So you might have already heard about the new Canon Pixma iP4200 that’s doing the rounds in the computer hardware industry nowadays. Everybody is reviewing it, including us.

Canon has been keeping mum over the longest-lasting-photo-prints debate for sometime now. Possible explanations include the newly released Pixma iP4200, with built-in duplex printing; individual cartridges; two paper-input trays; easy operation; inexpensive; great-looking photos; and 100-year print life. Epson, the leading contender for lasting prints, now has competition. The key ingredient to long-lasting prints is Canon’s ChromaLife 100 ink set, included in the Pixma iP4200. The company claims that when used with their branded photo papers, photos printed using ChromaLife 100 inks will last up to 100 years when stored properly.

Compared with the iP4000, the iP4200 is less expensive, faster for business applications, and offers more longevity for photos. However, photos take a little longer to print and earn a lower quality rating than the iP4000, but the overall balance of features makes for an impressive package.

The Pixma iP4200 uses Canon’s Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) print head, which releases droplets as small as 1pl for each of the 1,536-nozzle cyan, magenta, yellow, and black print heads (plus 320 nozzles for pigment-ink black text), providing an effective color resolution of 9,600×2,400dpi. Two separate black ink cartridges for both a pigment-based black and a dye-based black, significantly improve photo output.

Apart from five inks, the photo printer offers the advantage of two paper inputs: a standard paper feed tray in the rear and a second paper tray that slides into the front bottom. You could now easily load standard paper in one tray and photo paper in the other, and switch back and forth between standard printing and photos without having to swap out paper every time. One eco-friendly feature of this printer includes the ability to automatically print on both sides of a sheet of paper. However, it might take you three times as long to print a 10-page Microsoft Word document in this mode compared with printing one-sided sheets.

The iP4200’s driver can automatically adjust colour balance, you can access sliders that modify the intensity of the individual inks; you can also switch from sRGB to Windows Image Color Management (ICM). Grayscale printing simply requires the tick of a check box, and a simplistic Print Advisor wizard can quiz you on the type of document you’re printing and recommend an appropriate paper.

Other than duplexing, the Page Setup options include size and orientation, number of copies, border/borderless printing, and addition of a background image or a watermark. An Effects tab provides settings for optimizing the image; reducing noise; boosting contrast; or adding effects such as sepia, pink, and other colours. You can save your settings as a profile for reuse in another printing session.

The Maintenance tab offers functions such as nozzle checks and cleaning, printhead alignment, and other tasks, including a bottom-plate-cleaning function that uses a folded letter-size sheet to tidy up before duplex printing.

Graphics quality, rated at the high end of good, is suitable for schoolwork or internal business use, and is marginally good enough for an important client or customer you might want to impress. However, some visible problems with photos include a slight pink tint in monochrome photos and a tendency for some colours to be overly punchy. It was also a little troublesome to get a neutral gray out of the printer as prints tended toward either green or blue depending on the driver settings used.

Refilling the Pixma iP4200 Cartridges

The new Canon PGI-5 and CLI-8 cartridges have an onboard chip to measure the ink level of each individual cartridge. The five individual ink cartridges in the Pixma iP4200 feature bright red LEDs that light up when properly installed. The cartridge lights also start blinking when ink is running low, and the blinking gets faster as the tanks get emptier. The numbers of the Pixma iP4200 cartridges are:

PGI-5BK - Black pigment ink
CLI-8BK - Black dye based ink
CLI-8C - Cyan dye based ink
CLI-8M - Magenta dye based ink
CLI-8Y - Yellow dye based ink

These cartridges are also suitable for Pixma iP5200, iP5200r printers, MP500, MP800 and MP950 MFPs.

Needless to say, many people would like to know if these cartridges can be refilled, or if compatible cartridges are available. As of now (February 2006), compatibles are not available for the PGI5 or CLI8 inks, probably for 2 reasons:

The ink formulations are quite complex, and refill ink manufacturers need to ensure their inks will perform equivalent to the original Canon inks. Canon has patented the on-board chip; consequently, compatible manufacturers have to be very careful not to infringe that patent, which could leave them open to litigation. Canon recently won a lawsuit against a company in Japan, which was involved in the business of refilling and resale of Canon cartridges. Naturally, this will set back any plans for compatible cartridges.

However, there are refill inks available on the market and refilling instructions are available from ink vendors. Canon has very cleverly adapted their printers; if you refill the cartridges and re-insert them into the machine, a warning message will appear on your computer along the lines of:

“You are using refill ink in your cartridges. If you continue, your printer warranty will be void.” You are prompted to press OK, and after doing so, the low ink warning facility on the printer no longer works. If this is the case, you must be very careful never to let the inks run dry, as this will burn your print head.

John Sollars is the managing director of Solar Electronics, which are both ink and fax toner suppliers based in Shropshire, UK. To access a comprehensive online shop of original and re-manufactured printer ink cartridges including products by Canon please visit http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/acatalog/Canon_Inkjets.html

Since we’ve dispelled a few myths, let’s discuss how a 2.5" system might benefit you.

2.5" Drives: The Benefits

Small Spaces

I currently have 4-3.5" hard drives in my computer. Hopefully I didn’t make you fall out of your chair. I don’t have a RAID setup (don’t worry about that term if you don’t know what it is). All I have are 4 independently operating drives. The computer case I have is a full tower, 24" (H) x 18" (D) x 8" (W). Even with this size of a case, the insides are not ideal. I have cables going all over the place, nesting not too far from the hard drives. The heat build-up is a problem at times, especially in the summer months. Since I have 4-80mm fans running, in addition to 2 processor fans going, the case stays relatively cool. However, the noise generated is definitely noticeable if I’m away from home for an extended period of time then come back. In fact, many friends who come over to visit mention how loud my computer is. Most of the noise is generated by the fans pulling air into and pushing it out of the computer case.

Due to the size of a 2.5" drive, four 2.5" disks can be stacked in a space that one 3.5" drive occupies. Now, this is something to think about. The reason why computer cases are so large, is partially due to the option of putting several drives in it. Many computer users today have two drives. The number of "Two-Drive" owners is increasing mostly because of the inexpensive prices of the drives themselves. If you do some smart shopping, you’ll end up with a very nice rebate. From time to time I do some searching on the net for some great bargains, and present those deals to DigitalDingus website viewers, so this is another option for you. Just imagine how much space you could save if you only had two 80GB 2.5" hard drives.

2.5" Form Factor Is Pretty Fast

For some people, having the fastest drive is required. PC Gaming enthusiasts are loading their games on 10,000RPM drives along with $500 video cards and so forth without a second thought. There are 2.5" drives reaching the 10,000RPM mark, but they cost around $800USD. So currently, a very fast 2.5" HDD is out of reach for most consumers. For commercial interests, 2.5" form factor drives are becoming more of an option. What you have to ask yourself, is how fast is "fast" to you. I’ve tested 5400RPM drives and I was very impressed with the speed ratings and real-life performance with running appplications. Yes, you can read reviews on how fast a drive performs till you get a headache. However, I’m still a little hesitant to judge a drive based on millisecond differences, especially when so much of a drive’s performance is regulated by the software application, browser, plugins, and so on.

Less Heat

2.5" hard drives do not give off as much heat as a 3.5" drive. They are also much less noisy. I can say this definitively, because I’ve personally reviewed a few 2.5" drives myself. I highly recommend Fujitsu drives because they’ve been in the business of pioneering small form factor storage systems and in my opinion, are paving the way towards smaller computer systems for the common user. Few companies are trying to make 2.5" drives as fast and common as 3.5" like Fujitsu is.

Low Power Requirements

2.5" drives also have much less power consumption, and it’s common for a 2.5" drive to run on only 10% of what a 3.5" drive requires. This is very important, as a higher power consumption, translates into a higher chance of failure. Unfortunately, the more power current you have flowing through a particular device, the more chance for error. And when we’re talking about computer components which are the most sensitive to electrical currents, the importance of low power consumption becomes clear.

2.5" Might Be For You

If you’re not too concerned about having the fastest hard drive on the planet, but are more interested in finding a way to create a low heat, low power, and smaller space requirement computer system, the 2.5" form factor just might be for you.

In the future, more articles which deal specifically with building 2.5" systems will be featured. Be sure to make DigitalDingus articles a part of your normal surfing routine.

©2005 by Jason Busch (DigitalDingus)

Hard Disk Drives: 3.5" or 2.5"? (Part 2)

A part of The DigitalDingus Guide To Computers & Hardware series.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes humans in conversation or writing will simply come up with a new word to describe something? You know like an invent-a-word? Of course we know that when humans do this that they do so from looking for a word to express a thought, yet cannot find the right word handy so they simply invent one, which is a relative approximation. This is something humans do often without giving it a whole lot of thought and generally when people do this, we do not bother to say anything as we understand exactly what they are talking about.

But how can we teach a robot or an artificial intelligent machine to do this? Could we simply teach it to use an alphabet and begin by teaching it the ABC’s? Sounds pretty crazy teaching a machine to think in that way? Well, imagine what the first human thought or you yourself were thinking as you learned to express 4-dimensional thought using symbols to make up words to put onto a 2-dimensional piece of paper? By golly it is a silly method indeed isn’t it? Should we teach robots and artificial intelligent machines to do the same or do we hold shorts as not to clutter them with crap? Interesting isn’t it?

Well there are some artificial intelligent machines which are being taught human languages and symbols, letters to read and spell and even communicate and you might be surprised to find out that they are able to indeed create new words and actually use them semantically correct, well, if they were actually words, they would fit right in, just like humans do? If you like discussing subject like this perhaps you might wish to join an online think tank? Consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

2.5" (9.5mm) hard drives have been slowly increasing in demand over the past few years. Prices usually push the consumer into a buying decision, but there are many other factors which have contributed to the desire for 2.5" computer systems. First, let’s take a look at some of the myths that 2.5" drives have associated with them verus their 3.5" sizes, and include a few not-so-mythic factors.

The Myth Of The 3.5" vs. 2.5" HDD

2.5" drives are smaller, making the data information more susceptible to failure.

Not true. While it is true that initial production of 2.5" drives were problematic, so were 3.5" drives when they were initially released. Remember the IBM RAMAC series? Many of you probably do not. This was the first "hard disk" system. In 1959, we had 50 disks, each 24" in diameter, continuously spinning at a speed of 1200RPM, capable of storing 6MB of data (a staggering 12MB if your company opted for the double-capacity versions). The size of this thing? 400-sq ft space required, and only 6,200lbs. Just imagine those back in the early 60’s, being told by yours truly that someday a 3.5" diameter hard disk, weighing less than a few pounds, would be supporting 300GB, and rotating at speeds of 7200RPM…and being housed in an enclosure no bigger than a cigar box.

Back in the 60’s I would have probably been called a Communitst, a spy, and even a witch, and put on trial. At the least, I’d be in a psychiatric facility in an arm-less jacket, dictating articles to my nurse to be posted on websites.

I’m kidding. Ok, let’s look at some of the myths…

3.5" drives are faster than 2.5" drives.

Depends. As long as the Data Density and the Spindle Speed are the same, then yes, a 3.5" drive will probably out-perform a 2.5" drive. Why? It’s due to the physical size of the drive itself, and well talk more about it in the next few sentences. Even with all things being equal, there is no guarantee a 3.5" drive will perform better. But it is possible–just like it’s possible a 2.5" will perform better.

We have a term called Sustained Data Transfer Rate (aka, STR). This rate is most often used in reviews of hard drives, and while I don’t see a problem with using this figure in reviews as one of the many specs, I frown on people who use this figure as the exclusive overriding factor of a review. It can be very misleading. It’s kind of like using the spec of the tires of a car, to indicate how the car takes a corner. It’s just rather simplistic to say that better tires make for better cornering. The driver of the car (in our case the software of the computer) also needs to factor into the cornering performance. The engine of the car (in our case the processor, motherboard, RAM, etc.) also plays a part.

And now let’s add another fact. Areas on the outer part of the hard disk read faster than the inner areas of the disk. When you factor in all of these variables, STR doesn’t seem too reliable, does it. There are so many variables which dictate and determine a spinning hard drive, moving thousands of revolutions per minute, there’s just not an easy way of guaranteeing to the end user, a particular spec rating is going to be consistent.

3.5" drives are more reliable than 2.5" drives.

Not true. All things being equal (for example assuming both drives have no defects) 2.5" drives generate less heat than a 3.5" drive. It’s simple physics. The drives are smaller, smaller moving parts, which leads to less heat build-up. The less heat a drive experiences, the longer its life will be. Obviously, this is assuming the drive had no defects originally. Worse-case scenario, 2.5" drives will last just as long as a 3.5" drive.

There are more accessories for 3.5" drives than 2.5" drives.

True. Currently, there are not a lot of options to create an actual 2.5" computer per se, but this is slowly changing. 3.5-to-2.5 IDE adapters are available for those who want to go ahead and use their existing case. We are seeing smaller For external applications however, there are several different types of enclosures for 2.5" drives which can be run via a USB2.0 or an IEEE 1394 connection.

3.5" drives are less expensive than 2.5" drives.

True. A Maxtor 120GB 3.5" drive will run you about $70 with rebate, and a Fujitsu 120GB 2.5" drive will cost over $200. These are not cheap. However, you need to ask yourself, do you really need a 120GB hard drive. For some people, they will unequivically say yes, while you may not be so certain. An 80GB or even a 60GB drive, purchased in pairs, might be the better option. In addition, the RPM ratings of the lower capacity drives, will be higher.

In the next section of Hard Disk Drives: 3.5" or 2.5"?, we will discuss advantages of having a 2.5" system.

©2005 by Jason Busch (DigitalDingus)

Hard Disk Drives: 3.5" or 2.5"? (Part 1)

A part of The DigitalDingus Guide To Computers & Hardware series.

Artificial Intelligent systems will need additional storage capabilities besides merely random access memory. These temporary storage systems will not be written to the permanent hard drive but rather saved for a time when the artificially intelligent robotic android is not in use and does not need its full computing speed or capabilities. Let’s call this a time of defragging or “sleeping” time for the system.

During this sleeping time the artificial intelligent system will work thru its decision matrix choices of the previous period of use and then pick and chose the best decisions made and the data sets from all the sensors used to make that decision and commit that to main memory and dump the rest of the data to trash.

Why is this necessary? Well, easy you see all those sensors will collect an awful lot of data perhaps up to 100 Gigabytes or more per day. All that data is not need only the best of all that data would be desired and only the paths which brought the artificially intelligent robotic android to the best choices should be kept, the rest must be discarded, while the good data would be stored into a system such as an XML spreadsheet which would be updated to assist in the decision matrix for those particular activities or tasks.

It is important to keep the decision matrix data clean and crisp and simple. This will help in speed of processing and less potential problems with data corruption and fewer mishaps in the future or “PRIDE” Poor Robotic Intelligent Decision Errors. Please consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Long gone are the days of dull beige rectangles. Nowadays, computer cases come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and designs and with much better features than ever before. Computer gaming can create a tremendous amount of heat as rendering graphics works that processor harder, over clocking creates even more so keeping that processor cool is extremely important if you don’t want to turn it into a paper weight. Many case manufacturers now integrate system or CPU cooling features right into the case. Most come with at least one system fan of 80mm and as big as 120mm for cooling with options to add as much as 5 fans. Problem with fans is the noise.

Water cooled systems, like the radiator on your car, are gaining popularity as a computer geeks alternative to cooling with noisy fans. Water cooling computer cases is a noiseless way of keeping that CPU and GPU cool and tells everyone you’re on the leading edge of case modding. As more exciting products like cooling fans with LED, artistic case wraps, bright neon lights and cathode tubes get introduced into the market, modifying and upgrading computer cases will continue to gain popularity. What these breakthrough innovations mean to you is simple—better choices and better technology. Even still there are some things to keep in mind when selecting a case. There’s nothing worse than cutting yourself on a sharp case edge or not being able to put a fan in the front bezel because no mounting holes exist.

Cases have 3 basic categories of sizes with minor subcategories of each. Servers are usually housed in the largest of cases, the tower. These cases normally come with their own rolling cart and have upwards of 10 drive bays or more. Unless you really plan on running a web or network server there is no need for a home user or gamer to own that type of case. But, that’s your own choice, after all the more case to mod the better, right?

Mid-tower cases are the size most home users have and are the most popular size of cases. About the size of a large brief case, a case this size is perfectly adequate for the majority of gamers and home users. A step down from the tower size case, this case usually has 3 – 5 drive bays plenty of cooling options and most custom computer cases now come with an acrylic side window to see the “guts” of your madness. As monitors have become sleeker and less of a space hog, so to have computer cases.

Micro or mini ATX cases have the smallest footprint of all the cases, about the size of a large shoe box. These are great space savers and compliment the décor of a living room much better than a large custom tower. However, you have to then consider the downsizing of all the components including the motherboard. A “mini” requires a micro ATX motherboard which won’t fit in a regular mid-ATX case. Cooling is limited to usually only one large 120mm fan and you will only have room for 1 hard drive, 1 CD or DVD drive and if lucky a floppy drive. You’ll be pretty hard pressed customizing these cases due to the size. One consideration would be using these in a home network and server configuration. Have your server tucked away in a closet with a Zalman water cooler and use these minis in your kitchen or office as workstations.

Aluminum or Steel Most cases are made of stamped steel painted beige or black and have a simple plastic bezel slapped on the front. If you consider yourself a real “modder” you better step up to an aluminum case. Aluminum is much lighter than steel, has a nicer finish, dissipates heat much better and won’t corrode. Lian Li has made a name for itself making all aluminum cases as well as Antec.

Want to see all those cool aluminum RAM heat spreaders on that 1GB of Corsair memory you just installed? Get an all acrylic case then. Made entirely of clear acrylic sheets these cases are gaining popularity and really provide a unique look — literally —into the world of case modding. These cases come in clear acrylic or UV reactive acrylic. When selecting this type of case not all are created equal. You can’t weld acrylic so most are either glued or bolted together. Stay away from glued cases if the epoxy is not mixed just right the seam can break in only a few weeks of use. Look for acrylic cases that have reinforced corners with some type of metal bracket or brace, not just butted together with screws. Look for acrylic cases that are pre-assembled, after all you’ve got cool components to install that are frustrating enough you don’t need the headaches of case assembly 101.

Room for Upgrades Will this new case give you enough space options for the continual advancement of your computing addiction? Micro ATX cases are cute, don’t take up a lot of space and stylish but not the choice of a hardcore gamer. A full tower you can just about hide a small child inside but unless you run your own network, is the largess really worth it? Most mid-tower ATX cases provide ample room for upgrades as well as full customization for water cooling or other system cooling.

Pull Out Motherboard Tray Theres nothing worse than trying to fit a tiny screw in between two capacitors with big fingers inside a 6” or 8” deep case. …it’s a pain. A removable mother board tray is like Tylenol to a headache. There is some space consideration with a pull out tray but is well worth it if you’re the type that plays around with a new motherboard every few months.

Slide Out Components Tray Being able to easily access your hard drives, CD and DVD drives makes modding all that more fun and headache free. With slide out component housing you can add your component to the housing first before popping it into the rail housing. This saves your fingers from trying to manipulate that DVD burner into the top rail when you already installed the PSU, not to mention get those tiny case screws inserted into the rail to fasten the drive to it! Not all cases offer this feature but if you’re in the market for a new case try to find one that does. Your fingers will love you for it!

Power Supply Computers suck some pretty good juice. Then you wan’a run those 8 UV reactive fans, 4 cathode tubes and a 2 million candle power search lamp just to tick off your neighbors! You can’t use that little electric shaver power supply for that kind of rig. Serious modders know that your PC components are only as cool as the quality and quantity of power supplied to them. You can pick up a no-name psu with clear acrylic and pretty LEDs from Xoxide or Newegg for maybe less than $10 but is it worth it in the end? It’s not if frys your $3000 rig. Power supplies are one thing you better put your money into and not go white box or generic brand. Stick to names like Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake and Raidmax have quality products at fair prices. Another item to consider is Intel P4 and AMD k7/k8 compatibility as well as the ability to supply power to the new serial ATA drives. Power supplies can last a long time, maybe you change over to an AMD 64 rig from a P4 at some time in your next half-life. Have power supply, will carry, no need to buy a new one.

Cooling Rendering graphics found in all computer games can work a pc hard increasing the heat created by the video GPU, the CPU, memory and chipset as well as the power supply. Even more so if you over clock. If you demand performance you better keep that stuff cool. Fans are the most common source of cooling in fact most cases include a fan or two as part of the package. Fans come a three standard sizes from 80mm, 90mm and 120mm. There are all kinds of different variations of these like a basic ball-bearing fan and things like brush-less fans. Fans also come in different colors utilizing small LEDs installed in the acrylic to give a very cool lighted effect. UV reactive fans glow a certain color when exposed to UV light which is common in many case mods today. ATX 2.01 specifications require the PSU to exhaust hot are out the back of the PSU thus drawing the hot system air up and out via the supplied PSU fan. Keep that in mind when adding fans to your system. You can get pretty decent cooling by adding just 1 more 80mm intake fan to the front of the case. As this fan sucks air into the bottom third of the case but not up, the PSU sucks that cooler air up and over the motherboard and CPU and then out the back of the PSU, provided you have a two-fan PSU.

With all the amazing features that are available today and those that are on the way, everyone will now be able to make their computer fantasies come true by making the most incredible computer cases the world has ever seen- or at least your friends have ever seen. As a result, computer cases will no longer be mundane rectangles. Instead they will be transformed into works of art based on the extraordinary imagination of their creators. As long as people embrace casemodding, rules will be broken, boundaries will be crossed, and the unimaginable will become possible.

© Copyright 2005 Greg S. Wirth, All Rights Reserved.

Greg S. Wirth writes articles on computer cases, case design, power supplies and case modding. A certified IT specialist he builds & mods his own PCs as well as others and is webmaster of http://www.cool-computer-case.com

Before, owning a copy of your favorite artist would only mean buying either from a local music store or online music sites. And a copy with an average of 16-18 cuts would cost you at least $10. If you think this is reasonable, then consider yourself lucky. However, if you are one of those who cannot afford buying copies of their favorite artists and still would want to listen to them, all you can do is to wait until your local radio stations play their songs. If you have the computer and the Internet connection, you can go to online music sites with free radio like the Launchcast, Shoutcast, Live365, and MSN radio and hope that the song will be played.

Today, with several music download shareware programs it is possible to get your favorite song directly from other users without actually buying from them. These programs let you store the songs you have downloaded to your hard drive or transfer it to your portable MP3 player.

But for you who would like to keep a complete collection of the song by actually storing it to a disc for archiving or play it to your vehicle of home entertainment system, there is one piece of computer peripheral you need: CD burner.

If you know how CD player looks like (and I’m sure you do), you would recognize the CD burner.

CD burner comes into two forms: the “independent” and the “attached”. The independent CD burners or writable CD drives do not necessarily have to be permanently attached on the CPU. It could be connected through a USB port with its own power source. The other type of CD burner is the one that is attached to the CPU just like the CD ROM we know for quite some time.

Remember the times cassette players were only meant to play cassette tapes? Then came the cassette recorders that enabled users to copy the content of cassette tapes to a black one.

The same concept applies with the CD burner. It could copy from one CD to another or from a hard drive to a black CD and vice versa.

But to actually use your CD burner, you have to have software. Some of these softwares are available and downloadable for free online. Examples are ISO Recorder, DeepBurner, Burrrn, Windows Media Player, Xduplicator, Cheetah CD Burner, and more. Other CD burner softwares could be purchased. While those for free have the same burning capability, those that are sold give more features and flexibility.

CD burners are not limited to audio copying. It also can copy document files, programs, games, videos, MP3, WMA, and WAV files. Not only that, CD burner with DVD burning capability enables you to copy you favorite DVD collection to another CD if in case you would want to share it to a friend or keep it in case your original DVD is lost. You can also burn a DVD movie after you downloaded it through the Internet so that you could watch it on you television or your home theater.

Although many would argue that the release of the CD burner provides venue to produce uncopywrited CD’s whether audio or video, there is no question that CD burner brings the production technology within the reach of the consumers. And soon, as technology still progresses, there would be technology more advanced to cater the needs of music and video collectors and enthusiasts.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides CD burner resources on http://www.your-cd-burner.info

ATXPowerSupplies.Com writes this article on "choosing the right computer case for your computer" to help you in your decision making process. There are literally thousands of computer cases on the market which sometimes makes choosing the right computer case quite a task.

First and foremost select a computer case that appeals to your personal tastes. Once you have found one that looks good to you then there are a few other attributes about computer cases that you should be aware of.

Does it have front USB? It almost doesn’t make sense to have a computer case without front usb. Front USB ports come in handy for hooking up digital cameras and downloading images. This enables you to avoid pulling the computer out to search for the usb ports in the back. Almost all motherboards have ports for front usb as well as rear usb. Other uses of front usb ports are: memory stick insertion, mp3 player docking, portable printer docking, and temporary networking between computers.

How does the motherboard install into the case? If possible try to find a case that has a removable backplane for mounting the motherboard. The backplane is able to be removed from the case to mount the motherboard. Using this method it is possible to install the motherboard out in the open where there is plenty of room to work. Installing a motherboard in a computer case without a removable backplane can be cramped. You also run the risk of cutting your hands on the surrounding case chassis. Of course, if the computer case is large then it may not be necessary for it to have a removable backplane. The removable backplane feature becomes more important if the computer case is small sized.

What form factor is your motherboard? There are several form factors that motherboards are usually manufactured. The major form factors are: Micro ATX, Full ATX (commonly referred to as ATX), and Extended ATX. Every computer case should denote which motherboard form factors it accepts. If the case doesn’t describe which motherboard form factors it accepts then it’s best to move on; you run the risk of buying a computer case that doesn’t fit your motherboard. Physical measurements of a motherboard are mostly unimportant. As long as the form factors of the case and motherboard match then you should have no problem with installation.

What size power supply does the computer case have? Ask yourself this important question because most companies that sell computer cases will include a small power supply that is, most of the time, too small for your application. Having an undersized power supply can lead to erratic computer operation, most often denoted by frequent rebooting. Most computer cases at ATXPowerSupplies come standard without a power supply. People have different needs so we provide the opportunity for the customer to add whichever size power supply they need in their case. Be sure to check out our article on choosing the right power supply for your computer.

How many device bays will your computer need? It is necessary to know how many 5.25" and 3.5" bays you’ll need in your computer case. If you’re installing four cdroms in your computer then it will be necessary to have a case with at least four 5.25" bays. You’ll also need a certain number of 3.5" bays. Floppy drives and hard drives fit into 3.5" bays. For floppy drives the bays should be external, meaning that they are accessible from the outside of the computer case. Hard drives are mounted in the internal 3.5" bays. The bottom line is to be sure you have enough bays for all of your devices.

Will the physical dimensions of the computer case fit into your location? Be sure to pick a computer case that fits inside whatever space you have designated for your computer. Pay close attention to the overall height, width, and depth.

Does your space provide for ample cooling of your computer? In most applications where the computer is set in open space the fans in the power supply and on the cpu are enough to cool the computer. In places such as cabinets you might want to add one or two fans to aid in the cooling process. Another application that might call for additional cooling fans is when overclocking of the processor is performed.

Check out our other article on how to install a front usb adapter.

Copyright 2005 Two Point Enterprise Matthew Thompson, webmaster http://www.ATXPowerSupplies.com

The sales of OEM cartridges have been major revenue for printer manufacturers for many years. This pattern is changing recently. Despite the steep drop of printer price, the price of OEM cartridges remains remarkably high. Many consumers are fed up with expensive OEM cartridges and look for cheap alternatives. As a result, compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges are becoming more popular than ever before.

Compatible cartridges are also known as generic cartridges. They are like the generic drugs in pharmaceutical industry. Compatible cartridges are made by third-party manufacturers. They follow the same specification of OEM cartridges but are offered at one-half to one-third of the price of OEM cartridges. This gives them a distinctive advantage for bargain-hunting consumers.

Remanufactured cartridges are OEM cartridges which have been through one cycle of service. They are disassembled, cleaned, repaired and refilled before they are released to the market again. Remanufactured cartridges save landfill space and extra resources to produce new cartridges. These replacement cartridges are very popular among environmentally concerned consumers.

With compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges taking up market share, printer manufacturers are working hard to protect their profits. Some manufacturers have incorporated smart chips into their cartridges, making it difficult or impossible to refill the printer cartridges or to use compatible and remanufactured cartridges from third-party manufacturers.

On the other hand, third-party manufacturers are capable of overcoming this by providing 100% compatible printer cartridges with new replacement chips. Some companies also offer smart chip resetter or refilling services to their customers.

In conclusion, compatible and remanufactured cartridges are viable choice to cut printing cost. However, consumers should be careful when shopping for cheap printer cartridges. In addition to low price, they should compare the quality and compatibility of the printer cartridges. It is also prudent to shop with merchants who offer good customer support and extended warranty.

Kwan Lo is the owner of http://inkjets.4reviews.net, an online review site promoting high quality discount ink and toner cartridge, including hard to find Samsung toner cartridge.

One point of confusion for some CCNA and CCNP candidates is the difference between configuring a static default route and using the Cisco routing command ip default-network.

At first glance, they appear to do the same thing. Both configure a destination to which packets should be routed if there is no more specific route in the routing table.

The major difference between these two options is that configuring a static default route only defines a default route for the router you’re configuring it on, while ip default-network will propagate the route via its routing protocol.

Let’s examine the routing tables of a hub-and-spoke network using the ip default-network command. R1 is the hub and R2 and R3 are the spokes. They are directly connected via the network 172.12.123.0 /24, and each has a loopback with a 32-bit mask that are numbered according to the router number (1.1.1.1, etc.) RIP is running on all three routers and the loopbacks are advertised.

R1 has another serial interface with the IP address 10.1.1.1 /24, and this network has been flagged as a default network with the command ip default-network 10.0.0.0 . It is not being advertised by RIP.

The routing protocol will then advertise this route. With RIP, the default network is advertised as 0.0.0.0 . (With IGRP, it appears as the network number, but is marked as an IGRP External route. ) This route has been designated a candidate default route on R1, as we see with the asterisk next to the 10.0.0.0 /24 network (code table removed for brevity):

R1#show ip route

Gateway of last resort is not set

1.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C 1.1.1.1 is directly connected, Loopback0
R 2.0.0.0/8 [120/1] via 172.12.123.2, 00:00:11, Serial0
R 3.0.0.0/8 [120/1] via 172.12.123.3, 00:00:11, Serial0
172.12.0.0/16 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 172.12.21.0/30 is directly connected, BRI0
C 172.12.123.0/24 is directly connected, Serial0
* 10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C 10.1.1.0 is directly connected, Serial1

On R2 and R3, a default RIP route is now seen (code tables again deleted):

R2#show ip route
Gateway of last resort is 172.12.123.1 to network 0.0.0.0

R 1.0.0.0/8 [120/1] via 172.12.123.1, 00:00:00, Serial0.213
2.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C 2.2.2.2 is directly connected, Loopback0
R 3.0.0.0/8 [120/2] via 172.12.123.1, 00:00:00, Serial0.213
172.12.0.0/16 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 172.12.21.0/30 is directly connected, BRI0
C 172.12.123.0/24 is directly connected, Serial0.213
R* 0.0.0.0/0 [120/1] via 172.12.123.1, 00:00:00, Serial0.213

R3#show ip route
Gateway of last resort is 172.12.123.1 to network 0.0.0.0

R 1.0.0.0/8 [120/1] via 172.12.123.1, 00:00:27, Serial0.31
R 2.0.0.0/8 [120/2] via 172.12.123.1, 00:00:28, Serial0.31
3.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C 3.3.3.3 is directly connected, Loopback0
172.12.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C 172.12.123.0 is directly connected, Serial0.31
R* 0.0.0.0/0 [120/1] via 172.12.123.1, 00:00:28, Serial0.31

And the default route works, since we can ping 10.1.1.1 from both R2 and R3. Since they have no other match in their routing tables, they use the default route.

R2#ping 10.1.1.1

Type escape sequence to abort. Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 10.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds: !!!!! Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 68/68/68 ms

R3#ping 10.1.1.1

Type escape sequence to abort. Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 10.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds: !!!!! Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 68/68/68 ms

When deciding whether to use a default static route or a default network, keep in mind that if you want the routing protocol to propagate the default route, the ip default-network command will do that for you. But if you want only the local router to have the default route, a static IP route is the way to go.

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