PC News Now

NOTICE!

2007-05-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this site and liking it, please spread the word and tell other people about it. You can send an email to everyone you know, digg an article or the site, stumble it, or bookmark it. This would be really appreciated!!

Thank you!

Discount Inks For Your Printer

2007-04-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Author: Syahrul Azlan Idris

Computer users were first treated to a taste of computer printer inks and ink cartridges way back in the early 80's. Computer printer inks were seen as a viable substitute for those unreliable and often noisy printers which used ribbons at that time. Later on, new technologies that touted "drop-on-demand" ink cartridges were offered to the public, and this was soon extensively accepted, altogether becoming the most commonly-used technology for printer ink cartridges.

Nowadays, modern computer printers use separate ink cartridges for black and other color inks. Specialized photo printers even use different ink cartridges for each color. Different models and makes of inkjet printers use specific ink cartridges, most of which are widely available in computer supply shops, so users can quickly and effortlessly get replacements whenever they need it. For instance, having a Canon inkjet printer will require you to find suitable replacement cartridges depending on which model you're using.

You can always have a choice of whether to get OEM cartridges, refilled ink cartridges, or maybe even just inexpensive printer inks and recycle the cartridges yourself. These are cheap alternatives that are being used by cost-conscious users everywhere. You can find a refill kit to refill your ink cartridges whenever you need to. Several companies have already gotten into this business, getting used ink cartridges to refill and reseal so that they can function as good as new, original cartridges, but at a lesser price, of course.

Actually, this is the main benefit of using recycled ink cartridges. You can get the same quality and the same warranty like the original, but you won't have to pay as much. Another alternative for you would be to find a company, either in your local area or through the Internet, which specializes in discount ink and discount ink cartridges. You can get really good deals from companies like these.

However, you should only buy discount inks and cartridges from reputable stores, whether from your local computer supply shop or on the World Wide Web. This will guarantee that the ink cartridges you bought will have a normal-use lifespan, even if it's recycled and inexpensive. Established dealers can rely on their reputation for service and quality as an added warranty for their customers, so you can have more confidence in buying from them. Lots of times, you can also avail of special offers from these stores, like free shipping or extra discounts. Buying your supplies on the Internet is now easier than ever, and it's the most convenient way to order anything you need or want.

There's this common misconception that using recycled printer ink cartridges, cheap printer inks, or refill kits will void your computer printer's warranty. As a matter of fact, this is not true at all. Using recycled printer ink cartridges or cheap ink will not affect your printer's warranty in most cases. This is another benefit to buying your recycled inks or discount inks from reputable stores, as you can be certain that the products you are buying can be used in your computer printer without damaging it in any way.

The most practical and cost-effective alternatives for computer printing today are discount inks, recycled ink cartridges, and refill kits. Inkjet printers are proven to be viable and inexpensive business printing solutions. And as long as there are inkjet printers being used in companies, offices, and even homes, inexpensive solutions like discount inks, recycled cartridges, and refill kits will be there to provide more cost-effective and practical solutions.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Azlan Irda is a co-founder for http://www.discountinkoutlet.com , which provides high-quality printer ink at discounted prices. Visit us for all your discount ink needs.

Nokia N95 – Work Smart! (Tech Review)

2007-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Author: Caitlin Lucy

Nokia N95 is a 3G phone, that integrates the best of form and features, to pose as a strong contender amongst its competitors. This slider phone comes in an attractive exterior and reaffirms Nokia's endeavours to presents its customers mobiles that are rich in multimedia, entertainment, business and communication needs. Nokia N95 is a serious phone and is unique in the genre of 'N' series phone. The device is a smart phone loaded with software to enable professionals meet their daily requirements in the most convenient way. What we have in Nokia N95 is – plethora of connectivity options like - USB, Blue tooth, Infrared, Wi-Fi, UPnP, GSM, WCDMA, HSDPA and WLAN and 5 Mega pixels camera (with VGA video capture). And all these features are packed within a compact design, making the phone extremely handy.
Nokia N95 measures 99 x 53 x 21 mm and weighs 120 g only. Nokia N95 also comes with some real neat value addition. For example the GPS and automatic turn by turn voice instructions makes Nokia N95 a user's delight. As far as the design of Nokia N95 is concerned, it is a device that looks as smart as it works. The handset comes with a slider mechanism and exudes a sober charisma, like that of a dedicated professional. The slide is extremely smooth and can be easily operated through a small push of a thumb. There is a well laid keypad, with a good tactile feedback. It seems like the overall design of Nokia N95 was conceived just to suit the persona of the business men.

Nokia N95 is empowered with host of multimedia features. The gadget comes with a good camera that uses Carl Zeiss optics. Further, on the back of the device there is 'ring-slider' which open and closes the shutter. Camera options now include 4 ISO settings, contrast and sharpness adjustment, and an enhanced burst mode. Camera options now include 4 ISO settings, contrast and sharpness adjustment, and an enhanced burst mode. For pulsating music, Nokia N95 comes with an impressive music player. The player is compatible to all popular formats and hosts number of features for editing, storing and downloading. Nokia N95 has an internal memory of 160 MB and it can be further expanded.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Caitlin Lucy is a Expert Author. She has written good quality articles on T Mobile Phones and Contract Phones

Learn How To Create A Web Site

2007-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Author: Iprwire Staff Writer

Have you always wanted to learn how to create a web site? A web site is a great investment for a business, or a fun way to put yourself out there in the world and let your friends and family see what you've been up to. For a small business or individual family page, it may not be worth it to hire a professional to create a web site for you. After all, there are other services available. One option is to use a template style program, which allows you to choose a classic, easy on the eyes format and individualize it to build your own personal page or business platform. Web hosting companies often have services like this which are free with a hosting package.

There are many reasons people may want to claim their own corner of the Internet and create a web site:

* A web page allows customers to find businesses more easily - many people look on the Internet first when they want to find a product or service, if only to research. They may then order it online, or go to the store with more confidence because they have already researched the product. This means a web page can often be an easy form of advertising - you can convey a lot more information to a customer than with a billboard or a flyer.

* A family may want a way to keep connected across the country. This allows grandparents and other relatives an easy way to see pictures of junior, or friends to see what their buddies are up to.

* Starting your business online can often be less expensive than opening a store. An Internet based business will often have lower costs - hosting a site versus renting a location is highly affordable.

It's easy to create a web site. Using a hosting service, you can get your pages hosted on a server for a low monthly fee, and use a custom package make your site in a few simple steps. The only technical knowledge required will be pointing and clicking as you load on pictures and text. You will also receive extra conveniences such as email addresses to match your site.

A few good things to remember:

* Choose a domain name that reflects something about your business. Your business name would be ideal, as long as it also includes some reference to what your business does. If your business' name is Bob's, you may want to add something to the name, such as Bobspancakes.com if you sell pancake mixes.

* At the same time, do not be too specific. If your company grows, you may not want to change the name of your web site. If you think you might add to your company in the future, you might choose Bobsbreakfastmixes.com or Bobsmixes.com, to allow for growth.

* Keep your pages easy to read. It can be tempting to add a lot of graphics and bits of video, but it may turn off potential customers if your pages take too long to load or are too distracting.

For more information as you create a web site, check out ABI Hosting at http://www.abihosting.com, a full service company dedicated to helping people and businesses create a successful Internet presence.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
http://www.abihosting.com was founded in 1998 in Northern California and has a top notch reputation for providing web builders and creating web sites.

Satellite TV For Your Computer

2007-04-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

Author: Tony Pescatore

With your home computer and the Internet, you can get any form of entertainment. The entertainment I'm writing about is satellite TV for your computer. What you actually need is the right software.

With the right software you can have access to watch thousands of international satellite TV channels on your PC. The great part about it you do not require additional hardware or a PC TV card all you need is an Internet connection.

The entertainment you get with satellite TV for your computer is movies from all over the world. Into sports and want to watch Live Game broadcasts, you do not need expensive satellite or pay-per-view service anymore you can watch your favorite team live on your PC for no cost at all. Dozens of music channels so you can watch concerts, festivals and videos. Kids channels to keep them happy during the school holidays, TV channels from over 70 countries the United States have over 100 stations the UK 60 stations plus radio stations and so much more according to everyone's taste.

The software works with a 56k connection, the faster your Internet connection, the better picture quality you will get. Generally, a broadband connection will get you the highest quality audio and video for your satellite TV on your PC.

Conclusion

Why pay $30 to $100 per month when you can get satellite TV for your computer with no ongoing fees just one payment around $50 and then you have free satellite TV on your PC for ever with lifetime updates at no additional cost. When choosing the software you should look at what is available. Look up forums and see what they are saying about certain satellite TV for PC programs because not all programs are what they promise. Do your research and enjoy the great value entertainment.

Satellite TV For Your Computer

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Tony Pescatore finds and writes helpful information on topics he believes in. After doing satellite TV for PC review I found the best available satellite TV for PC deal. Go here now for all details: Satellite TV For PC Review

5 Reasons For Owning A USB Flash Drive

2007-04-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

Author: Niall Roche

There have been a number of wonderful inventions during the 20th and 21st century. Some of these creations have been both massive and minute. Very few of mankind's modern creations have revolutionized working life so much as the USB flash drive though. Ok now that might seem a bit much for some people but the reality remains the same - USB flash drives have made the working lives of millions of office workers, teachers, students, IT and other professionals massively more simple. If you already one (or a few) USB flash drives then you'll know just how incredibly useful they are. If you don't already own at least one USB memory stick then hopefully this article will help convince you of their absolute usefulness in both your working and personal life.

So what's so great about USB flash drives?

Small

Prior to the creation of USB flash drives all external storage devices for computers were either bulky or awkward (dozens of blank discs for example) or sometimes an annoying combination of being both bulky and awkward. USB flash drives are also called Thumb Drives because they're about the size of your thumb (although some are much smaller now) and you can easily fit several gigabytes of data in your jeans or shirt pocket thus eliminating the bulky and awkward factor straight away.

Portable

USB flash drives are about the single most portable data backup device possible. They don't require an external power source of any kind, nor do you need any cables or tools to set them up and last but not least they don't require any additional software to be installed for them to work on any modern computer (Windows XP, 2000 and Vista and most Macs) so you can quite literally pick them up and use them anywhere you want.

Reliable

Once the data is stored on a USB flash drive you can rest assured that it's going to stay there and be there when you next need it. This is totally unlike the world of floppy disks or rewriteable CD/DVD discs where they can just stop working for no apparent reason. Flash drives were built to provide consistent and reliable performance. Most of these drives come with built-in write protection to prevent you from overwriting your own important data - if you were silly enough to do so.

Tough

For years people fiddled with boxes of floppy disks and CDs/DVDs. These were bulky, easily lost and easily damaged. External hard drives also provided another method of transporting data between systems but the smallest jolt was and is enough to kill an external hard disk stone dead. USB flash drives are based on what's called Solid State Memory - this simply means that it's the same as standard computer memory in that it has no moving parts and is therefore almost impossible to damage (except for jumping up and down on it or maybe hitting it with a hammer for example. Please don't test either of these theories at home!)

Mass Storage

The first USB thumb drives only offered between 16MB and 64MB of storage space. The incredible popularity of these drives has driven the desire for more and more storage space to new heights every few months. Currently 8GB USB drives are becoming pretty common and it won't be long before the 12GB and 24GB models hit the market. To put this in perspective 8GB is enough to hold 2 full DVD quality movies or about 2,700 high quality MP3 files - surely this is enough for you? No?

The portability of the USB flash drive combined with reliability and the more than generous storage provided by such a tiny device make them the smart choice for anyone who needs to move files between PCs or simply just keep a second copy of their most precious data on a secure and reliable storage device.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Are you sick and tired of fiddling with bundles of floppy discs and CDs when backing up your computer data? USB flash memory sticks offer a convenient and portable way of backing up your computer data. Source: BackupAdvice dot com.

PC News Now

2007-04-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Want to receive the latest Computer News? All you have to do is click the "Syndicate Feed" link, over on the right-hand side of the page to automatically receive updates from our site!

Computer Repair Videos

2007-04-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

Step-by-step tutorials on how to fix various elements of your PC.

See even more videos here!

Online Backup - a Solution for Small Businesses?

2007-04-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Data is critical to a business, yet many people take it for granted. This article outlines why online backup is a solution to preventing data loss.

Back up is a bread and butter question, put simply if you don’t back up you could end up out of business. Yet many people choose to ignore it, despite understanding the risk of losing everything, because it’s easy to do so.

Even a good backup policy is no good if it is forgotten or not properly carried out.

Yet no-one forgets to lock the office door or close the windows. When you’re working with any kind of technology things do go wrong, break down and important data can get lost, which is why online backup offers a realistic alternative.

When looking at online backup most businesses would see extra costs. That’s undeniable but there is a much higher cost to data loss. What’s more, they argue, traditional backup options are just as good and at a more manageable cost. Agreed but there are associated risks; tapes can wear out, CDs/DVDs may not store the data properly or get corrupted. Most importantly someone has to remember to do them and verify that they have worked.

This is the attraction of online backup; things don’t get lost or forgotten.

What is it?

Online backup is a facility where you can store your most important data files on a secure server, offsite. Many vendors will also provide mirror copies so that there is always a backup to the backup.

The main idea of online backup is that is used it to store important data so that if there is a disaster that data can be easily recovered.

Online backup is charged at a monthly rate – based on how much you store. Data storage space, depending on the vendor, is either compressed or uncompressed. Because spreadsheets and other documents can compress substantially this allows you to store more data online for the cost of that space.

How does it work?

With online backup it’s usually done with the use of vendor-supplied software. Online backup software and providers build extra safeguards into their systems. Once an online backup account is set up the account is encrypted using a key created by the user. This is fundamental to the system. Lose or forget this key and no-one can recover the files. After that it’s just a matter of choosing what files to store and determining a schedule that suits you best.

Why use it?

Online backup does not fail and is not subject to human frailties. Every piece of data sent for storage is verified before it is stored. This means comparing what has been received with what has been sent. It also means that there is no corrupt data in the backup. Backup vendors typically make two copies of the data as it is being backed up, with the same checks, so that there is a backup of the backup.

What about security?

Data storage centres have a lot of anonymous data. That anonymous data is encrypted. They have no idea who you are personally. They can identify that a particular account exists on a particular server but apart from that no-one can access the data except the user. This is why the key is so important. The key that only you know allows you to backup and recover the data. All vendors are also subject to Data Protection laws. Data that is not backed up on your server is more at risk.

Online backup works well and is used by many businesses. It can provide a cost-effective secure backup solution.

Be safe, back up!

About the Author
Ken O’Brien is the owner of Spear IT(www.spearitlouth.ie ), a computer services company based in Drogheda, Ireland, which offers a range of managed services including online backup, with compressed data storage. He also writes a blog on the Spear IT website

When to Buy a Color Laser Printer Instead of an Ink-Jet Printer

2007-04-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of going broke buying ink cartridges for your printer? Maybe it’s time to look at reasons for buying a color laser printer. They’re not as expensive as you might think.

Computer and technology products continue to improve, and color printers are no different. If you liked the printer your friend bought last week, just wait. You’ll be able to get one better and cheaper next week.

So, if you’re in the market for a new home or small office printer what should you get, ink-jet or laser? My short answer - laser. Let me explain.

When black ink-jet printers first came out you had to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $500. You could get a replacement ink cartridge for 20 bucks and you’re good to go. Or, you could buy an ink refill kit and refill your cartridge for a fraction of the cost of a new cartridge. Well, those days are long gone. Now you pay twenty bucks for the printer and $500 for the ink! Well, not quite, but it seems that way.

I’ve worked on printers with a single color cartridge and with one cartridge for each of the three standard colors and either way, you end up paying a lot for ink. So what do a lot of people do to save money on ink? They use their printer as little as possible. While this may seem like a reasonable solution it creates another problem; the ink dries up. Then when you go to print it’s all streaky because the ink has dried up and clogged the microscopic jets. So what to do now? You run your printer through the cleaning process, which, unfortunately, USES A TON OF INK!

Here’s the answer, buy ink cartridges on sale and stock up. Oops, wrong answer. Ink cartridges have an expiration date and usually don’t work after that date.

How about refilling? Most cartridges today use some kind of “smart” technology that knows when it’s empty and won’t work when refilled - plus it can be a real mess.

The reason most ink-jet printers are so inexpensive today is that printer manufactures use the same business model as cell phone companies, that is, give away the phone (printer) and make the profit by regularly selling minutes (cartridges). Add to that the natural trend of computer products getting cheaper and the fact that today’s printers are really cheaply made (notice I didn’t say “inexpensive,” I said “cheap”) and you’ll see $29 ink-jet printers all the time.

But don’t think you can just buy a new printer whenever your ink runs out, because most printers are sold with “starter” cartridges which are less than 50% full.

So, what about color laser printers? Color laser printers have been around for quite a few years now, costing about ten grand and weighing 100 pounds when the first came out. Now you can get one for under $300 that weighs less than 40 pounds. So obviously it costs more to purchase a laser printer than an ink-jet printer, BUT, the cost per page is much less with laser and the hassle is greatly reduced as well.

So, for routine small office and home use these days, I recommend color laser printers.

About the Author
Saving money when buying quality computer equipment requires research. Mark has more articles about computer problems and solutions on his website, That Tech Blog.com.

Low Cost Laptops - Now a Reality

2007-04-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Author: Adam Jaylin

The invention of laptops has given a different connotation to the term ‘notebooks’. Perhaps one of the most useful devices in the world, the status of laptop has changed from a luxury to that of a necessity. Laptops have become part of our daily requirements like mobile phones for the simple reason that they can be carried around without any obvious hassle.

The only advantage that the laptop has over a desktop personal computer (certainly a more powerful and reliable machine) is the laptop computer’s mobility. Business travellers and executives can move around with their laptops that contains precious data and information. A student can work on assignments or study notes even while relaxing in a park! But earlier the price of these sleek and high-tech machines was a big obstacle in actually laying hands on them. Today this equation has changed.

There are various options and outlets to buy cheap laptops, which are very much usable and affordable. Various online laptop and computer retailers have made buying a laptop for incredibly cheap price easier than commenting on England’s performance in Euro 2008 qualifiers! One can either buy decent low cost new laptop computers or if one wants it really cheap then second hand cheap laptops are also available in the outlets online and in the actual brick and mortar stores in the high street.

The internet buyer is getting more and more aware and knows how to find the best deal in the vast world of web. With special deals that offer students lucrative cashback if they purchase a laptops are allowing students to buy laptops with relative ease. Even in case of school, quite a few institutions are giving students laptops to help them do their work. This is good for the future as the younger generation will shape the world of tomorrow and the sooner the get familiar with technology, better is it for the world of tomorrow.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Know more about Cheap Laptops and Computer Peripherals here.

How Do Inkjet Printers Work?

2007-04-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Author: Simon R.

The printers utilizing inkjet technology were first introduced in the late 1980s and since then have gained much popularity while growing in performance and dropping in price. They are the most common type of computer printers for the general consumer due to their low cost, high quality of output, capability of printing in vivid color, and ease of use. Each printer which works on inkjet technology places extremely small droplets of ink onto paper to create a text or an image.

In the personal and small business computer market, inkjet printers currently predominate. Inkjets are usually inexpensive, quiet, reasonably fast, and many models can produce high quality output. Like most modern technologies, the present-day inkjet is built on the progress made by many earlier versions. Among many contributors, Epson, Hewlett-Packard and Canon can claim a substantial share of credit for the development of the modern inkjet technology. In the worldwide consumer market, four manufacturers account for the majority of inkjet printer sales: Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Epson, and Lexmark.

The typical inkjet printer usually includes inkjet printhead assembly, paper feed assembly, power supply, control circuitry and interface ports.

The inkjet printhead assembly contains several components. One of them is the printhead which is the core of the inkjet printer and contains a series of nozzles that are used to spray drops of ink. Another printhead component is the inkjet cartridge or inkjet tank. Depending on the manufacturer and model of the printer, ink cartridges come in various combinations, such as separate black and color cartridges, color and black in a single cartridge or even a cartridge for each ink color. The cartridges of some inkjet printers include the print head itself. The printhead along with the inkjet cartridge/s are moved back and forth across the paper by device called a stepper motor using a special belt. Some printers have an additional stepper motor to park the print head assembly when the printer is not in use which means that the print head assembly is restricted from accidentally moving. The print head assembly uses a stabilizer bar to ensure that movement is precise and controlled.

One of the paper feed assembly components is the paper tray or/and paper feeder. Most inkjet printers have a tray that the paper is loaded into. The feeder typically snaps open at an angle on the back of the printer, allowing the paper to be placed in it. Feeders generally do not hold as much paper as a traditional paper tray. A set of rollers pull the paper in from the tray or feeder and advance the paper when the print head assembly is ready for another pass after which another step motor powers the rollers to move the paper in the exact increment needed to ensure a continuous image is printed.

While earlier printers often had an external transformer, most printers sold today use a standard power supply that is incorporated into the printer itself.

A small but sophisticated amount of circuitry is built into the printer to control all the mechanical aspects of operation, as well as decode the information sent to the printer from the computer. It is connected to the computer by a cable through the interface port. The interface port can be either parallel port, USB port or SCSI port. The parallel port is still used by many printers, but most newer printers use the USB port. A few printers connect using a serial port or small computer system interface (SCSI) port.

Different types of inkjet printers exist based on the method they use to deliver the droplets of ink. There are three main inkjet technologies currently used by printer manufacturers. The thermal bubble technology used by manufacturers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard is commonly referred to as bubble jet. In a thermal inkjet printer, tiny resistors create heat, and this heat vaporizes ink to create a bubble. As the bubble expands, some of the ink is pushed out of a nozzle onto the paper. When the bubble collapses, a vacuum is created. This pulls more ink into the print head from the cartridge. A typical bubble jet print head has 300 or 600 tiny nozzles, and all of them can fire a droplet simultaneously. Thermal inkjet technology is used almost exclusively in the consumer inkjet printer market. The ink used is usually water-based, pigment-based or dye-based but the print head is produced usually at less cost than other ink jet technologies.

Contrary to the bubble jet technology, the piezoelectric technology, patented by Epson, uses piezo crystals. A crystal is located at the back of the ink reservoir of each nozzle. The crystal receives a tiny electric charge that causes it to vibrate. When the crystal vibrates inward, it forces a tiny amount of ink out of the nozzle. When it vibrates out, it pulls some more ink into the reservoir to replace the ink sprayed out.

The continuous inkjet method is used commercially for marking and coding of products and packages. The first patent on the idea is from 1867, by William Thomson. The first commercial model was introduced in 1951 by Siemens. In continuous inkjet technology, a high-pressure pump directs liquid ink from a reservoir through a microscopic nozzle, creating a continuous stream of ink droplets. A piezoelectric crystal causes the stream of liquid to break into droplets at regular intervals. The ink droplets are subjected to an electrostatic field created by a charging electrode as they form. The field is varied according to the degree of drop deflection desired. This results in a controlled, variable electrostatic charge on each droplet. Charged droplets are separated by one or more uncharged “guard droplets” to minimize electrostatic repulsion between neighboring droplets. The charged droplets are then directed (deflected) to the receptor material to be printed by electrostatic deflection plates, or are allowed to continue on undeflected to a collection gutter for reuse. Continuous inkjet is one of the oldest inkjet technologies in use and is fairly mature. One of its advantages is the very high velocity (~50 m/s) of the ink droplets, which allows the ink drops to be thrown a long distance to the target. Another advantage is freedom from nozzle clogging as the jet is always in use

When printing is started, the software application sends the data to be printed to the printer driver which translates the data into a format that the printer can understand and checks to see that the printer is online and available to print. The data is sent by the driver from the computer to the printer via the connection interface. The printer receives the data from the computer. It stores a certain amount of data in a buffer. The buffer can range from 512 KB random access memory (RAM) to 16 MB RAM, depending on the printer model. Buffers are useful because they allow the computer to finish with the printing process quickly, instead of having to wait for the actual page to print. If the inkjet printer has been idle for a period of time, it will normally go through a short cleaning cycle to make sure that the print heads are clean. Once the cleaning cycle is complete, the inkjet printer is ready to begin printing. The control circuitry activates the paper feed stepper motor. This engages the rollers, which feed a sheet of paper from the paper tray / feeder into the printer. A small trigger mechanism in the tray / feeder is depressed when there is paper in the tray or feeder. If the trigger is not depressed, the inkjet printer lights up the "Out of Paper" LED and sends an alert to the computer. Once the paper is fed into the inkjet printer and positioned at the start of the page, the print head stepper motor uses the belt to move the print head assembly across the page. The motor pauses for the merest fraction of a second each time that the print head sprays dots of ink on the page and then moves a tiny bit before stopping again. This stepping happens so fast that it seems like a continuous motion. Multiple dots are made at each stop. It sprays the CMYK (cyan / magenta / yellow / black) colors in precise amounts to make any other color imaginable. At the end of each complete pass, the paper feed stepper motor advances the paper a fraction of an inch. Depending on the inkjet printer model, the print head is reset to the beginning side of the page, or, in most cases, simply reverses direction and begins to move back across the page as it prints. This process continues until the page is printed. The time it takes to print a page can vary widely from printer to printer. It will also vary based on the complexity of the page and size of any images on the page. Once the printing is complete, the print heads are parked. The paper feed stepper motor spins the rollers to finish pushing the completed page into the output tray. Most inkjet printers today use inkjet inks that are very fast-drying, so that you can immediately pick up the sheet without smudging it.

Compared to earlier consumer-oriented printers, inkjet printers have a number of advantages. They are quieter in operation than impact dot matrix printers or daisywheel printers. They can print finer, smoother details through higher printhead resolution, and many inkjet printers with photorealistic-quality color printing are widely available. In comparison to more expensive technologies like thermal wax, dye sublimations, and laser printers, the inkjet printers have the advantage of practically no warm-up time and lower cost per page (except when compared to laser printers).

The disadvantages of the inkjet printers include flimsy print heads (prone to clogging) and expensive inkjet cartridges. This typically leads value-minded consumers to consider laser printers for medium-to-high volume printer applications. Other disadvantages include ink bleeding, where ink is carried sideways away from the desired location by the capillary effect; the result is a muddy appearance on some types of paper. Most inkjet printer manufacturers also sell special clay-treated paper designed to reduce bleeding. Because the ink used in most inkjet cartridges and ink tanks is water-soluble, care must be taken with inkjet-printed documents to avoid even the smallest drop of water, which can cause severe "blurring" or "running."

Besides the well known small inkjet printers for home and office, there is a market for professional inkjet printers; some being for page-width format printing, and most being for wide format printing. "Page-width format" means that the print width ranges from about 8.5" to 37". "Wide format" means that these are inkjet printers ranging in print width from 24" up to 15'. The application of the page-width inkjet printers is for printing high-volume business communications that have a lesser need for flashy layout and color. Particularly with the addition of variable data technologies, the page-width inkjet printers are important in billing, tagging, and individualized catalogs and newspapers. The application of most of the wide format inkjet printers is for printing advertising graphics; a minor application is printing of designs by architects or engineers.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Simon Rogers is a marketing associate for PriceLess-InkJet Cartridges Co. , a major reseller of inkjet cartridges, laser toner cartridge and other printing supplies. For more information on printer cartridges, printing technologies, alternative printer supplies and other related issues please visit PriceLess-InkJet Cartridges Co. or email us at Mail Room

Notebook or Desktop Computer, What is the Best Buy?

2007-04-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Author: Roberto Sedycias

The idea of purchasing a personal computer may be appealing to a lot of people, however they may feel undecided as weather to go for a traditional desktop computer or for a light weight portable notebook. Several aspects should be taken into consideration as for the purposes of such acquisition. If the main purpose of buying a computer is for occasional use, regardless if it is for work or entertainment activities, one may consider buying a traditional desktop computer taking in consideration that its price is usually lower than the portable version.
The maintenance and eventual upgrade of a desktop computer is also much easier to perform and less costly. If the buyer is looking to spend the least amount of money, definitely the desktop computer models offer more choices of finding better deals weather it is used or new. One may look around the local computer stores for special deals or may consider browsing the many possibilities offered online stores.

Perhaps the greatest feature a desktop computer has is the fact that quite often it can be upgraded and personalized to suit the user needs without having to be sent back to the manufacturer. In most cases a local authorized computer store can perform the technical changes or upgrades to satisfaction. The desktop computers are meant for work and leisure as well and regardless of its configuration or how fast it can perform, it seems that it became an everyday tool of modern times.

On the other hand, if the main reason for the purchasing of a computer is portability, then in this case the notebook will be the right choice. There are several brand names available on the market offering all kinds of configurations, from very basic up to the most sophisticated and powerful late models of notebooks. After a careful research on which model will better suit your needs, then you will still have the option to choose to buy a new, reconditioned or used unit for the sake of saving some money. Keep in mind that a reconditioned laptop purchased from a computer store, usually comes will full warranty, just like as if you had purchased a brand new model but for a much less cost.

Just like any other purchase, it is important to do a careful research to find out what exactly your needs are and what are you going to do with it. The lightweight and portable notebooks are much nicer to carry around even though they are usually more expensive. Also the lightweight models almost always have a smaller screen and a more compact keyboard than traditional models of notebooks. So, in this case if weight is not a critical issue, than you may just consider to purchase a traditional regular-model notebook as long as it meets your requirements. If you choose this later option you will certainly be saving a great amount of money.

If you are the kind of person who feels skeptical about purchasing a reconditioned computer, because it has been previously returned from the manufacturer, relax, some times there is absolutely nothing wrong with the returned unit. It may have just been a matter of model preference or some minor detail that didn`t quite match the previous owner`s preference. Keep in mind that a reconditioned notebook with a full warranty is just as good as a brand new one and maybe even better for the great discount it usually offers.

Also you may find some good deals in refurbished notebooks. Beware that the difference between refurbished and reconditioned notebooks is that the former is usually an older notebook that has been used and then reconditioned, often by a third party, and the later usually means that it had some problem, went back to the manufacturer, got fixed and now it is available at a fair discount price with full manufacturer guarantee.

The right solution for one`s computer related tasks, whether desktop or notebook, will depend mostly on one`s working or leisure needs. Search carefully for the best deals and avoid paying extra for accessories you will hardly use. Also take a look at reconditioned (full warranty) computers. The price will certainly surprise you. And the performance might too!

Roberto Sedycias

IT Consultant

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the News Article section of page PoloMercantil
Roberto Sedycias has a bachelor degree in Business Administration and over 20 years experience in systems analysis and computer programming. Currently working as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br

Hard Drive Backup Solutions

2007-04-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Author: Aaron Walker

Are you wondering if there's an inexpensive way to backup the data on your hard disk? There is! While DVDs cost a bit more than CDs, they have so much more storage capacity that the extra cash is worth it. Many computers that are on the market today have DVD burners integrated into the computer from the start. This allows you to utilize this great backup storage option without having to spend any extra cash later on. DVDs are much better than the older storage options availe on the market before they became standard. The closest type of backup media to the DVDs were CD-Rs, but CD-Rs could only hold 700MB of information, which left them at a huge disadvantage. Besides the that, the biggest benefit of DVD storage is that you can very easily create multiple backups over a period of time without incurring a huge extra cost. If you need a new external hard drive every time you backup your system, you can imagine that the cost will go up fairly rapidly.

You might have to purchase a DVD writer if your computer wasn't fitted with one. If this is the case for you, then you should make sure that you pay attention to the format of the drive before you buy it.

Drive format? Aren't all DVD drives and DVD writers the exact same? Yes, they are all DVD drives. However, there are different formats due to the different ways in which different companies started to make DVD discs. If you are going to buy a DVD drive, you should look for one that says it can do DVD+R, and DVD-R. If you are looking for one that has rewriting capabilities, look for DVD+RW and DVD-RW in the same drive. This will give you the most flexibility when burning discs.

DVD+R and DVD-R are the same type of disc, they just have different formats. You cannot use a DVD+R in a DVD-R and vice versa, but you can use them both in a drive that is marked for both types of disc. Most new drives can read and write to both types of DVD.

DVD+RW compared to DVD+R are DVDs that can be written to more than once. This is similar to the difference between CD-Rs and CD-RWs. A typical DVD can hold about 4.7GB of data which is what makes these ideal for backups.

There is also a DVD-RAM disc which is 9.4GB of data and a dual-layer DVD that has 8.3GB of space. These are great if you need to back up really large files. However, you will have to make sure that you DVD writer is able to write to those formats.

If you want an easy method of backing up your hard drive, you should invest in a DVD burner, a stack of DVDs and a backup software program to make sure that everything important on your hard drive gets backed up without too much fuss or work on your part.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Backing up the data on your hard drive is no longer optional. It's critical! Learn more about how to backup your computer today at BackupAdvice dot com.

Computer Running Slow? Upgrade or Replace.

2007-04-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Author: David C Smith

Have you noticed your computer running a little slow? Have you started to check out the new computer ads in the newspaper? Dont jump to the gun quite yet, it might be possible to upgrade your computer rather than replace it.If youre in the market for a new computer, you can spend anywhere from $7,000 for a hot gaming PC, down to $300 on a stripped down basic computer, the choice is yours. Although the optimal price for a computer usually is around $1,000-$1,500. Thats a good computer, but not so good that youre paying top dollar for cutting edge technology.

But, with a modest budget of around $30-250, you can get the most common computer upgrades, memory, video cards, monitors, or processors.

What you should keep in mind, is that it’s almost always better to try to stick a tad behind the best equipment you can buy. If you’re looking for a new graphics card, the top of the line models usually cost around $500-800, while ones that are just a few months older can be had for $200 or less. You’ll get almost as much power and save a lot by doing your research.

A CPU, or computer processor is another hardware upgrade that can be very expensive when first released, and then drop to a third of the price in less than a year. They can go from $1,000 to under $200 in that time span. Yet, you can still get about 80% of the computing power for 1/3 of the price of the top of the line models.

Memory however is not the best place to skimp. The more memory the better, and its usually the best upgrade your money can buy. Just a few hundred dollars of additional memory can make a huge difference in your computer.

I typically recommend most normal users to upgrade at least once before they consider a new computer system. A little more memory, a second or third generation video card, and you can buy a few more years of usable life, without the upheaval of moving to a brand new computer.

In most cases however, even one good upgrade can keep a computer useful for 2-3 more years, even if you cant upgrade again. And that means the computer you buy today could last you a good 5-10 years with good upgrade choices.

Certain PC Users that play all the new games typically need to have better than average computer systems. These systems become obsolete fairly quickly, and need to be replaced more quickly. Usually a good solid gaming computer can last 2-3 years before it needs to be replaced with a newer system.

Because of the advent of portable hard drives, hard drives that plug into your USB port, its become much easier to move your files from one computer to another. Alternatively you can back up data on CDs or DVDs.

Some of the best deals on computer hardware can be found in your Sunday circulars. Oftentimes with rebates, you can get hardware much cheaper than what it normally costs. Of course you actually have to mail in the rebates, even I dont always remember to do that.

Once you have a feel for how much it would cost to upgrade versus the costs of a brand new computer, that should give you an a good idea of whether to upgrade or replace. If you can put in a $100-300 and use the computer for a few more years then it might be worth it to upgrade. However if the new hardware appeals to you, and its cost effective, replacing your current computer might make sense. Tough decision, but one that can pay off big dividends.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
David Smith provides on site computer repairs throughout the Jacksonville, Florida area. For more information about his services, or other helpful articles on all things computer related, please visit his Jacksonville Computer Repair website.