There are a wide range of monochrome and color laser printers available today to fulfill the needs of virtually any computer user. Because there are a number of well appointed monochrome and color laser printers to choose from, you can easily find a model to fit the needs and budget of any home, office or corporate user.
Label Printer
If you need to print cost effective professional paper labels quickly and easily then a label printer will meet your needs. Perfect for creating pres-sized easy-peel labels for envelopes, packages, file folders, CDs, binders and a variety of other uses.
Color Inkjet Printer
If you need to print "photo quality" images and your print volumes are relatively low, this is a task best handled by a color inkjet printer.
Color Laser Printer
If your output needs require greater flexibility, then you may want to consider a color laser printer. While color laser printers are more expensive than monochrome lasers, they do allow you the versatility to rapidly produce color documents, reports, presentations, and other materials whenever you need to. In addition, color laser printers can easily handle higher daily print volumes as well as deliver a lower cost per page vs. other color printing technologies.
B&W Laser Printer
If the majority of your printing is in black and white, a monochrome laser printer may be your best choice. These printers excel at delivering fast, high quality text printing, as well as a low cost per page. A monochrome laser printer is also a solid choice when you have daily print volumes that are more than a few pages per day.
Print Speed
A printer's speed is described in terms of ppm (pages per minute). More expensive printers have faster print speeds, while many entry-level laser printers today have a print speed of around 20ppm, which is usually fine for personal use.
Monthly Print Volume
Your print volume determines which printer class to consider. Personal printers are designed for users with lower print volumes. For individuals with higher print volumes, or small groups sharing a printer, an office printer is suitable. Heavy volume users require a heavier duty office printer.
Print Quality
Print resolution is always stated in dots-per inch (dpi). Most laser printers today have a default resolution at 600x600dpi, which is fine for everyday text printing. For sharper output when printing photographs or documents combining text, photos, and charts, a higher resolution, such as 1200x1200dpi or 2400x600dpi, is preferable. 1200x1200dpi is recommended when your materials need to look their very best, but choosing this resolution can significantly reduce your print speed. Certain printers offer up to 2400x600dpi print quality and are capable of printing at their best output quality while printing at or near their highest-rated print speed.
Compatibility
Check to see if the laser printers is compatible for either Windows and Mac computers. If you have a legacy application that runs under DOS, consider a printer with both a Parallel interface and PCL® emulation.
Memory
Most printers have sufficient standard memory for everyday office printing. If you are printing more complex documents such as graphics, photographs, charts, or specialized fonts, consider a printer with upgradeable memory. In general, the more memory a printer has, the better it can handle larger, more complex documents.
Connectivity
Most laser printers come standard with USB and Parallel interfaces† for maximum flexibility. If you have a network or plan to share your printer, consider a printer with a built-in Ethernet or wireless network interface. Wireless-ready printers eliminate the need to connect the printer using a cable, and allow you to locate it where it is most convenient.
Paper Capacity
If your printer will be on a network, or if you have large print volumes, consider a printer with a large paper capacity to avoid paper outages.
Different Paper Sizes
Consider whether you will be printing on different paper sizes. You can print up to legal size paper with many laser printers. If you frequently print on both letter and legal size paper, consider a printer that offers two lower paper trays. These models allow you to store letter size paper in one tray and legal in the other and automatically select paper from either tray.
Most laser printers also offer a manual feed slot or multi-purpose tray for printing envelopes, labels, custom paper sizes and heavier media.
Emulations
If you have applications that require DOS support, you'll need a printer with PCL emulation. Some laser printers offer PCL emulation, which is generally used for everyday office document printing. If you are printing graphics, photos, special fonts and charts, or if you are a Mac user, consider a printer with PostScript®.
Duplex Printing (2-sided)
If you want to print two-sided documents, consider a printer with built-in automatic duplex printing. This feature saves time, reduces waste, and can decrease your printing costs.
Secure Print
To password protect confidential documents, choose a printer with a Secure Print capability. This feature allows you to password protect your print jobs, and helps ensure that only the people that should see a document actually do.
Additional Features
Printers offer either a monochrome or 3-color LCD display to enable users to easily modify settings or to determine the printer's status. In addition, several printers also offer other standard features such as N-Up, Watermark and Poster Printing that may be required for some printing applications.
Expandability
If your business is rapidly growing, consider a printer with expansion options such as paper trays, output bins, duplex printing, and upgradeable memory. If you want to store forms, or fonts, and commonly used files on a CompactFlash® card, consider a printer that accepts one of these cards.
Warranty, Service and Support
Carefully review each manufacturer's warranty as some offer various terms and conditions. Length or warranty period. Carry-in or on-site repairs. Which components the warranty covers. It may be a good idea to consider getting an extended warranty on your printer.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Buyers guide for Laptops
Notebook systems have grown in popularity due to their increasing performance and portability. Many systems are even now being marketed as replacements for desktop systems, but few can perform at the same level as a desktop system particularly when it comes to graphics. This guide will help you to look at some of the key items you want to look at before you purchase your next PC notebook system.
Size and Weight
Obviously the size and weight of a notebook is important. Ultraportables offer light weight and sizes but sacrifice items such as drives. Desktop replacements have equivalent power to desktop systems, but they are heavy and bulky making them difficult to carry around. When shopping for a laptop, make sure to pick up the systems and verify its something you are willing to carry. Don't forget to also consider the weight of accessories such as AC adapter when carrying around the notebook.
Processors (CPU)
Notebook processors typically were slower than desktop CPUs, but that has changed. Dual-core processors are starting to become common and help with multitasking. The type of processors found in the notebook will vary based upon the size and purpose of the notebook. They have a direct impact on performance as well as battery life so comparison can be difficult. Check out my listings for suggested processors for the various types of notebook PCs available.
Memory (RAM)
Notebooks are generally more restricted in the amount of memory they can have compared to desktops. When looking at computers you want to make sure to check out the maximum memory the system can handle as well as the amount that is installed in the computer. It's also useful to find out if a memory upgrade can be done yourself or if it has to be done by a technician. 512MB should really be the minimum amount of memory to consider with at least 1GB for improved performance.
Displays and Video
The video on a notebook computer is comprised of the display and the video processor. The display is comprised of the screen size and the native resolution. The larger the display, the higher the resolution will typically be, but it also will impact how portable the system is. Wide screen displays are also becoming more popular. The graphics processor will determine the performance of the computer in things such as 3D graphics and PC gaming.
Drives
How much storage space will you need? Hard drives are fairly straight forward in terms of the size and the performance may be impacted by the rotational speed. Optical drives play a more important role when purchasing a notebook PC. These can either be fairly simple CD-ROM drives for installing software all the way up to the latest high definition DVD burners. In most cases, it is best to at least get a drive that is capable or reading DVDs and burning CDs or DVDs.
Networking
The ability to connect to the net is integral to most notebooks today. Look for systems that include a built in 56Kbps modem and Fast Ethernet. With the rise of wireless networking, this is also found in most new notebooks. For the minimum amount of wireless connectivity, look at getting a notebook with 802.11b/g. Systems with an 802.11a/b/g will give you the most amount of connectivity.
Battery Life
How good is a portable computer going to be if you are only able to get 30 minutes of computing time on a single charge? Try to find the manufacturers listed battery life for the standard battery. Look to get a system with at least 2 hours of battery life under normal conditions. If you need extended time unplugged, look for laptops with media bays that can double as extra battery slots or have extended life batteries that can be purchased.
Warranty Plans
Laptops take a lot of abuse and are more prone to breakdowns due to their portability. When buying a system, make sure to get at least a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer. If you will be using the system heavily, a system that comes with a 3 year warranty might be a better choice but it will cost more. Third party extended plans are not a good choice unless service is done through the manufacturer.
Size and Weight
Obviously the size and weight of a notebook is important. Ultraportables offer light weight and sizes but sacrifice items such as drives. Desktop replacements have equivalent power to desktop systems, but they are heavy and bulky making them difficult to carry around. When shopping for a laptop, make sure to pick up the systems and verify its something you are willing to carry. Don't forget to also consider the weight of accessories such as AC adapter when carrying around the notebook.
Processors (CPU)
Notebook processors typically were slower than desktop CPUs, but that has changed. Dual-core processors are starting to become common and help with multitasking. The type of processors found in the notebook will vary based upon the size and purpose of the notebook. They have a direct impact on performance as well as battery life so comparison can be difficult. Check out my listings for suggested processors for the various types of notebook PCs available.
Memory (RAM)
Notebooks are generally more restricted in the amount of memory they can have compared to desktops. When looking at computers you want to make sure to check out the maximum memory the system can handle as well as the amount that is installed in the computer. It's also useful to find out if a memory upgrade can be done yourself or if it has to be done by a technician. 512MB should really be the minimum amount of memory to consider with at least 1GB for improved performance.
Displays and Video
The video on a notebook computer is comprised of the display and the video processor. The display is comprised of the screen size and the native resolution. The larger the display, the higher the resolution will typically be, but it also will impact how portable the system is. Wide screen displays are also becoming more popular. The graphics processor will determine the performance of the computer in things such as 3D graphics and PC gaming.
Drives
How much storage space will you need? Hard drives are fairly straight forward in terms of the size and the performance may be impacted by the rotational speed. Optical drives play a more important role when purchasing a notebook PC. These can either be fairly simple CD-ROM drives for installing software all the way up to the latest high definition DVD burners. In most cases, it is best to at least get a drive that is capable or reading DVDs and burning CDs or DVDs.
Networking
The ability to connect to the net is integral to most notebooks today. Look for systems that include a built in 56Kbps modem and Fast Ethernet. With the rise of wireless networking, this is also found in most new notebooks. For the minimum amount of wireless connectivity, look at getting a notebook with 802.11b/g. Systems with an 802.11a/b/g will give you the most amount of connectivity.
Battery Life
How good is a portable computer going to be if you are only able to get 30 minutes of computing time on a single charge? Try to find the manufacturers listed battery life for the standard battery. Look to get a system with at least 2 hours of battery life under normal conditions. If you need extended time unplugged, look for laptops with media bays that can double as extra battery slots or have extended life batteries that can be purchased.
Warranty Plans
Laptops take a lot of abuse and are more prone to breakdowns due to their portability. When buying a system, make sure to get at least a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer. If you will be using the system heavily, a system that comes with a 3 year warranty might be a better choice but it will cost more. Third party extended plans are not a good choice unless service is done through the manufacturer.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Laptop Buyers Guide
Type of Processor (Pentium iii , Pentium 4 , Via , Amd etc) :
One of the most important factors in deciding your laptop .The processor is the heart of your laptop .The right processor can make it a work horse of a slow machine . There are different brands of c.p.u that laptops come with namely : Intel, Amd athlon , Via c3 etc.
Screen :
Most screens sold today are TFT active matrix LCD screens. TFT active matrix is a technology in which each pixel has a transistor attached to it to control the backlight shining through it. Each pixel is made up of 3 sub-pixels (red, green and blue) with each having its own transistor. Each of these pixels turns on and off and filters light through colored sub-pixels which results in an image. The more pixels or higher the resolution a screen is the crisper the image. In addition, higher resolution screens allow more of an image to be viewable.
Laptop screens are usually of the following sizes (in inches) 12.1, 13.1,14.1, 14.4 (wide screen ) , 15, 15.4 (wide screen) , 16, 17 .You may take a screen size of your choice , the advantage of choosing a larger screen is in terms of the resolution support you get on them , to state , the bigger the screen the higher resolution it supports .More than the size of the screen it is important to see the brightness and the resolution aspect ratio .Most manufacturers offer bright screens at a premium. They have different names xbrite in sony ,Clear Super View (CSV) in Toshiba etc. Here are two charts below that tells you about screens sizes and resolutions
Optical Device (cd, dvd, dvd cd r/w ,dvd writer) :
Most laptops these days come with a dvd cdr/w commonly called as a combo drive .This is considered a bare essential these days .Indeed a writer is must these days since it comes in very handy to backup or carry data along. The latest laptops these days come with a Dvd R/w .They usually come with a slower speed as compared to desktops as on date the maximum speed available is 8x while on desktops speed of 16x is also available .Look for dual layer support which will help you write dvds up to 8.4 gb capacity against the normal 4.7 gb capacity .
Pointing Device (Stick /Touchpad) :
Look for the following:
1) Does it have a touchpad a pointing stick or both ?
2) Does it come with horizontal and vertical scroll support on the touch pad ?
Battery :
Battery is one the most important consumable of a laptop . Check if the battery is li-on or ni-mh( only for old laptops as all new laptops come with li-on battery) .In new laptops check if the laptop comes with a 6-cell ( most common) or 9 -cell ( some laptops) or 12 cell (very few laptops) battery , naturally the more cells the more battery life you get. Also if you are a very mobile user check if the laptop has an option to take in additional battery .You may also want to check the price of additional battery pack .
Wireless lan :
Wireless lan of wi-fi as it is commonly called these days is getting very popular .But the popular misconception is that once you have a wi-fi you can connect to internet wirelessly without any additional accessories which isn't true. Wi-fi only means the capability to connect wirelessly to your local area network which too will require additional accessories like Wireless router oraccess point .Wireless comes in three speeds ( the speed with which u can access your local area network) and are represented by different letters. The least of them is 11 Mpbs written in spec sheet as 802.11b, 'b' indicates it supports up to 11 mbps , next is 54 Mpbs and written as 802.11g , 'g' indicating 54 Mbps speed , now by firmware upgrade speeds up to 108 Mbps can be achieved usually laptops don't come with 108 Mbps speed. All these are mutually compatible meaning you can have one laptop with 'b' standard card and other with 'g' standard and they will still work on a network .To understand wi fi in detail
Weight :
Another very important consideration . The weight of a laptop is inversely proportional to the price .The lighter the laptop the heavier it is on your pocket. Heavy laptops usually are loaded with features and are made to be desktop replacements .The major weight adding components are the processor and the size of the screen .Usually the normal Pentium 4 based laptops are very heavy due the amount of the heat sink material. that goes along with it .The latest mobile series of processors like the Pentium M processor are made specially for laptops and are lighter in weight. The screen size also adds to the weight. Usually laptops weigh around 2.5 kgs , the heavier ones weigh around 3.0 kgs , and the lighter ones weigh around 1.5 kgs.
Speakers :
For music lovers an important criteria .The best speakers for laptops are Jbl pro or harman/kardan, Altec lansing and others are also fairly good . Try the sound quality of the laptop before you buy .
Keyboard :
Before buying a laptop look for the keyboard .A keyboard failure can be a messy problem later .The quality of the keyboard can be made out by mere inspection .look for the print quality of the letters on the keyboards. The letters will fade on low quality keyboard. If your are buying an used laptop check all .the keys if they are working before buying.
Looks :
Here we dont think you need a guide because you can look at the laptop yourself and decide . While considering the looks , one thing to remember is the quality of the body. You can feel it by touching it , One the spec sheet You can check if the body type is mentioned Usually magnesium alloy bodies are very good , they are lighter and look beautiful too.
Warranty and Service :
One very important criteria. The warranty on a laptop is a very crucial criteria .Try to buy a laptop with 3 years warranty since servicing a laptop can be usually very expensive ,if you are buying a one year warranty laptop , ask about what are the charges per year for extended warranty .Usually such extensions are expensive so try to buy a laptop with 3 years warranty. Also check if the warranty is global or local .Most laptops come with global warranty which is preferable over local.
One of the most important factors in deciding your laptop .The processor is the heart of your laptop .The right processor can make it a work horse of a slow machine . There are different brands of c.p.u that laptops come with namely : Intel, Amd athlon , Via c3 etc.
Screen :
Most screens sold today are TFT active matrix LCD screens. TFT active matrix is a technology in which each pixel has a transistor attached to it to control the backlight shining through it. Each pixel is made up of 3 sub-pixels (red, green and blue) with each having its own transistor. Each of these pixels turns on and off and filters light through colored sub-pixels which results in an image. The more pixels or higher the resolution a screen is the crisper the image. In addition, higher resolution screens allow more of an image to be viewable.
Laptop screens are usually of the following sizes (in inches) 12.1, 13.1,14.1, 14.4 (wide screen ) , 15, 15.4 (wide screen) , 16, 17 .You may take a screen size of your choice , the advantage of choosing a larger screen is in terms of the resolution support you get on them , to state , the bigger the screen the higher resolution it supports .More than the size of the screen it is important to see the brightness and the resolution aspect ratio .Most manufacturers offer bright screens at a premium. They have different names xbrite in sony ,Clear Super View (CSV) in Toshiba etc. Here are two charts below that tells you about screens sizes and resolutions
Optical Device (cd, dvd, dvd cd r/w ,dvd writer) :
Most laptops these days come with a dvd cdr/w commonly called as a combo drive .This is considered a bare essential these days .Indeed a writer is must these days since it comes in very handy to backup or carry data along. The latest laptops these days come with a Dvd R/w .They usually come with a slower speed as compared to desktops as on date the maximum speed available is 8x while on desktops speed of 16x is also available .Look for dual layer support which will help you write dvds up to 8.4 gb capacity against the normal 4.7 gb capacity .
Pointing Device (Stick /Touchpad) :
Look for the following:
1) Does it have a touchpad a pointing stick or both ?
2) Does it come with horizontal and vertical scroll support on the touch pad ?
Battery :
Battery is one the most important consumable of a laptop . Check if the battery is li-on or ni-mh( only for old laptops as all new laptops come with li-on battery) .In new laptops check if the laptop comes with a 6-cell ( most common) or 9 -cell ( some laptops) or 12 cell (very few laptops) battery , naturally the more cells the more battery life you get. Also if you are a very mobile user check if the laptop has an option to take in additional battery .You may also want to check the price of additional battery pack .
Wireless lan :
Wireless lan of wi-fi as it is commonly called these days is getting very popular .But the popular misconception is that once you have a wi-fi you can connect to internet wirelessly without any additional accessories which isn't true. Wi-fi only means the capability to connect wirelessly to your local area network which too will require additional accessories like Wireless router oraccess point .Wireless comes in three speeds ( the speed with which u can access your local area network) and are represented by different letters. The least of them is 11 Mpbs written in spec sheet as 802.11b, 'b' indicates it supports up to 11 mbps , next is 54 Mpbs and written as 802.11g , 'g' indicating 54 Mbps speed , now by firmware upgrade speeds up to 108 Mbps can be achieved usually laptops don't come with 108 Mbps speed. All these are mutually compatible meaning you can have one laptop with 'b' standard card and other with 'g' standard and they will still work on a network .To understand wi fi in detail
Weight :
Another very important consideration . The weight of a laptop is inversely proportional to the price .The lighter the laptop the heavier it is on your pocket. Heavy laptops usually are loaded with features and are made to be desktop replacements .The major weight adding components are the processor and the size of the screen .Usually the normal Pentium 4 based laptops are very heavy due the amount of the heat sink material. that goes along with it .The latest mobile series of processors like the Pentium M processor are made specially for laptops and are lighter in weight. The screen size also adds to the weight. Usually laptops weigh around 2.5 kgs , the heavier ones weigh around 3.0 kgs , and the lighter ones weigh around 1.5 kgs.
Speakers :
For music lovers an important criteria .The best speakers for laptops are Jbl pro or harman/kardan, Altec lansing and others are also fairly good . Try the sound quality of the laptop before you buy .
Keyboard :
Before buying a laptop look for the keyboard .A keyboard failure can be a messy problem later .The quality of the keyboard can be made out by mere inspection .look for the print quality of the letters on the keyboards. The letters will fade on low quality keyboard. If your are buying an used laptop check all .the keys if they are working before buying.
Looks :
Here we dont think you need a guide because you can look at the laptop yourself and decide . While considering the looks , one thing to remember is the quality of the body. You can feel it by touching it , One the spec sheet You can check if the body type is mentioned Usually magnesium alloy bodies are very good , they are lighter and look beautiful too.
Warranty and Service :
One very important criteria. The warranty on a laptop is a very crucial criteria .Try to buy a laptop with 3 years warranty since servicing a laptop can be usually very expensive ,if you are buying a one year warranty laptop , ask about what are the charges per year for extended warranty .Usually such extensions are expensive so try to buy a laptop with 3 years warranty. Also check if the warranty is global or local .Most laptops come with global warranty which is preferable over local.
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