This Old Mouse: Photos on vacation...

Associationof Apple Computer Users & Groups / User Group Network / This Old Mouse /
this old mouse -- by Fred Showker

This Old Mouse: Vacation Photos aren't what they used to be...

Off for vacation? You might love getting instant prints. . .
Time to get the shots, and keep the shots...: When I first heard about this printer I was a bit suspicious -- how could a printer so cheap produce good prints. At Christmas time when this unit was tested, they were going for around $279. Today, it's found in most Staples and Office Max stores for around $179.; While there are others, this is the HP PhotoSmart 100 series printer prints with a color resolution of up to 2400 x 1200 dpi (on premium photo paper). Both the memory stick from a SONY Mavica, and the Smart Media from two Olympus cameras were tested. Both worked beautifully and produced prints that come very close to continuous tone prints.; If one looks very close, you can see a bit of pixilation -- however, most people we showed prints to did not think they were digital -- instead commenting "nice picture!" (Which is what you want, right?); This unit supports CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and Sony Memory Stick memory cards. You get realistic prints with up to 2400 x 1200 dpi on premium photo paper. If you're heading out for vacation, it's easy to take along, weighing in at less than three pounds -- and you don't need a computer!; You control the printer from it's operations panel on top, and loading paper is very simple and straight forward. It offers some basic modifications like image positioning, zoom etc., but for more ambitious printing you'll need Canvas8, Painter, PaintShop Pro or Photoshop. For the adventurous and owners of laptops, try making your own picture post cards to mail home to the folks... "Wish You Were Here" with your smiling face! Just modify the image, and download it to the printer. Mac users can send the image back to the memory card, and print as you would a normal print!; The best part is you can print directly from a digital camera -- without the use of a computer! Bad news for Mac users if you should want to use the USB interface, because it supports only Windows 98, 2000, Me, and XP. ( Click here for a close up.); HP Thermal Inkjet, and prints media sizes, std. 4 x 6 in. You can load it with plain paper or index cards, if you really want to, but I recommend the high-gloss photo paper (4 x 6) you can pick up at most any office supply store. It's rather expensive running from 35 cents to a buck-fifty per shot, depending on where you buy it. Check your local CostCo or Price Club, they had EPSON photo paper in ours recently for half of the usual cost. The unit comes with a 1-year limited warranty, and seems to be very sturdy. (8.8 x 4.3 x 4.7 inches, 2.9 lb ); You can probably find good deals online, and for that you should go to the Ace Camera Index...; So long for now

This Old Mouse / UGNN / User Group Info Manager / MUG Shareware

About the Author: Fred Showker is Editor in Chief of the User Group Network News service, and a founding Apple User Group Advisory Board (UGAB) member. He was an original founder of the User Group Forum on AppleLink Personal Edition, and America Online where he was AFA for eight years. Many MUG (Mac User Group) members know him for his work with the Mug News Service (MNS), National Home & School Mac (NHSM), or his many speaking appearances at NAUG, NAUGSAW and Macworld Expo and others. Today, he's a familiar name in many user group newsletters around the world for his 60-Second Window, now in its 12th year of syndication.

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This article first appeared in the: The Association of Apple Computer User & Groups: Member Newsletter. AACUG.org is a nonprofit educational organization, providing Apple Computer users and user groups focusing on Apple Macintosh, iMac, iBook, G3, G4, and Powerbooks, services and benefits. This site is made possible in part by The Graphic Design Network: graphic design community hosting servers providing online presence for all these organizations featuring Creative FOLIO services and vortal portfolios for creative designers, illustrators, photographers, writers, and anyone involved creatively in the visual arts or design communications fields ~ The Design & Publishing Center: content portal for creative designers, illustrators, photographers, writers, web designers, and anyone involved creatively in the visual arts or design communications fields ~ The News Serve Network providing news and newsletter content to newsletter editors in the user group community ~ 60-Second Window: the longest running syndicated column in the user group community, since 1990 ~ DT&G: Design, Type & Graphics Magazine serving the visual communications community since 1990 ~ the Designers' Bookshelf: with all the best books for designers, illustrators, layout artists, web designers, photographers and the creative visual community~ the Publishers' Warehouse: reviewed shareware, fonts, clip art, and design templates from around the world, since 1987. For information about the UGNetwork, to get involved or have your own groups' home page located at user-groups.net, please contact us. Send an e-mail message to: The Info Desk at User-Groups.net copyright 1994 - 2001; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - The User Group Network c/o Showker Graphic Arts & Design, a Corporation of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 22801, established in 1972.