A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

This summer my Sony digital camera went belly up. I was really upset in that it was an easy camera to get the pictures from it, to my computer. (wasn't a fan of the quality of the pictures, though) Just plugged it in my USB port and it just did it! Pictures went directly into a file!

Well, I replaced the camera with a Cannon and although I, too, can just plug it into my USB port, the rest is very confusing as it opens up it's own program and it looks like the pictures are transferred, but I pull my hair out trying to get them from Cannon's program and into my own picture files. If I don't, and I unplug the camera,the pictures are not on my computer, but still on the camera's SD card. (instruction book is very vague, nothing on what to do after they show up on the computer in their program!!)

I figured there had to be a much simpler way to to get the pics from A to B so asked at my electronics dept at Fred Meyer. The guy said, 'here, use this'. It's called a jump drive card reader. I just plug it into the USB and slide my SD card from my camera into it and it asks if I want to use Windows to download the pictures to. Sure! From there I can just copy then to a file and Viola'!! Cost: $9.99. SOooo worth it!

Glad that works for you! If you've got a laptop lots of them have SD card slots and you can take the card from your camera and insert it right into the slot -- same principle. I haven't used the USB cable in a long time, and it makes downloading picture much easier. Does this mean you'll post pictures?

Well, if Photobucket was more co-operative I might. I'm not long on patience any more so it tests me every time I use it!

The last printer I bought I made sure it had the slots so I could just plug the card from my camera in and it does the rest. It is also a scanner and copier. I am forever needing to copy something and it sure is handy. I can scan something and eventually get it to an email. I do it so seldom I have to learn it all over every time I want to scan something. I need to get a book for Dumb Dumb Dummies to learn how to edit pictures.

Martha

The only thing I don't like about my printer is the cost of the ink. It's a HP and it has the separate cartridges but a set of cartridges is about $40. They should give printers away for what they charge for ink. I don't print many pictures.

I have several places that I buy discount ink cartridges and they work fine in my Epson...I end up paying about $4-5 a cartridge compared to 14-15. While I was trying to find a new printer for the screen printing shop at work I found out that the reason that the HP cartridges were more expensive is that the head is actually on the cartridge.

I'm having a hard time finding cartridges for my printer locally. I figure I'll have to drive the 15 mi. to an Office Max etc. They should carry them. They are horribly expensive, too! Generally around $55 for a black and a color. I only paid $125 for my printer/scanner/copier/fax machine, but have spent hundreds in cartridges! Very maddening! I love my Lexmark, though. It hasn't ever given me problems.

Nasoosie wrote:I am in the market for a new printer---preferably a wireless capable one----so I can use it when I am on my laptop in the trailer, too.....or on the front porch.

If you find one that you like but it's not bluetooth you might look to see if it has a USB connection somewhere on it. If it does you can probably make it bluetooth by getting a micro adapter for it. I did that for a little tiny HP that I take with me when I camp sometimes. Works like a charm! I just plugged the adapter in, turned on my laptop (which is already bluetooth enabled), and the laptop recognized the printer immediately. I love not having the printer cable draped across the coffee table!

Bluetooth. Now that's good to know. I hadn't thought about how a wireless printer collects the info from the computer. Huh!

Nasoosie wrote:How do I know if my laptop is 'Bluetooth' enabled? And what a nasty-sounding term is bluetooth! ACK!!! My laptop does wireless connections...but bluetooth? I have no clue. And if it isn't blueteethed, can I get a set of dentures to make it that way??

You can get a bluetooth adapter. You can even get a micro adapter. They plug into one of your USB ports and your computer usually recognizes it automatically. If it doesn't there's usually a CD that comes with it so you can install it (only have to do that once). There are so many uses for bluetooth on a computer -- printing, tethering to a phone (instead of using an aircard), using a bluetooth headset for Skyping people ... Most new computers come with it already installed but no fears! You can add it for not much money to your computer if it isn't there.

This is what one looks like:

Crap! I ran out of USB holes on my computer !! Getting tired of plugging and unplugging everytime I need to use my Jump Drive, synce my iPhone or use my external hard drive! Guess another gadget is in order.