mike_keran

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=3862080">Phyliss Crowe</a> said:<br>

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<blockquote>

<p>Very reliable tech sources say once Win 7 is released in final, Vista will no longer be sold, and tech support for it will stop in early 2011. It's so crappy even Microsoft is throwing in the towel on it.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Just to clarify: Microsoft will <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?LN=en-us&x=10&y=13&p1=11707">discontinue mainstream support</a> in April of 2012. Extended support (security updates, KB articles, etc.) will be available through April 2017.</p>

<p>Say what you want about Microsoft, at the least they stand by their products. Hell, they still support <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifesupsps/#Internet_Explorer">IE6 on XP</a> even through it's two versions old, much to the chagrin of every Web developer on the planet... Having said that, I'm writing this on the Window7 RC and have been using Win7 (both beta and RC) for about six months. Win7 is what Vista should've been -- it rocks!</p>

So often we only write about bad experiences with companies that I wanted to

write about a positive experience I've had recently with Mpix. (No, I'm not

associated with them, in fact, this is the first time I've used their services).

For the past few years I've printed calendars as gifts for family and friends.

In the past I've used Shutterfly, DigiLabs, and now Mpix. Print quality and

customization have been a main concern for me, so when I found DigiLabs' custom

calendar software, I was very happy. It allowed printing on 12x18 inch paper,

bound at the top, which gives me a lot more layout flexibility when compared to

the more common letter size (11x17 when opened with binding in the middle)

calendars. Anyhow, Mpix also prints calendars using the same software and their

prices were a bit better so I decided to give them a try.

I uploaded my calendar to Mpix on Tues morning, it had printed and shipped by

Tues evening and arrived on at my door by mid-day Wed! They charge a flat-rate

of $9.95 for next day FedEx shipping (or $4.95 for standard USPS). I can't

imagine that they can continue this forever without losing money on it -- my

order was 19 lbs! Can't beat that.

Mpix seems to use 100# glossy paper for the front and back cover (although you

can't print on the back cover page) and lighter, matte paper for the interior

pages. DigiLabs uses 80# glossy for all the pages and doesn't include a back

cover. While the heavier paper is nice (white parts don't show dark colors from

the next page), the glossy paper is hard to write on and ink smears if you don't

give is a few seconds to dry. Photos are a little punchier on the DigiLabs

calendar, though I'm not sure if that's a factor of glossy vs. matte or printing

method. Mpix claims you can get ICC profiles for their printers if you email

them, but I didn't do that mostly because I was running low on time. I'm

regretting that as I have one month with a lot of black in the image and the

blacks are a bit washed out. ("It's like, how much more black could this be?

And the answer is none. None more black." Sorry, couldn't resist... <smirk>).

Other than that month, I'm happy with the print quality of the Mpix calendar.

They don't hold a candle to the same image coming from my 2200 on Ilford Smooth

Pearl, but I didn't expect them to. You're basically getting 13 12x18 inch

prints for $20 ($17.50 if you order more than 10) so I'm not expecting the same

quality. Besides, have you tried to write on Smooth Pearl? <grin>

In the future, I will do the research to get their ICC profiles so I can

soft-proof the images before sending them off. Otherwise, they seem to be the

best for short run calendar printing that I've found. If anyone knows a place

that does regular sized (ie: 12x12 inch, 24x12 open) saddle stitched calendars

in short runs (25, perhaps 50?), please let me know as I'd like to try that for

next year.

Andrei,

Thanks for the offer, I've emailed you a URL where you can find a 4000DPI, 16-bit scan of a Wolf Faust IT8 target and associated data file. I've used VueScan in the past to profile my scanners and will be happy to compare your profile against that.