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Computer ColumnNov 03, 2010 (Computer Column - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- We've come to accept that our cars run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, our pens run out of ink as we sign on the dotted line, the batteries die in our digital cameras just before we take that last perfect photo, the toilet paper runs out before we ... well, you get the idea. It seems that disposables expire just at the point when we need them the most, not to mention their cost always seems to increase every time we buy them. Nowhere in the world of computing is that felt more than with our printers. Doesn't it seem like it was only yesterday you put in that brand new inkjet cartridge? Well you might want to check out a new program that claims to extend the life of your printer's ink supply. InkSaver 2.0 is a clever little program that lets you control the amount of ink used when printing a document. But unlike other products that simply reduce the amount of ink, InkSaver's creator, Software Imaging claims that it uses sophisticated algorithms that optimize the printer data so that the printer uses less ink while still printing at its highest resolution. The company claims you can extend an ink cartridge by up to four times. InkSaver's control panel gives you complete and separate controls over both the black and color cartridges. Using a vertical slider, you can adjust the savings from 0 percent to 75 percent. One of the nice features is that the panel displays an estimated dollar savings you will realize at the given savings setting. InkSaver 2.0 is compatible with all printer brands including Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Lexmark and Canon color inkjet models and will work with any brand of ink cartridge or refill kit. I was surprised to learn that a typical user will spend somewhere around $600 on ink alone during the life of a printer so the $32 you spend in InkSaver should more than pay for itself after the first time you need to finally replace the cartridge. And if you want to try it before you buy, they even have a free trial version where you can try InkSaver 2.0 for 15 days. If you are a student in school, InkSaver suggests using it at the 10 percent to 30 percent setting. It will make your ink cartridges last longer and will still maintain a high print quality. A moderate setting of 30 percent to 50 percent still produces readable prints for websites and email. A high savings lever of 50 percent to 75 percent is ideal for when your kids want to print and will make your ink cartridges last up to four times longer. Visit the InkSaver web site for more information and to use their ink savings estimator that lets you input what you pay for black and color inks as well as how many you use in a year. The estimator will show you how much you will save using this product. In a world where we helplessly stand by and watch our things running out at the wrong time, it's nice to be given some control back over the inevitable. www.inksaver.com Craig Crossman is a national newspaper columnist writing about computers and technology. He also hosts the No. 1 daily national computer radio talk show, Computer America, heard on Business TalkRadio Monday through Friday, 10 p.m.-midnight ET. For more information, visit his web site at www.computeramerica.com. To see more of the Computer Column, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to www.computeramerica.com. Copyright (c) 2010, Computer Column Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544). |