Archive for April, 2009
-
The Easiest way to Insert Tables into a WordPress blog post
As WordPress users may be aware, the Write Post dashboard in WordPress does not give the option for creating tables.
The alternative is to paste tables as pure HTML. This will only work as desired when pure HTML is inserted. Pasting the HTML of a table created in Google Docs appears to work flawlessly. On the other hand, creating a table in Microsoft Word, saving it in HTML, and then pasting the HTML will get you the table, but there may be all sorts of inconsistencies. Such as the table spilling over the entire blog page and the loss of format elements.
Another alternative is to use a WordPress plugin that can import tables created in Microsoft Excel.
An expert-only alternative is to manually modify the WordPress Write Post dashboard to include table features! It is possible.
But so far, I have found that the easiest way to create tables in a WordPress blog post is to take advantage of the advanced format options available in Windows Live Writer.
This table was created in Windows Live Writer. Isn’t it cool? 
1. No more messing with HTML 2. WYSWIG editing 3. No more tweaking plugins 
Of course, The simple Table Editor packaged with Windows Live Writer is no match for the one that comes with Microsoft Word. For example, you cannot edit the colors of the table borders or the cell backgrounds. You cannot merge cells. But you can adjust the height of rows, columns and cells. You can adjust the alignment of values in the tables. You can add/remove rows and columns on a pre-existing table. You can insert pictures into the table as well. This is definitely a more convenient workaround until WordPress gives us a table feature. The picture on the left is a screenshot of the dropdown menu under “Table” in Windows Live Writer version 14.0.8064.206.en.
-
Which Inkjets Give The Most Cost Efficient Printing?
HP Photosmart D7560
Picture 1 of 4The HP Photosmart D57560 gives efficient text and photo printing. Its sibling, the D5460, looks exactly the same but lacks a touchscreen display, along with a few minor differences. HP Photosmart D7560 Thermal Inkjet Photo Color Printer @ Newegg.com
While there are tonnes of reviews available on inkjet printers in general, there is limited online information about which inkjet cartridges provide the most cost efficient printing in the long run. The purpose of this post is to focus on just that. Therefore other factors, which are very relevant to some users, such as the cost of the printer and its features, are omitted. Please note that this post is to be considered as an informed comparative review, and is no substitute for a rigorous lab test.
The three things I intend to focus on are:
· The cost per page for printing black and white text and the cost per page for printing an 8×10 photo. The lesser the better. These metrics are probably the most helpful in determining the cost efficiency of the black and color cartridges.
· The cost of replacing both the cartridges with new ones made by the printer company.
· The quantity (in ml) of both the cartridges. The more the better.
Cost per page
As per current ratings published by Consumer Reports.org (requires subscription), the Lexmark Z1420 produces the most cost effective text printing @ 3.7 US cents per page. This cost is supposed to represent both ink and ordinary paper expended. Two other runner ups are the HP Photosmart D7560 and the HP Photosmart D5460
The HP Photosmart D7560 produces the most cost effective 8×10 photo printing @ US$1.2 per page. It is followed closely by the HP Photosmart D5460 and the HP Photosmart D7460. However, the D7460 appears to have been discontinued by HP, and therefore will not be of much use in our analysis. In its place, we will select the next runner up, the Canon Pixma iP4600. Please note that ConsumerReports.org’s cost per page for printing an 8×10 photo also includes the cost of glossy photo paper, along with the ink expended. And therefore this may be slightly higher than pure “ink” cost.
However there are some caveats to be taken with these ratings. They take into consideration current testing conducted by Consumer Reports.org of 8 out of the 47 available inkjet printers. And this post focuses on only “pure” inkjet printers, not multifunction devices or snapshot printers. Since even though some multifunction printers can secure lower costs per page, their generally small sized cartridges make them less cost efficient in the long run. And the multifunctions are relatively more expensive.
Cost of replacing cartridges
As per current ratings published by Consumer Reports.org (requires subscription) the Canon BCI-3e black cartridge @ US$12 and the Canon BCI-6 color photo cartridge @ US$44 are the lowest priced manufacturer cartridges among the cartridges compared. But again, this report takes into consideration only the cartridges of three specific printer models, made by Canon, Epson and HP respectively. There are many more cartridges out there.
The aforementioned Canon cartridges are used in the Canon Pixma iP4000. This specific model does not figure in the cost per page ratings published by Consumer Reports.org but its sibling, the iP4600 does. As you have followed, we selected the iP4600 for having a reasonable cost per page for photo printing. And like its sibling, the iP4000, its cartridges are reasonably priced, as we shall see.
The price of cartridges for the top three in text printing is given in the following table. The prices are in $USD and were taken from the manufacturer’s website. Note that cartridge prices can be subject to change.
The price of cartridges for the top three in photo printing is given in the following table. The prices are in $USD and were taken from the manufacturer’s website. Note that cartridge prices can be subject to change.
Quantity of the Cartridges
We originally intended to determine the quantity of the ink (in ml) in the ink cartridges. However, manufacturers no longer offer this information unless they are relentlessly probed. Of all the manufacturers we contacted, only Canon offered to share with us the volume of their ink cartridges. But of course, this refers to the volume of the ink cartridge tank, and not necessarily the ink inside. Back in 2001, the HP DeskJet 842C Inkjet came with a black cartridge that had more than 40 ml in ink. Over time, the quantity of ink in cartridges has steadily been decreased by manufacturers. For the printers selected, we guess that the quantity of ink in the black ink cartridge varies from 15ml to 20ml. And we guess that the quantity of ink in the color cartridges varies from 8ml to 12ml. Comparing cost per ml, printer ink definitely exceeds the price of champagne!
Instead of offering the volume of ink in cartridges, the manufacturers offer a page yield, which gives us ample hints about the life expectancy of the cartridge. The figures for Canon were obtained after contacting their Technical Support. The figures for HP were obtained from their website. There was no information available for Lexmark and neither were their Technical Support able to furnish any information in this regard.
The page yields given below were obtained using the ISO 24711 testing guidelines, which do not reflect everyday use.
Conclusion
While the Lexmark Z1420 gives the most economical text printing, it does not have separate color cartridges, which can increase the cost of replacing the color cartridge when just one color wears out. But this is the only printer among those compared that offers WiFi printing. The HP Photosmart D7560 and D5460 offer economical text and photo printing at the same time. The Canon Pixma iP4600 offers fairly economical color printing.
