PermaLinkDesigner 6.5 charts: Buying from IBM might be cheapest option
posted Friday 10th, June 2005
 



Wow! I went to FedEx Kinko's today to pick up the 4 Designer 6.0 posters I was having laminated. I had thought they said it would be US$1 per square foot, so I was expecting a $24 charge for the lot. Nope! It was $1.50 per square foot, and so 4 posters, each 2 feet by 3 feet, times 4 meant that I paid US$36 to have them laminated. Yee-ow!

Well with Designer 6.5 there are now FIVE posters to a set, and you can either order them from IBM at US$36.25 for a set, or download them for free. So I was thinking that maybe it would be cheaper to download the PDFs and take a CD to FedEx Kinko's and have them printed. NOPE! Kinko's charges US$8 per square foot to print the poster. Yes, you did read that correctly - Kinko's would charge US$48 to print each poster from CD.

So, let's recap. You can order a set of 5 posters from IBM for US$36.25 ...or you can download for free and then pay Kinko's US$240 to print the posters. If you like to have the posters laminated as I do, then you can pay another $45 for the lamination, for a total of US$285. To be fair, Kinko's did tell me that they are running a "special": If I could accept having the posters printed at a size of 18 inches by 24 inches or smaller, they could print and laminate each poster for only $40, so I do have the option of downloading, printing, and laminating the 6.5 set for only US$200.

I think I'll just stick with my 6.0 posters for a while.
Comments :
 
 

1. Posted by Curt Carlson09/09/2007 08:42 PM



Holy smokes....I can get 24"x36" poster frames for $11.00 each. Then you just swap out for R7 posters later.



2. Posted by Jorge Coelho09/09/2007 08:42 PM



Not to mention that ordering them from IBM means you get a set of 5, which I did with the 6.5 posters about a year ago. That comes down to a little over $7 per set!

Maybe you should setup a stand outside Kinko's for all the people rushing into to get their Designer charts printed and turn a profit



3. Posted by Curt Stone - website09/09/2007 08:42 PM



I think I'll just use on-line help for now. Maybe I'll be at Lotusphere in Jan and I can get a free one.



4. Posted by Jim Boling09/09/2007 08:42 PM



Another option for Windows desktops: to pick your favorite from the Designer wallpaper, right-click, copy, paste into a Notes doc, then produce the HTML equivalent. Take that and make it (part of) your Active Desktop. That is what I did; now the poster is always there on my desktop, and I am one click away from the help.



5. Posted by Joe Litton - website09/09/2007 08:42 PM



Jim, You are a hardcore Designer animal! Excellent idea!