This month, Bossier Parish Library is only offering 4 computer classes for the public. Why only 4?!? The reason is the I.T. Staff is hard at work preparing for our annual Spring Festival on April 30th at the Louisiana Boardwalk. Therefore, the classes are as follows and are in no certain order:

• Internet Fundamentals - Using Internet Explorer 7 and through hands-on exercises, you will learn the basics of navigating the World Wide Web (WWW) using the most popular search engine, Google. (1.5 hrs) We ask that patrons know how to use the mouse and keyboard for this class.
  
  
• Email Fundamentals - Setup a free email account using Yahoo! Learn basic navigation and become acquainted with account features, such as, Inbox, Drafts, Trash and Sign Out. Create and reply to your first email and learn basic email etiquette. (1.5 hrs) We ask that patrons know how to use the mouse and keyboard for this class. We also ask that patron be familiar with the Internet.
  
  
• Computer Fundamentals - Got a brand new computer at home collecting dust? If so, come and learn the basic components of your personal computer and printer, along with basic terminology. Learn how to turn on a computer on/off. Lecture only class! (2 hrs)
  
  
• Word Fundamentals - Using Microsoft Word 2007, learn the basic features,   how to create, edit, open and save a document as well as use templates for quickly creating a resume, letter or calendar. (2 hrs) We ask that patrons know how to use the mouse and keyboard for this class.

Podcast Topics:

1. Library Tech News - Spring Festival/Gorilla Joe Video/Computer Classes (00:39/31:53)
2. Tips for Buying a New PC / How this Pet Can Harm Your PC? (04:25/31:53)
3. Saving $$$ on Printer Ink / $4.99 Black Ink Cartridge (18:41/31:53)

Resource Links:

• Windows 7 vs. Vista vs. XP: Computer Speeds by Charlie
• New Windows PC + Old Printer = Will They Work? by Jaketha
• One or Two Easy Ways to Save on Printer Ink by Jaketha
• Free Printer: How to Avoid Getting Ripped-Off on Refills by Kathy Kristof, YAHOO! Finance

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Thanks for listening to our first Tech Tuesdays podcast on the Digital Lovers Blog (http://bpl-it.blogspot.com/) brought to you by the Information Technology Department of the Bossier Parish Libraries (http://www.bossierlibrary.org/). We would love to hear from you! Feel free to use the online form provided by FormSpring.me to submit a question or comment on today's topic.

If you recently set up a new Windows PC at home, plugged in the USB cable for the printer, then saw that little yellow box in the lower right-hand corner pop up saying "Your printer has been installed!" You probably got all excited and thought, "Great! That's one less thing for me to worry about!"  But then, when it came time to print.... The motor geared up or maybe it didn't do anything but one you do know that is this stupid thing isn't printing. Ugh!

The bad side is that you are likely too frustrated to read the rest of this blog posting to see that there is a good side which does not involve going out and buying a new printer. So today we will focus on how to install an old printer on a new Windows Vista or Windows 7 PC, which is somewhat easy. Please note these instructions are intended for those who do not have an actual printer software installation CD. If you still have the installation CD for your printer, then use it instead.

How to Download Printer Drivers:

[1] Avoid plugging in the USB cable that connects the printer to the computer or turning on the printer until told to do so. If you have already done so, then unplug and turn off the printer. The reason is because the printer software installation will tell you when to turn on the printer as well as when to plug in the USB cable.

[2] Now, look at the printer and get its brand name and model number. For example: My office printer is a color laser printer made by Samsung with a model number of CLP-300.

[3] Once you have the brand name and model number, now its time to find the manufacturer's website, where you need to supply the make and model of your printer. 

Below, I have provided the links for each manufacturer's drivers/downloads section:

• Brother: http://www.brother-usa.com/downloads/Default.aspx <- Based on your model group based on the type of printer you have, you would select from the drop-down either Printers (HL Series) or Multi-Function Center (MFC and DCP series).

• Canon: http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support <- Under Product Type, click on Consumer & Home Office. Next, under Product Family, select Printers & Multifunction.

• Epson: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/SupportIndex.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes <- Click on the Printers & All-in-Ones and select your product type - inkjet, laser, etc.

• HP: http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/support_task.html <- Click the radio button for Download drivers... and then enter the model number in the box, then click Enter or press the arrow button.

• Lexmark:http://support.lexmark.com/index?channel=supportAndDownloads&page=home&locale=en&userlocale=EN_US <- Click on the Select Your Product arrow

• Samsung: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/ <- Click on Printers under the Office section. 

[4] Lastly, we will download the 'printer driver" to your desktop (or Downloads folder) and then we double click on that file to begin the installation. Printer installation could be quick or slow depending on your printer type.

Thanks for reading this posting. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post a comment below.

Image Source: computershopper.com

Unless you've been living under a rock, everyone knows that printer ink cartridges are expensive!

Most people give little thought to this when buying a printer. Usually, we're more consumed with what features our printers offer - monochrome vs. color, media slots, photo or two-side printing, etc. So we find ourselves falling in love with a particular printer, only to learn that the ink cartridges are going to cost an arm and a leg.

For this reason, many people simply won't buy additional ink for their home printers, but that defeats the purpose for having it in the first place. So, here are a few tips for how to preserve your printer ink and no using refillable ink cartridges is not on our list.

Before you begin, make sure your most used printer is set as your default printer then proceed.

First, printing in draft and/or grayscale (black/white) mode. Sometimes we just want to print something simple like a To-Do list or an email, but we really don't need to it to use up a lot of ink, since we'll likely throw it soon anyway. So, the best way to handle this is to change your printer settings to save on how much ink is printed onto the page.  

To use this feature, whether you're in Internet Explorer or Microsoft Word, when you get ready to print and the print dialog box opens, look for a button called Properties... or Preferences.... Clicking on it should open another window.

Now look at each tab because you need to find two options, which are usually together and they are Print Quality, which has choices like Best, Normal, or Draft and Color Mode, which has choices like Color, Grayscale or Black & White.

Once you have found those settings, you will want to change the Print Quality to Draft and maybe even the Color Mode to Grayscale or Black and White. After doing so, click OK to close out the Print Properties (or Print Preferences) box and then click OK to print your document. Please note that you will need to change this setting every time you print. But its worth it since it will save you money in the long run.

Second, print more than one page on a page. No, I'm not talking about reusing old printer paper and printing on both sides. I'm talking about setting your print to print multiple pages on the same page. Think in terms of a BINGO card, where there are multiple options to win and its easy to work with because you have multiple cards on a single page. 

For example, if you have a four page document, instead of printing four separate pages, you can set your print to print all four pages on the same page. Or you could have it print that entire document on only two pages. To use this feature within your favorite software, click on File | Print and when the print dialog box opens, click on the Properties or Preferences....

But this time we are looking for a feature called Layout or Layout Options.... This feature will likely have more than one component. For example, in one box you need to set it to "Multiple pages per sheet" and in the next box, you will need to tell it how many pages you want printed on a sheet. After doing so, click OK to close out the Properties box and then click OK to print your document. Just like the draft settings, you will also need to turn off this settings, when you are ready to print normally.

That's it! Do you know of additional printer settings for saving on ink? If so, let us know by posting a comment below.

Image Source: PowerPCNet.com

Recently bought a computer or thinking about buying one? Or maybe you received a new computer for Christmas and you're not quite sure what to do with it. Well, for the entire month of March, we'll focus on helping brand new Windows 7 computer owners.

To help you out, we'll bringing back a SPECIAL EDITION of Tech Tuesdays as well as focus on how to select a new home printer or how to take your old printer and save money on ink and other techniques for printer efficiency.

Our anticipated postings are as follows:

• Windows 7 vs. older Windows operating systems, such as Windows Vista or XP
• What Should I Buy First - Laptop, Netbook, or Desktop?
• MACs  vs. PCs
• Home Printers 101
• Learn about the different Types: desktop, inkjet, photo, laser, multi-function/all-in-ones...
• Ways to Save Your Printer Ink...
• The Importance of Using the Right Printer Paper...
• What to Do When You Have a New Computer & an Old Printer...

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DID YOU MISS LAST MONTH'S DISCUSSION ON eREADERS?

Throughout the month of February, we covered eReaders from the most popular devices to the eReader benefits, apps and much more. In case you missed it, check out these links!

• Kindle vs. Sony vs. Nook: Part II (Feb. 28th) - Read now
• eReader Apps (Feb. 24th) - Read now
• Benefits of an eReader (Feb. 23rd) - Read now
• Kindle vs. Sony vs. Nook: Part I (Feb. 18th) - Read now
• How to Get Started with Overdrive (Feb. 14th) - Read now
• eReader Terms You Should Know (Feb. 11th) - Read now
• Introduction to eReaders (Feb. 11th) - Read now