP drivers at first which were not compatible with Vista. Then he installed the proper Windows Vista drivers which also did not work.

The problem was that the drivers for XP did install but installed to the wrong location because of the new directory lay out and security measures that Vista has to prevent certain changes. The drivers were simply blocked from functioning correctly.

Installing the Vista drivers didn’t help because both of them together did no play nice. The Windows XP driver could not be uninstalled.

Tom White, the test manager for documents and printing in Microsoft’s Windows Experience group was sent out to Walling’s home to diagnose and fix the problem.

White was able to fix the computer by downloading a patch from Dell that removes the XP driver which allows the installation of a clean Vista driver. Things were not made easy by Walling’s slow dial-up connection. But, the printer is working, Vista is happy with it and Microsoft lived happily ever after.

Source:vista.blorge.com/2008/06/19/windows-vista-finally-made-to-play-nice-with-dell-printer/

HP Printer Support: HP Officejet H470b

2008-06-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

The H470b is the latest business-focused mobile printer from HP and it is the successor to the 460cb. While there are some minor improvements we'd like to see, there is little to dislike about the H470b. It is one of the most versatile and portable printers on the market for people who are on the move.

Weighing 2.27kg and with dimensions slightly larger than an A4 sheet of paper, the H470b is designed for portability. The printer comes packaged with a leather case for extra protection. This can be left on the printer while using it, although changing the ink cartridges requires it to be taken off.

The H470b's connectivity is impressive. The retail model only allows a standard USB connection, but users have the option of purchasing separate dongles to enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. There is an integrated Wi-Fi profile switch on the printer. This allows users to save up to three different wireless profiles. We would have liked Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to be built directly into the device rather than being optional add-ons.

Mobility is maximised through the H470b's replaceable 2300mAh Li-Ion battery, which HP claims is capable of printing up to 480 pages per battery charge (charging it takes two hours). This rating is based on a USB connection and printing at normal quality; real-world usage will probably result in slightly less battery power. The majority of our testing was done over either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but even then we managed to print nearly 75 pages at differing qualities before the battery ran out. Given the relatively short charge time required, the battery will suffice for most daily business and travel tasks, although it may require a nightly charge for heavy use.

Printing speeds were slower than conventional printers, but still acceptable. Draft quality text documents printed at 5.7 pages per minute; normal quality pages printed at 2ppm, which is slightly faster than the 460cb. Text documents with colour graphics were slightly slower: 5.9ppm at draft quality and 2.3ppm at standard. Standard 4x6in photos printed in 1min 40sec. The printer's small size prevents it from competing with conventional printers and multifunctions in regards to speed, but for portable use this is more than acceptable.

Quality was quite impressive. Unlike some of the text accuracy issues we had with the HP Photosmart C7280, documents from the H470b had clear, readable text that wasn't messy. Colour was somewhat exaggerated; this can be explained by the use of a two-ink system. It's clear that HP doesn't encourage using the H470b as a regular photo printer – HP printer installation the included software doesn't allow A4 photo printing – although it promotes using the printer to make marketing materials in-house. Straight colours were easily printed by the H470b, but it had some problems with photos integrated in documents — even the simplest pictures exhibited a high level of banding. 4x6in photos weren't as susceptible to this issue, although they retained a low level of banding. Better handling of banding issues would have been appreciated, but the H470b's text results are sufficient for business usage.

The H470b is one of HP's most efficient printers, with a cost per page of 20c. Page yields are appropriate for normal usage, and an optional ink holder accessory allows opened inks to be safely kept if needed.

Source:pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/taxid;2136212577;pid;5685

HP introduces new Eco-friendly Printers

2008-05-30T02:23:00.000-07:00

All tech companies are going green, after Nokia it’s now HP that has announced a range of eco-friendly printers. The HP Deskjet D2545, HP LaserJet P4015x, LaserJet P4515x and LaserJet P4515xm are the new printers to fall in this category.

D2545 primarily constitutes recycled material. HP claims that 83% of the printer’s total plastic weight is made from recycled plastics while packaging for this printer is 100 percent recyclable. Moreover, the new printer uses 60 ink cartridges, which are molded from recycled plastic resins. The HP Deskjet D2545 is now available at Wal-Mart stores at $44.95.

Also, this summer, HP plans to launch a printer that will feature recycled plastic derived from the company’s “closed loop” plastic recycling system incorporating a variety of post-consumer recycled plastics, from HP inkjet cartridges to water bottles.

“HP is focused on helping all of our customers – from consumers to enterprises – reduce their environmental impact,” said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “Over the past nine months we’ve helped several Fortune 500 customers realize up to a 30 percent reduction in their carbon footprint related to imaging and printing by using a variety of HP tools and services.”

Also HP has mentioned that 100 percent of its Deskjet printers will contain some recycled materials, and by 2010 will increase the number of inkjet printers made from recycled materials by three times.

Source:techshout.com/hardware/2008/23/hp-introduces-new-eco-friendly-printers/