If It Prints, I'll Let You Know

Now this is good new for the environment if I ever heard it. Apparently, HP has now found a way to utilize post-consumer plastic in the production of new printer ink cartridges. Yup, HP is using recycled plastic to get the job done.

So basically, when you are done with a printer ink cartridge and you recycle it through HP’s Planet Program, they will end up using the material from the old cartridges to make new ones. In fact, new cartridges now contain between 70 and 100% post-consumer content.

While this not save the planet, it is definitely a step in the right direction for us all.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Lexmark had a net rise of 10% in the last quarter of 2007 despite continued lack of consumer business.

Now, how can this be you may be asking? Quite simply, Lexmark hit it big with the business and corporate clients, driving big sales up even though average sales were down. The numbers illustrate it better:

Revenue in selling to businesses rose 4% and revenue from consumer sales dropped 15%.

While this is good news for Lexmark it shows great problems with the current economy. Not as many people are able to afford printers and printer ink cartridges at the moment. We’ll have to wait and see what the first quarter of 2008 holds in store.

If you need a printer for a relatively small office but require varied printing tasks, you may want to check out the Dell Laser Printer 1720n. It’s perfect for single computer use or use on a network.

This laser printer prints in monochrome only at speeds of 29 ppm for text and 5.7 ppm for graphics. Some of its other features include:

- automatic duplexer
- 250-sheet input tray
- easy to remove cartridges
- Ethernet and USB ports
- clear control panel identification

So what’s the verdict? Dell has created a laser printer that is easy to use and provides enough functions to satisfy printer savvy businesses. While it may not have the best of the best when it comes to print quality, this model more than makes up for it with awesome features and increased usability.

Smartpants is coming out with a truly fun little device. It’s called the SP8PRT digital picture frame and it does more than just display pretty pictures.

This thing also prints pictures thanks to its built-in photo printer. It can pop out 4″ x 6″ snapshots on the fly. The LCD screen displays your images at a 800 x 600 resolution, and comes equipped with slots for memory cards. You can also use the video and audio playback features, if you wish.

This photo printer picture frame comes with a dye sublimation cartridge, which can print up to 36 photos.

This nifty item goes on sale is March for $279. Okay, so it’s neat, but maybe not that neat, as it worth nearly 300 bucks!

In this day and age of digital fortitude, don’t you just feel bogged down by wires, sometimes? I certainly do. That’s why the Lexmark Professional Series X9575 All-In-One is a fantastic way to go unplugged without losing functionality.

You can scan, fax or utilize the media card slots wirelessly over a network or you can go the plugged in route with Ethernet. Whatever suits your needs, this Lexmark printer complies. Here are a few of its stats:

- 33 ppm black and 28 ppm color
- 2-sided printing
- 50 sheet automatic document feeder
- 150 sheet input tray

Plus, the printer ink cartridges are equipped with evercolor(TM) technology, which means your prints will stand up to water, smudges and highlighters like a pro.