Is it just my imagination, or is printer ink incredibly expensive? At one time I recall seeing a comparison of the price of ink with other items. Do you know what I'm referring to?

Yes, printer ink is obscenely expensive. In many cases, printers are a loss leader for printer manufacturers. The real profit center is selling ink cartridges thereafter. The following comparison provides an enlightening perspective and one that never fails to raise a few eyebrows. When contrasted with the price of other liquids that we rarely think about on a per-gallon basis, it does give one pause for reflection and revulsion. For example:

Gasoline, $3.89 per gallon, at the current national average; Budweiser, 12 ounces for 92 cents, or $9.75 per gallon; Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, 24 ounces for $3.60, or $19.08 per gallon; Scope mouthwash, 1 1/2 ounces for 99 cents, or $84.84 per gallon; Pepto-Bismol, 4 ounces for $3.85, or $123.20 per gallon; Wite-Out, 7 ounces for $1.99, or $362.18 per gallon; Cover Girl nail polish, .4 ounce for $3.89, or $1,244.80 per gallon; printer ink (black), 1.42 ounces for $32.99 or $2,972.39 per gallon. So no, it is definitely not your imagination.

How can I copy an image from a Web page?

Many Web-based images are copyright protected, so while nobody will ever know if you use an image for your personal use, just be aware that in those situations you should request permission from the site or copyright holder. As an alternative, there are many sites that offer copyright-free images. You will find a comprehensive listing of such sites at EduScapes (eduscapes.com/tap/topic98.htm), or run a Google search for "free images."

Having now concluded my good-cyber-citizen speech, to copy a graphic from a website, simply right-click and select Save Image As. In the Save In field, locate a folder in which to save it, or save it to your desktop. You can then either retain its default filename or give it another name, and click Save.

I lost the little speaker or volume icon that used to appear in the lower right portion of my screen. How can I get that back?

It's a well-known phenomenon that the volume icon occasionally disappears for no other reason than to keep us technologically humble. To return it to its full and upright position, Windows 7 users should click Start and type "volume" in the Search field, then select "Show or hide volume icon on the Taskbar." Users of other versions of Windows, go to your Control Panel and select Sounds and Audio Devices. (This wording will vary depending on the version.) On the Volume or General tab, place a check beside "Place volume icon on the Taskbar." If it already has a check beside it, you will have to resort to a somewhat technical procedure known as "the old switcheroo," so remove the check mark, click Apply, replace the check mark, then click Apply > OK.

Mr. Modem publishes "Ask Mr. Modem!" each week, featuring PC tips, tricks and plain-English answers to your questions by e-mail. For more information, visit www.MrModem.com.

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