Apple’s Support Downloads area is showing the availability of new printer drivers for Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) users. Owners of an HP Printer have version 2.4.1 to install, while those using Epson printers are offered version 2.4 of their respective drivers. A driver is a program which facilitates the computer’s interaction with a hardware device.
Talking about the HP Printer Drivers v.2.4.1 for Mac OS X v10.6, the Mac maker reveals that, “this download includes the latest HP printing and scanning software for Snow Leopard.” The software is to be applied on systems running at least Mac OS X v10.6.1 and is localized in multiple languages. Epson Printer Drivers v2.4 only require Mac OS X version 10.6. According to the company headquartered at One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, “This update installs the latest software for your Epson printer or scanner.”
Customers are then directed to Support document HT3669, a technical reference article for owners of either of various printer models, including those manufactured by Hewlett Packard and Epson. Here, the Mac maker explains that, “Mac OS X v10.6 includes software for many printer and scanner models. This software can be installed from the Mac OS X v10.6 Install DVD, and installed or updated by using Software Update (some models have software available through Software Update only).”
“To get software for printers that were not installed during the Mac OS X installation process, choose Software Update from the Apple menu, allow it to complete the process of ‘Checking for new software’, and then connect your printer or add it using the Print & Fax pane of System Preferences”, Apple further notes. Customers whose Macs are not showing the availability of these printer drivers, yet they know they are using a supported model, can also download the new drivers manually, from Apple’s Downloads section, or from Softpedia, using the links below.
LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ — Epson America, Inc., a leading provider of superior performing desktop printing solutions, today introduced the Epson WorkForce® 320 and Epson WorkForce 325, two entry-level printer/copier/scanner/fax all-in-ones for home-based businesses at an affordable price. With a 30-page automatic document feeder for increased efficiency, Epson’s exclusive DURABrite® Ultra all-pigment inks that are fade(1), water(2) and smudge resistant, and built-in Wi-Fi® n(3) offered in the WorkForce 325, these new WorkForce models deliver superior performance and quality.
“Epson knows that home-based business professionals such as realtors, architects and business consultants are traditionally conscious of costs and don’t have time to think about their business tools. They require an affordable solution that addresses their business output needs while providing high-quality results,” said Jennifer Liao, product manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America, Inc. “With the WorkForce 320 or WorkForce 325, home-based businesses can rely on a cost-efficient all-in-one to easily print, copy, scan, and fax important documents.”
With several high-value features for a home office, including built-in Wi-Fi n connectivity, robust OCR software to easily convert scanned documents into editable/searchable text, and one-touch color and black and white copying, the WorkForce 325 boosts productivity and increases efficiency. In addition, it allows users to easily scan directly to PDF and e-mail, archive important documents, and fax documents directly from a computer(4).
Additional Features of the WorkForce 320 and WorkForce 325:
ISO print speeds of 4.3 ISO ppm black and 2.2 ISO ppm color(5)
Individual ink cartridges for replacing only the color that is needed
Instant drying inks to immediately touch laser quality documents and photos
Captures every detail for document archiving with 1200 dpi scanning
Saves up to 50 percent of paper supply with manual, two-sided printing(6)
Uses up to 70 percent less power than laser printers(7)
ENERGY STAR® qualified, RoHS compliant, and designed to be recycled(8)
5760 x 1440 dpi printing
Epson MicroPiezo® print head technology with smart nozzles delivers ink droplets in as many as three sizes, some as small as three picoliters, delivering sharp, laser-like quality text while optimizing print speeds
Laser printers are often thought of as all-business machines. Lately, though, we’ve seen inexpensive monochrome laser printers for more casual users hitting all sorts of price lows. These modest monochrome lasers aren’t built for the grinding duties of their larger siblings, and they are light on features. But their speed and high-quality text output sure could come in handy next time you’re printing out a term paper at the last minute.
How low do they go? We’ve seen a few models, such as the Samsung ML-2525W we tested, fall to as little as $100. Just a year ago, this would have been unheard of for a new, non-refurbished laser printer. We even saw one under-$200 all-in-one printer that can scan and copy, as well as print: the Dell 1135n.
You’ll want to tread carefully, though. Consider first the cost of consumables. The initial purchase prices of these printers may be relatively low, but those savings evaporate in the long run when purchasing toner, especially if you’ll print a lot. In the reviews below, pay close attention to the cost per page (CPP) of each model. We recommend looking for a CPP of less than 4 cents.
Another major factor is duty cycle, or how many pages, at most, the manufacturer rates the machine to print per month. The ceiling for most of the models in this roundup is 12,000 pages per month, so if you’re looking to print hundreds of pages a day, these relatively low-load printers are not for you. For students who are just printing out the occasional term paper or worksheet, however, these printers will do the trick.
The final feature you’ll want to pay attention to is connectivity. We were pleasantly surprised that two out of the three printers here support wireless printing via Wi-Fi. But be aware that connectivity varies greatly from model to model on budget printers. On some you’ll get an Ethernet interface for easy printer sharing across a home network; on others, all you’ll get is a straight USB interface. Be sure to pinpoint how you want to connect your printers to your PC(s) before you buy.
Considering their prices, of course, know that these models will have limitations. Features are scarce on bargain models, so don’t expect a fancy color LCD screen, automatic duplexing, or loads of printing options in the driver. Also, since these models print black and white only, don’t expect great-quality graphics or photos. Finally, these space-saving models don’t come with huge paper trays; most max out at 250 pages of paper handling. (The most compact of the three printers reviewed here, the HP OfficeJet Pro P1102w, has a paper tray that will hold a mere 150 sheets. The Dell 1130n, however, will hold up to 250 sheets.) That said, since these aren’t machines built for hefty print jobs, this shouldn’t be a problem. And their small size makes them perfect for cramped dorm rooms.
Don’t automatically assume that a student budget makes a laser printer unattainable. These low-cost models are perfect for most student-printing purposes. (And if you decide one of these budget printers isn’t for you, check out our 2010 Ultimate Printer Buying Guide. A different kind of printer might be a better fit for you.)
Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s largest maker of computers and printers, reiterated earlier forecasts for fourth-quarter profit and sales that indicate rebounding demand from businesses and consumers.
Profit, excluding some costs, will be $1.25 to $1.27 per share in the period that ends in October, Hewlett-Packard said Thursday. That matches a preliminary forecast issued Aug. 6, when it said Mark Hurd was departing as chief executive officer. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg predict profit of $1.26.
Hurd’s exit, after a probe found falsified expense reports in his name, leaves interim CEO Cathie Lesjak with the tasks of pursuing growth and integrating acquisitions while HP seeks a permanent successor. Shares have slumped 12 percent since Hurd left on concern the search will distract management and that his replacement won’t match the executive’s ability to cut costs or spur the gains reflected in Thursday’s results.
“There’s definitely a discount on HP shares now,” said Shaw Wu, an analyst at Kaufman Bros. in San Francisco who has a “buy” rating on the shares and lowered his 12-month price target by $10 to $51 on Wednesday. “Filling Mark Hurd’s shoes will be tough.”
Third-quarter net income rose 6.1 percent to $1.77 billion from $1.67 billion. Sales rose 11 percent to $30.7 billion, Hewlett-Packard said, in keeping with its earlier announcement. HP also maintained its forecast for fourth-quarter revenue of $32.5 billion to $32.7 billion.
For the full year, earnings will be $4.49 to $4.51 per share and sales will be $125.3 billion to $125.5 billion, the company said.
JAKARTA — Greenpeace on Tuesday accused foreign firms like Walmart, Carrefour and Tesco of contributing to forest destruction and species loss in Indonesia by buying from paper and palm oil giant Sinar Mas.The environmental group said Sinar Mas subsidiary Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) was “relentlessly trashing rainforests”, spewing carbon into the atmosphere and driving species to extinction in the Southeast Asian archipelago.”Sinar Mas’s ‘sustainability commitments’ are not worth the paper they are written on and some of the world’s best known brands are literally pulping the planet by buying from them,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia forest campaigner Bustar Maitar said in a statement.A Greenpeace report titled “How Sinar Mas is Pulping the Planet” accuses major international companies of being complicit in the rampant destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands by buying from APP.Companies listed as Sinar Mas customers include French supermarket chains Carrefour and Auchan, US retail giant Walmart, British supermarket Tesco, British retail group WH Smith, US electronics giant Hewlett Packard, US fast-food chain KFC, Dutch Office supplies company Corporate Express and Australian global paper supplier PaperlinX.
National Geographic was named as among the magazine publishers that used Sinar Mas paper, along with CNN Traveller, Cosmo Girl, ELLE, Esquire and Marie Claire.In addition to timber and paper products, Sinar Mas also allegedly uses unsustainable logging practices to make way for palm oil plantations that are seen as a major threat to Indonesian biodiversity.Greenpeace said buyers of Sinar Mas palm oil included commodity traders Cargill of the United States and Wilmar of Singapore, as well as Japanese cosmetics producer Shiseido and US firms Campbell Soup Company, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts and Pizza Hut.”Greenpeace urges all companies still doing business with APP to stop their business with them. By not doing business with APP, those companies help in stopping destruction of forests and peatlands in Indonesia,” Maitar said.He praised Unilever, Kraft and Nestle for dropping palm oil supplies from Sinar Mas affiliates, but said Carrefour still sold Sinar Mas palm oil products in its Indonesia stores.
Carrefour, Staples, Office Depot and Woolworths (Australia) had stopped buying or selling paper products connected to APP, while companies including Kimberly Clark, Kraft, Nestle and Unilever were reviewing contracts with APP.APP sustainability director Aida Greenbury rejected the report, saying: “If they have the evidence then show it to the public”.”It hasn’t been investigated properly. It’s biased because it hasn’t listened to all parties,” she told AFP.Sinar Mas and APP insist they are committed to sustainability but Greenpeace accuses them of breaking promises to source all pulpwood from timber plantations after 2009.
One of the APP logging areas studied in the Greenpeace report was the Bukit Tigapuluh Forest Landscape, home to endangered Sumatran tigers and orangutans.Another area, Kerumutan, was covered in peatlands that lock in carbon that causes global warming when it enters the atmosphere as a result of logging and clearing.
The destruction of rainforests and peatlands is the main reason Indonesia is considered the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently announced a two-year moratorium on new forest concessions in exchange for one billion dollars in aid from Norway, conditional on verifiable cuts to greenhouse emissions.
But Greenpeace has joined other concerned groups in questioning the value of such commitments from a country that freely acknowledges massive corruption across its forestry sector leading to rampant illegal logging.”Millions of hectares (acres) of forests including hundreds of thousands of hectares under Sinar Mas control are not part of the deal with Norway. This loophole will undermine all attempts to reduce Indonesia’s emissions,” Maitar said.