HP opens online store for web-connected printer

Posted in: blog by Jack on 8 September 2009

In June we posted a story about the latest HP printer technology, a printer that connects directly to the internet. The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web, available soon in stores near you comes equipped with a 4.33″ touch-screen and the ability to surf the web like a miniature PC.

Now HP is announcing the opening of their “app store”, similar in nature to Apple’s app store for iPhones. You’ll be able to directly download applications for your printer like maps, weather reports and food and movie reviews. The apps will work with your printer, allowing you to print out movie tickets and dinner reservations. There will even be games you can download and print out.

Justin Yu at Cnet presents an over-view of HP’s app store and has posted a few screen shots as well.

In a similar fashion to Apple’s iPhone App store, HP’s version can also be accessed using the “Get More” button on the large 4.33-inch touch screen. I had a chance to preview the store in a live demo with HP and the layout is very simple, with small icons and a place to submit user ratings, reviews, and suggestions for future applications. The marketplace is already populated with several applications from HP’s partner companies. Some examples include:

• Snapfish: View, edit (lightly), and print your snapshot photos
• Google Maps: Print maps and directions
• Fandango: Buy and print movie tickets
• DreamWorks Animation: Print coloring pages and movie-themed games for the kids
• Weathernews Inc: Print up-to-date weather information
• Web Sudoku: Print out puzzles and games

HP also has the last piece of the puzzle in the form of the HP Software Developers Kit that will eventually give consumers and developers the tools to create their own Apps for submission to the App Studio. In the meantime, HP will continue to update the store with new apps throughout the year.

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Removing ink stains

Posted in: blog by Jack on 3 July 2009

The following information is provided by Hewlett-Packard:

How to remove ink stains from hands and fabric
NOTE: IMMEDIATELY rinse the stained area with cold water, then follow the appropriate instructions.
To remove ink stains from hands Wash hands with an abrasive (gritty) soap.

To remove ink stains from white fabrics If ink from an HP Inkjet print cartridge spills on white fabric, use chlorine bleach and cold water to remove the stain, but act quickly.CAUTION: Use cold water. Warm or hot water will “set” the color into the fabric.

To remove ink stains from colored fabrics Use sudsy ammonia—a dilute mixture of detergent and ammonia—and cold water. Act quickly and test on an inconspicuous area first.

CAUTION: Use cold water. Warm or hot water will “set” the color into the fabric.WARNING: Do not mix ammonia and chlorine bleach; this creates a toxic gas!

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Portable inkjet printers reviewed

Posted in: Printers, Reviews, blog by Jack on 21 May 2009

One of our customers inquired today about portable inkjet printers, and while there isn’t a source of reviews comparable to the ones for laser printers that I could find, I did run across the following that I hope will be of some help.

Portable inkjet printers are a compact and lightweight option for use with laptops. They can run on battery or electrical power; some even have an optional adapter to run off a car’s cigarette lighter. Reviews say that portable printers can’t match the speed of desktop printers and cost much more both to buy and to run. They are made for low-volume use. Many portable printers are Bluetooth compatible, which means that they will work with a wireless adapter and can receive input from a PDA or mobile phone.

The Canon Pixma iP100 (*Est. $235) receives great comments from CNet.com’s Justin Yu, who says that its speed and resolution are top notch for a portable printer. Print quality is also praised and text is said to be clean, with Simon Williams of TrustedReviews.com stating that the iP100 is on par with full-sized, desktop inkjet printers.

The iP100 is an update of the Canon Pixma ip90v portable printer, and there are several notable improvements. These include a larger number of printheads, higher color resolution, 50-sheet input capacity (an increase of 20 sheets), faster printing and, according to the CNet.com review, a slight improvement in print quality. Connectivity options include PictBridge, USB and infrared for connection to cell phones. There are no memory card slots and the iP100 printer does not offer Wi-Fi connectivity.

HP’s Officejet H470 portable printer (*Est. $220) does not fare as well at CNet.com, where Justin Yu says problems include “fuzzy” and “blurred” text. Photos print out smooth, Yu says, but colors are flat and lack saturation. PC Magazine’s M. David Stone largely agrees, saying the H470’s text quality is “subpar,” and notes banding when printing in certain modes. U.K.-based PC Advisor sees similar issues, but the reviewer writes that swapping the default black ink cartridge for an optional six-ink photo cartridge resulted in “superb” output on photo paper. Simon Williams of TrustedReviews.com, on the other hand, feels that the H470 performs well for a portable printer, and that its print speeds actually exceed HP’s specifications. He also disagrees with negative assessments of the H470’s text printing, saying that even when reproducing small fonts there is only “slight fuzziness” around the edges.

Reviews that contrast the HP Officejet H470 with the Canon Pixma iP100 are inconclusive as to which is the superior product. M. David Stone at PC Magazine notes that while the iP100 is superior in speed and some aspects of print quality, the H470 wins out in such areas as ink cartridge yields. Both printers have some similar costly, optional add-ons, such as Bluetooth adapters and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

If you are searching for a portable printer, there are some key differences in features between the Canon Pixma iP100 and HP Officejet H470 that may help you choose the best model. Most notably, HP’s H470 offers Wi-Fi connectivity and memory card slots. It also costs less to equip and operate; for instance, the H470’s optional battery costs around $50, while the iP100’s is twice as expensive. HP even offers a soft carrying case — a frill missing with the Pixma iP100. If you do not need these options and value print quality above all else, however, reviews indicate that Canon’s Pixma iP100 is the better performing portable printer. (Source – Consumer Search)

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HP 80 wide format ink cartridges

Posted in: blog, inkjet by Jack on 23 March 2009

Cartridge World San Diego is now able to refill and re-chip the HP 80 wide format ink cartridges.

There are three color cartridges and one black cartridge, each rated at a yield of 4,400 pages. These retail new for $154 at Staples. Buy them from Cartridge World and  save $60 on each cartridge. Our price for the HP 80 will be $93.99 per cartridge.

We use only uses premium inks developed by Cartridge World for each specific printer model. Our chips are provided by trusted vendors. Every Cartridge World refilled and remanufactured cartridge is fully guaranteed to perform to your satisfaction.

Since this is the first time we’ve been able to refill these HP 80s, we do not have a backstock of empty cartridges. If you have an HP wide format printer and need HP 80 cartridges refilled, please bring your empty cartridges with you. We don’t have any to do up ahead of time, and since this is a rarely requested cartridge, we most likely will not keep refilled cartridges on-hand.

How do injet printers work?

Posted in: blog, inkjet by Jack on 17 March 2009

Different types of inkjet printers form their droplets of ink in different ways. There are two main inkjet technologies currently used by printer manufacturers:

• Thermal bubble – Used by manufacturers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard, this method is commonly referred to as bubble jet. In a thermal inkjet printer, tiny resistors create heat, and this heat vaporizes ink to create a bubble. As the bubble expands, some of the ink is pushed out of a nozzle onto the paper. When the bubble “pops” (collapses), a vacuum is created. This pulls more ink into the print head from the cartridge. A typical bubble jet print head has 300 or 600 tiny nozzles, and all of them can fire a droplet simultaneously.
• Piezoelectric – Patented by Epson, this technology uses piezo crystals. A crystal is located at the back of the ink reservoir of each nozzle.

  

  Image via Wikipedia

  The crystal receives a tiny electric charge that causes it to vibrate. When the crystal vibrates inward, it forces a tiny amount of ink out of the nozzle. When it vibrates out, it pulls some more ink into the reservoir to replace the ink sprayed out.(Source-HowStuffWorks)

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