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Windows 8 hybrid-tablet mania

Thursday's tech news roundup calls for a deluge of tablet-PC hybrids:

Everyone is talking about tablet hybrids at this year's IFA electronics trade show in Berlin. Every major laptop maker is getting in the game, all because of the October 26 release of Windows 8. Some choose to have the screen swivel or fold to be held like a tablet, such as the Dell XPS Duo 12 and the Asus Taichi. But most hardware makers are also offering tablets with full keyboards that snap on, like HP's Envy x2 tablet and Samsung's Series 5 and 7 Slates (… Read more

Lexmark to close inkjet printer plant, cut 1,700 jobs

Lexmark today said it will exit its inkjet printer business and cut 1,700 jobs around the world in a move to save roughly $95 million annually.

The company, a former spinoff from IBM, is stuck in a cut-throat inkjet printer market that features HP and Canon as No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

Lexmark said that it will provide supplies, service and support to its inkjet installed base. The move allows Lexmark to focus on high-value imaging and software, the company said in a statement.

Specifically, Lexmark said it will cut jobs related to inkjet manufacturing, development, and support. … Read more

Dead-tree format's demise is slow, steady

Printers are suffering the same fate as hardcover books -- which is not only good for the environment but maybe for your state of mind.

In a research note titled "Dead-tree format is dying," Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore illustrated the decline of paper-spewing printers with plenty of stats (see graph below).

June quarter results for printer suppliers were "particularly weak as Canon, Epson, Lexmark and Xerox all missed expectations," according to Whitmore.

Canon, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, and Lexmark over the past 10 quarters show combined supplies and hardware revenues declining about 6 percent year-over-year in the … Read more

Apple updates Lexmark and Brother printer drivers

Instead of relying on third-party companies to develop and distribute drivers for printers and scanners, Apple distributes them itself as part of its open-source CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) technology that it has incorporated into OS X.

As part of this setup, as new printers are released by companies, Apple takes generic printer drivers and tweaks them to manage the features and options that the new printers have, followed by releasing packages of these drivers for users to download.

Today Apple released a couple of driver updates for new Brother and Lexmark printers, available for OS X 10.6 and … Read more

Apple releases Epson and Lexmark driver updates

Apple has released updated drivers for Epson and Lexmark printers. These updates are available through Software Update but can also be downloaded from the Apple Support Downloads page. However, while it may be tempting to install, unless your printers are not working properly, then you likely do not need to apply these updates.

Apple's printing system, the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS), uses a bunch of generic drivers that are then enhanced upon to add functionality for a specific printer's features. As new printers are developed, drivers are morphed to include their features rather than developed from scratch … Read more

Lexmark sues 24 cartridge makers over patents

Printer manufacturer Lexmark is suing replacement cartridge makers that it says are infringing on its patents.

The Lexington, Ky.-based company on Friday filed a patent infringement complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Both suits accuse 24 companies that import replacement cartridges for Lexmark laser printers of violating 15 patents owned by Lexmark.

Both suits name the same 24 defendants. The ITC complaint--the now-standard venue for taking patent disputes against companies that import goods to the United States--asks that the defendants' products be banned from import … Read more