Category: Peripherals
HP ScanJet Drivers for Win98
Q: I own an HP ScanJet 4C, which is a discontinued model. Annoyingly, HP has stopped making the scanner drivers for this and other older models available for free on its website and now says that, if I want to use this model with Windows 98, I have to pay $40, plus $100 for a new SCSI card. Do I have any alternative?...
All-in-one printer/scanner/copier
Introduction
Small business owners typically don't have enough need, money or desk space for dedicated scanning station and many have only occasional need for printing, copying and fax functions. But, when these tasks are required, it's important that the quality is there. Hence, HP is just one of several...
2400-dpi letter-size scanner
Product: HP ScanJet 5470 color scanner
From: Hewlett-Packard
Street Price: About $480
Pros: New CCD scanning technology combines up to 2400 dpi resolution and 8 second preview scan speed. Includes front-panel button controls, automatic document feeder and an adapter that scans multiple 35 mm negatives and slides. 8.5...
Scanning Tips: Scanning, Viewing and Printing
Ever wondered why the images you scan look much larger when you insert them into your email messages as attachments?
This is usually because you are scanning at a higher "pixels per inch" (ppi) setting than is displayed on your screen. Say, for example, that one inch on a ruler exactly equals...
48-bit scanner with transparency adapter
Product: HP ScanJet 4470 color scanner
From: Hewlett-Packard
Street Price: C$299 (at this writing, the company offers a US$50 mail-in rebate program.)
Pros: Excellent image quality. Front panel copy controls.
Cons: Scanned images tend to favour red; HP warns of compatibility glitches with Windows Me....
Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Ltd. has announced an entire portfolio of personal printing and imaging products -- including next-generation thermal inkjet printers -- that constitutes its biggest printing/imaging roll-out ever. The new products, which refresh and in most cases supersede the lineup announced in 1998, provide home and small-business...
Introduction
Never before have consumers been able to buy so much printer for so little money. Take a look in almost any computer or office superstore, and you'll find printers for a few hundred dollars that produce strikingly high quality text and near-photographic images. In this article, we'll take a look at the leaders in the marketplace and...
Inkjet or Laser?
With the low (initial) cost of ink-jet printers these days, many computer users get their first taste of printing via an ink-jet unit. But, after a few ink cartridges go by, at $40 a pop, and perhaps a messy refill experience or two, many business-oriented computer users are ready to switch to a laser printer. If you're just...
New Colour Photo Printers released in Q1'00
Introduction
February saw an amazing number of new photo-quality printers announced. Here are some of the highlights.
Epson has reduced the price of its Stylus Color 900 and Stylus Color 900G colour inkjet models, as noted in the link at the end of this article. The company was also showing a new product...
Colour LED page printer
Product: OKI C7200n (see also: other 7000 series models)
From: OKI (www.thecolourofbusiness.com)
For: Windows 3.x, 9x/NT/2000, Mac OS
Price: C$5999
Pros: Single-pass colour. Fast (12 ppm) colour, 20 ppm mono; 600x1200 dpi; 64 MB up to 1024 MB; PCL 5c PS3; IEEE 1284 and USB 1.1; 10/100Base Ethernet card standard.
Cons: Some...
Introduction
It has been interesting to watch how HP has marketed its inkjet products during the past few years. The company has managed to sidestep much of the technical obsession with inkjet drop sizes and resolution and focus instead on the things consumers apparently want: a lower cost per page, great photo output and/or faster page-printing...
The Market
Epson has fallen to number three position in the inkjet market in Canada, with a 14% share, beating out Canon's 12% share, but far behind market leader HP and Lexmark, which hold 45% and 24%, respectively. To address this decline in its marketshare since last year, the company in May announced several new products, including a...
Introduction
The past year has seen some significant shifts in the inkjet printer marketplace. At the low end, rebate programs led to prices on inkjet printers that approached zero dollars as marketers took advantage of the fact that the real money is made in consumables. Meanwhile, true photo quality emerged at mid-range prices, as under-$400...
"Printer Cartridges Supplant PCs as Leading Retail Sales Generator"
It’s no secret that the cost of consumables is much higher for inkjet printers than it is for laser printers -- and for the makers of those consumables, it's big business indeed. Last year, says Fortune, HP sold about $9 billion (US) of ink and supplies, or...
Introduction
Although most printer manufacturers recommend using only their brand of inks as replacement parts, many computer users find they can save money by refilling existing cartridges. We'll preface this reader report by saying that our own experiences haven't been particularly positive with refilling cartridges, but some people --...