1. Donate It
One of the best things to do with an old PC? Donate it to your local charity. There are many, many families out there who do not have the luxury of owning even a basic computer system. Do your part to help them get into the world of computers.

Two sites that I like to visit for this purpose are National Cristina Foundation and Earth 911. Both sites are non-profit organizations and have compiled a comprehensive body of information to promote computer recycling and reuse.

One important note about donating computers - make sure you clear out and delete any personal information on the drive. Simple deletion is not sufficient - you will need a powerful data erasing tool like Active@ KillDisk - Hard Drive Eraser.

2. Trade It In
There are many computer dealers (e.g. HP) which offer trade-in promotions on computers and peripherals. Before you buy a new PC, see if the retailer can offer you any trade-in discounts. As long as your old computer is in decent condition, it can fetch some money. ‘Decent condition’ usually refers to any Pentium-class notebook or desktop with a hard drive, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

3. Auction It
Another option is to sell the computer on eBay or an equivalent auction site. eBay is one huge clearing house where people sell all sorts of old stuff - computers is but one such category of goods. You can also organize a quick garage sale and see if any of your friends or neighbors want the computer.

4. Set Up A Server
If you’ve been meaning to learn about computers and servers, you can use the old PC as a test system. At home, I use an old PC as a file server for storing and sharing data sometimes. Alternatively, you also tear apart the computer and see what its innards are like (which is what I used to do).

5. Salvage Some Parts
Not the whole of your old PC needs to be thrown away. You can usually salvage parts to be used in a new PC, especially if you intend to build one yourself. Things like the monitor, sound card, hard drive, LAN cards, CD and DVD drives and sometimes even computer memory can be re-used.

Conclusion
Well, I do hope this article has given you some insight into how you can create more value of of an old computer. So the next time you’re thinking of junking an old PC, think again - there may be hidden potential in it yet.

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on building computers. Visit his website at Build-Your-Own-Computers.com for tips and tricks on assembling a PC, as well as buying good computer components.

Bluetooth Basics

Bluetooth technology is nothing new, but in many respects it still seems to be more of a buzz word rather than a well understood, commonly accepted technology. You see advertisements for Bluetooth enabled cell phones, PDAs, and laptops, and a search of the Geeks.com website shows all sorts of different devices taking advantage of this wireless standard. But, what is it?

History

Before getting into the technology, the word Bluetooth is intriguing all on its own, and deserves a look. The term is far less high tech than you might imagine, and finds its roots in European history. The King of Denmark from 940 to 981 was renowned for his ability to help people communicate, his name (in English)… Harald Bluetooth. Perhaps a bit obscure, but the reference is appropriate for a wireless communications standard.

Another item worth investigating is the Bluetooth logo. Based on characters from the runic alphabet (used in ancient Denmark), it was chosen as it appears to be the combination of the English letter B and an asterisk.

Capabilities

The FAQ on the Bluetooth.org (https://www.bluetooth.org/) website offers a basic definition: "Bluetooth wireless technology is a worldwide specification for a small-form factor, low-cost radio solution that provides links between mobile computers, mobile phones, other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet."

Just like 802.11 b/g wireless networking systems and many cordless telephones, Bluetooth devices operate on 2.4 GHz radio signals. That band seems to be getting a bit crowded, and interference between devices may be difficult to avoid. Telephones are now being offered on the 5.8 GHz band to help remedy this, and Bluetooth has taken its own steps to reduce interference and improve transmission quality. Version 1.1 of the Bluetooth standard greatly reduces interference issues, but requires completely different hardware from the original 1.0C standard, thus eliminating any chance of backwards compatibility.

The typical specifications of Bluetooth indicate a maximum transfer rate of 723 kbps and a range of 20-100 meters (65 to 328 feet - depending on the class of the device). This speed is a fraction of that offered by 802.11 b or g wireless standards, so it is obvious that Bluetooth doesn’t pose a threat to replace your wireless network. Although it is very similar to 802.11 in many ways, Bluetooth was never intended to be a networking standard, but does have many practical applications.

Practical Applications

There are a variety of products that take advantage of Bluetooth’s capabilities, from laptops and PDAs, to headphones and input devices, and even wireless printer adapters.

Many Laptops include an onboard Bluetooth adaptor to allow the system to connect to any Bluetooth device right out of the box. For laptop or desktop systems that do not have an adaptor built in, there are many USB Bluetooth adaptors available.

Bluetooth enabled PDAs allow for convenient wireless synchronization and data transfer.

Headphones can take advantage of Bluetooth for two purposes… audio playback and mobile phone communications. Using something a mobile headset with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone allows anyone to go hands free, as well as wire free.

Logitech, and other manufacturers, also produce input devices that eliminate wires thanks to Bluetooth. You can add a Bluetooth mouse to your system, or both a mouse and keyboard. One advantage that Bluetooth wireless keyboard/mouse combinations have over the standard RF wireless keyboard/mouse combinations is range. Where most standard RF keyboard/mouse combinations have a range up to 6 feet; a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combination will usually have a range of up to 30 feet.

Bluetooth printer adaptors make sharing a printer extremely convenient by eliminating the need for any wires or special configurations on a typical network. Printing to any compatible HP printer from a PC, PDA or mobile phone can now be done easily from anywhere in the office.

Final Words

At this point the popularity of Bluetooth might not be as large as some proponents would have hoped, but many devices are available for those interested. The cost and competition from other standards have hindered the widespread acceptance, but Bluetooth does offer a viable solution to many devices that might not have wireless connectivity without it.

Computer Geeks tech tips and computer advice

What happens to many people is that they’re just about to purchase some wireless equipment, and then they have a sudden realisation — they have no idea how their network layout is going to work with a wireless connection. Well, there are a few things you need to think about when you decide how you’re going to connect up your computers with all that great new wireless gear.

Ad-hoc Networks Explained.

Ad-hoc networks are the ones your wireless devices create more-or-less on their own — they are also known as peer-to-peer networks. In an ad-hoc network, each computer on the network acts as an equal ‘peer’, with each one sending data to any other. This arrangement is most often used in place of a real LAN, to allow employees in a company, for example, to exchange files. You can create ad-hoc wireless networks between any computers that have wireless equipment — access to the Internet is not required.

These networks work using something called an ‘SSID’ (Service Set Identifier). Essentially, this is the network’s name, decided on the computer that was the first to connect to the network (yes, a network consisting of just itself). The other computers that connect to the network can then simply connect by finding the network with the name (SSID) they want.

This is powerful. You can put your wireless-enabled laptop next to a friend’s, and the two computers can create a little network for themselves on the fly. Thanks the way wireless networking works, they keep the connection even if you move them around — the only thing that will force the computers to disconnect from each other is if they go out of range. For many people, this spells the end of messing around with CDs and floppy disks — they can finally use their laptop just like a briefcase, carrying everything from one place to another.

Arriving somewhere with your laptop and being automatically included in the wireless network also gives you access to shared resources, such as printers. Imagine being able to take your computer to somewhere where there’s a printer, press print, collect the document and walk away again. Ad-hoc networking makes this a reality.

Access Points.

An access point, on the other hand, is a way of connecting your ad-hoc wireless network to a real, wired network. Note that this network could just be a LAN, or it could be the entire Internet. There are hardware access points and software ones, with either kind allowing you to connect your wireless device to a wired network. Internet Connecting Sharing, for example, is a software access point to the Internet, while a wireless router is a wired one. If you have wireless access at your office, the chances are it is provided as a wireless access point to the wired network, to let people bring in wireless devices and connect them to the office LAN.

A network that contains an access point is sometimes called an ‘infrastructure’ network, as opposed to an ad-hoc one. It’s worth remembering, though, that part of the infrastructure network still consists of the ad-hoc network between the computers — they can still communicate just the same as they could before.

If you think about it, you can see that the access point structure allows you to create a series of networks, all interconnected. The Internet, in this scheme, is just another wired network. You can connect your wired network to the Internet, connect your wireless network to an access point to your wired network — whatever you want.

The string of networks is potentially never-ending, with wired networks being able to break out into wireless ones as often as they need to. This concept is sometimes called lilypad networking, because it lets your computer be like a frog, hopping from lilypad to lilypad. Even though the whole area of the water isn’t covered with lilypads, the frog can still get through — and you can make wireless networks work the same way.

Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of CyberTech SoftShop
Suppliers of the DeadEasy Ebook Maker and Publishing Wizard.

Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) states, “noise cancelling is a method for preventing unwanted sound. Sound consists of vibrations in the air, which can be represented as a wave. If a speaker emits a sound whose wave has the same amplitude and the exact opposite polarity to the original sound, the waves cancel out and the result is no sound at all.”

While this seems rather technical here is a more simple explanation: sound waves are created by the noise cancelling headphones to counter and eliminate the unwanted sound waves outside of the headphones or speakers. A digital signal processor determines what sound wave is needed to cancel the outside sound wave and it produces that sound and amplifies it through the headphones.

This method differs from noise-reduction headphones which are designed to reduce the noise you hear by physically blocking the sound from reaching your eardrum. This is the same passive, unpowered method that is used by insulation or sound-absorbing ceiling tiles in your home.

Noise canceling headphones tend to work best for constant sounds like lawn mowers and appliances but they allow in intermittent sounds, such as conversation or a ringing phone, so you are not totally isolated. They are also known to be more comfortable than noise-reduction headphones since they are lighter weight and generally smaller in size than noise-reduction headphones.

Some of advantages of noise cancelling methods compared to noise-reduction methods are:
• They can be more effective at low frequencies
• They can be less bulky
• They can be selective in that they can block noise (e.g. from an engine) but not useful sounds (e.g. voices).

Some of disadvantages of noise cancelling methods compared to noise-reduction methods are:
• They consume power, usually supplied by batteries that must be replaced. If the batteries die the noise cancellation stops working; and if you are using the headphones to listen to music, in many models, the music stops as well.
• They may introduce additional noise, usually in the form of high-frequency hiss. Noise cancellation headphones attempt to block sound by sampling the outside sound and then producing an equal but opposite sound – sometimes the approximation of sound can be difficult.

Whatever method of noise reduction you choose, it can help prevent hearing loss. By using headphones when listening to music, you can hear the music at much lower volumes because you are not trying to drown out background sounds. And those around you won’t have to listen to your music; it can be contained in the headphones.

Lee Blue is an avid musician, composer, and home studio recording artist. He uses Extreme Isolation Noise Reduction Headphones (http://www.quietheadphones.com) in his recording studio as well as his office during work to block out distractions.

There’s a widespread confusion among Cisco customers as to what the difference really is between Cisco approved memory modules and their third party counterparts.

First of all, it should be clear to anyone interested in this subject that Cisco Systems simply does not manufacture any of its memory parts!

The memory parts customers get when they purchase Cisco equipment are manufactured by a Cisco approved OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The OEM could be any company from Cisco’s Approved Vendor List (AVL) which includes companies such as OKI Semiconductor, NEC Electronics, and Samsung among others. It should also be noted that since Cisco Systems no longer releases its AVL to the public, thus the companies mentioned above may or may not still be on the AVL. There will definitely be new companies added from time to time and companies removed as well.

Approved/OEM or "first party" Cisco memory refers to memory parts manufactured by companies on Cisco’s AVL; these memory modules have been engineered specifically for use by Cisco Systems and undergo strict and comprehensive testing before being approved by Cisco for use with their routers and other products. These modules are guaranteed to have 100% compatibility with their corresponding Cisco equipments and are backed by a lifetime warranty.

Third party memory modules on the other hand are manufactured by companies not on Cisco’s AVL and are not tested nor approved by Cisco Systems. The manufacturer does offer warranty and compatibility guarantee for these memory modules but Cisco does not. And although manufacturers of such memory modules claim to be fully compliant with Cisco’s specifications, Cisco does hold the right to refuse service, under warranty, when the fault is deemed to be caused by the 3rd party memory modules; and even if this was only discovered later on then Cisco will bill the customer for the service.

And while 3rd party memory modules are cheaper and useful for certain groups such as students learning about Cisco equipment, they do pose a certain level of risk for any business considering using these modules. Think about any unnecessary downtime and how much that will cost your business. Approved memory modules have undergone stringent testing by Cisco Systems themselves for use with Cisco’s own equipment, they do not affect the service warranty of the equipment they are used in and the memory modules themselves are covered by a lifetime warranty.

It is simply the smarter business choice for any company to opt for approved Cisco memory modules. Even though the initial cost might seem higher, but in the long run they are actually cheaper as there is extremely low probability, if any, of incompatibility or faults. Approved Cisco memory results in a lesser need to maintain and service these modules and the equipment they are used in; think total cost of ownership.

Sabir Rizvi is a seasoned IT professional who writes for CiscoUpgrade.com, an online store that specializes in selling cisco approved memory at discounted prices. Visit the website to read more of his articles at http://www.CiscoUpgrade.com

The big boys in the computer industry want you to continue thinking the way you are. The major desktop computer manufacturers thrive on consumers lack of knowledge and old ideas about desktop computers and computer hardware to drive sales of new desktop computers.

It works in their favor to keep these myths alive, because their business depends on it. So what are they?

Myth 1: You need top of the line computer hardware

Maybe some years ago this might have been true with older computer hardware, but times have changed. When computers were much slower than they are now, the latest version of any computer hardware increased speeds noticeably and allowed new possibilities from your desktop computer.

Those increases from computer hardware no longer yield such a huge increase in performance. With the basic uses of the desktop computer set and been in place for a while now, speed increases no longer result in real world benefits for most desktop computer users.

What was great computer hardware last year is still good enough now.

Myth 2: Computer hardware is the domain of Geeks

When personal computing was coming into its own, you really did need to be a Geek to know what was happening. For those old enough to remember, imagine life without Windows and hacking away at the command line, as used to be the case. Some still do, but I wouldn’t want to do that again.

Desktop computers are such commonplace that the basics of computer hardware can be understood and researched with the minimum of hassle. The ball is on the consumers side of the court. You no longer need to be a geek, just a little knowledge that is now readily available.

Myth 3: A faster desktop computer will speed up the Internet

Possibly. If you are running 5-year-old computer hardware this might be the case. But the real reason for the increase in speed is usually not the computer.

Internet speed is related to your connection speed. If you have a dial up connection, it’s going to be quite slow. When you upgrade your desktop computer and they throw in a cable internet, or DSL package the improved speed is from the faster connection, not the computer. Both cable and DSL can offer more than 10 times the speed of a dial-up connection. The computer has little to do with it.

Myth 4: To speed your computer up, upgrade!

New computer hardware is a very obvious way to speed things up. Even I have gone for new parts purely for this reason.

But it’s definitely not the only way.

Various factors play into overall speed. On a purely physical level, upgrading memory is still a fantastic way to get things to move along a little faster. But apart from this the main things that slows things down on the programs and other stuff you have on the computer.

Over time, as more programs are put on and taken off and changed, things get left behind, and things get forgotten. When your computer starts, many things get loaded into memory and each one of those takes that little bit more of the computers resources. When you switch to a new program and don’t remove the old one, the older one will still use resources.

Myth 5: Big brands are the best

Big brands essentially piece together a computer. They pick and choose the pieces to make a computer package. They also choose some software, give a warranty and then sell it to you.

Dell computer company has become well known for its customer service. This is the best part about Dell computers. The downside is there are limited choices. They pick what goes into the computer, which are often quite expensive parts. They are motivated by the suppliers to put more recent parts into their computers, keeping the prices at the same level and maintaining the "to get more, pay more," mentality.

You don’t have the power of these big guys, but you have something more. Choice.

Your pick of parts for your desktop computer will allow you to put together something completely tailored to your needs. Put the money where you need it most, into the computer hardware that makes the biggest difference to you, and in the end getting a desktop computer you will fall in love with, rather than despise.

Get the most honest and useful reviews to make the right choice at our Desktop Computer Hardware Reviews site or get practical computer buying tips at our Computer Buying Guide site

Let’s face it; words aren’t cheap, especially when they are being printed from an ink jet printer. If a picture is worth a thousands words, well, time to get out your wallet.

Printer makers may sell their hardware for a pittance, but anyone who’s had to refill an ink jet printer knows that the ink is where Epson, Lexmark, and the like make their real money.

An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) black cartridge for a $100 Epson C80 color printer costs $32.99, a third of the price of the actual printer.

Ink for a wide format printer costs $47.50 per liter. If you take the ink that goes into an ink cartridge, it’s costing over $1,000 per liter.

They’re giving customers the printers, but they’re charging them a fortune for ink. Sensing opening, dozens of small companies now sell “compatible” or “remanufactured” cartridges for consumer ink jet printers at deep discounts over the official cartridges.

In the third party realm, there are three different ways to pump up your printer for pennies. Compatible cartridges are new boxes, often-built in China; the same Chinese manufacturers sold under U.S. brand names.

Remanufactured cartridges are official OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges that are cleaned out, professionally refilled, and put back on sale.

For most HP printers, remanufactured cartridges are the only option because HP cartridges include patented print heads that are illegal for third parties to clone.

Last but not the best, there are refill kits, containing ink and needles for you to refill a cartridge on your own.

OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and third party cartridge manufacturers alike say consumers should stay away from refill kits if they are concerned with quality; professionally remanufactured cartridges are cleaned and sealed in a way you just can’t do at home unless you have a lot of garage space.

Throughout printer manufacturer’s defense, they claim to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into developing inks that work with an individual unit’s print heads, drivers, and paper.

Designed for flexibility, endurance and brightness, inks are complex chemicals, not just water and dye. Some cartridges include precision-made print heads.

Even the plastic ink tanks are specially designed to prevent inks from changing color over time.

This allows the consumer to enjoy the quality of the printouts, without having to be concerned about losing its color behind glass or even in a photo album. The objective here is to save you money in areas such as ink cartridges.

There will always remain the question on whether or not you should use genuine, remanufactured or compatible cartridges for your printer.

In a nutshell, here is the bottom line answer: If you own an Epson or Canon ink jet printer, and aren’t so concerned about quality, then compatible is your answer and key to saving money.

If quality is a priority, then you may want to consider genuine cartridges. If you own or plan on owning a HP or Lexmark ink jet printer, then you may want to stay away from remanufactured cartridges and spend the extra buck and use genuine cartridges.

This is because third party companies don’t seem to have it all together and never will due to HP & Lexmark’s strong patent on their print heads.

As a result, most third party companies aren’t willing to spend the finances in the quality ink that is preserved with chemicals to give the printout images that realistic life look.

The reason why remanufactured cartridges are so cheap is because the majority of HP & Lexmark remanufactured ink is diluted with water and alcohol along with dye based solutions and also fewer chemicals used within the ink.

The outside of third party packaging also keeps the costs low. Name brand companies brand their retail packaging for marketing purposes. The cartridge inside the box costs them pennies.

What do you think of that?

In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on inkjet cartridges.

http://www.OemVsReman.com (launches Jan 5th)

There are so many questions within the printer market which still haven’t been answered. No more mysteries. It’s usually the most common questions which are frequently asked where people have the most trouble.

On that note, let’s get straight to the point and no cutting corners, shall we…

Q1. What is the difference between a new toner cartridge and a remanufactured cartridge?

A. The difference between a new toner cartridge and a remanufactured cartridge is the price, quality, and packaging. The majority of the internal parts are replaced with new parts, reusing only those long life components that are in good condition.

Many new OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges, such as Hewlett Packard or Canon, are also built from new and used parts.

What you will notice is a difference in the outside of the packaging and most importantly, the price of the product. You will save anywhere from 40% with the toner cartridges and up to 80% with the ink cartridges, which is less than OEM pricing.

This reducing un-necessary overhead will result in saving capital. At the same time, you will maintain the highest quality print output to give you phenomenal end results.

Q2. Will using a replacement toner or ink cartridge voids my printers warranty?

A. No, according to all printer manufacturers, using a replacement toner or ink cartridge will not affect coverage under the printer’s warranty. This especially goes for those who purchase extended warranties with their local retailer. This is proven by the following US Congress Legislation.

MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY IMPROVEMENT ACT:

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act United States Code Annotated Title 15 Commerce and trade Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties 15 Section 2303.

No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer’s using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subjection may be waived by the commission if:

1)The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and

2)The Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.

This means that the printer manufacturers cannot void the warranty on your printer because you use supplies and products manufactured by a third party manufacturer.

We cannot replace a printer nor have it fixed should any problems occur from using a remanufactured or compatible cartridge. We guarantee our products from any faults and we have not had a single case of a printer being damaged by a cartridge sold by us.

Q3. What do my printer’s error codes mean?

A. Your printer can produce a variety of numerous error codes in two-digit format. Please contact Inkjet Surplus, Inc. to diagnose the problem.

Q4. Why does paper keep jamming in my printer?

A. There are simple reasons and complex reasons to why paper can jam in a printer. You will experience paper jams if you use the wrong type of paper in your printer, such as it being too thick, too thin, or laminated with an unnatural chemical finish.

If paper jams occur at the front of your printer, the problem may be more serious, such as a worn-out pickup assembly. The pickup assembly is responsible for feeding the paper from the paper tray into the printer.

It is possible that when using a top load paper feed tray, dust particles can cause the rollers to jam the paper, which will lead into causing streaks when printing.

To avoid paper jams align the paper properly in the tray, and do your best not to load too much paper in at once.

Q5. When should I consider adding more memory to my printer?

A.If your printer isn’t printing as fast as its rated engine speed, adding more memory can and may help close the wide area. You will also need to add more memory if you frequently receive memory overload messages when trying to print documents.

Those messages indicate that your documents are too complex, sending more data to your printer at one time than your printer’s memory can handle.

“Those who do not ask the questions are those who are ignorant within themselves”

Q6. When should I consider upgrading my printer?

A. As good as your printer may be, there will come a time when upgrading makes sense. For one thing, printers do wear out eventually, getting to a point where the cost of repairs approaches the cost of a new machine.

You may even want to upgrade before your printer’s lifespan comes to an end. No matter how much memory you add to your printer, it will never print faster than its rated engine speed, also as fast as the new technology that recent machines contain.

If you or your staff frequently have to wait for the volume of pages you need to produce, then upgrading to a faster printer would contribute to the efficiency of your operations.

As your business changes, you may develop printing needs that your current printer simply cannot handle or perform, such as high resolution, print speed, or paper sizes. That is when it is time to upgrade.

Q7. Our printer can get very warm during printing. Will this indicate a problem or cause my printer to fail?

A.Most printers are sturdy enough to operate for many hours at a time. In the process they do get warm, After all, the fuser mechanism reaches nearly 400 degrees in order to melt toner onto the paper.

That being said, it is possible for your printer to get extremely hot. If its air intakes are blocked or if its air filter is dirty, your printer won’t be cooling it properly and could overheat.

Very serious overheating will occur if your printer’s fan fails. A strong recommendation to reduce this from happening, purchase a printer that has a high monthly volume or duty cycle that can handle heavy printing loads.

Consider too, that keeping your printer in a cool environment, such as an air conditioner can help keep it cool.

Q8. What does the fuser assembly do, and does it need to replaced periodically?

A. The fuser assembly is located at the back of your printer. After toner has been deposited on the paper, the fuser (which gets very hot) melts the toner so that it adheres permanently to the paper.

If the fuser is not cleaned properly and regularly, it could need to be replaced as early as 35,000 prints. Dirt and debris can damage the fuser by scoring its surface. If you notice a ring around the roller, it may be time to replace the mechanism.

Q9. What is DPI?

A. DPI stands for dots per square inch. It represents the level of intensity as well as quality depending on how many microscopic drops per dot are layered upon each other.

There are directions in which ink is layered, horizontally and vertically. Pixels are contracted together to bring the image to its realistic life looks.

A high resolution such as 2400 x 1200 dpi will result in its best performance on high quality photo paper. DPI is measured on the amount of drops layered on the base of the paper, not the size of the resolution.

Q10. What is the difference if I purchase a printer that contains the print heads built-into the carriage or on the cartridge?

A. The difference is that every time you purchase a new cartridge such as a HP or a Lexmark, you are getting a brand new print head.

Whenever a printer is purchased with the print heads built-into the carriage, the more wear and tear will occur on the print heads within that printer. The cost of having a carriage replaced or repaired can result to the same cost as a new cartridge or even a new printer depending on the manufacturer.

Q11. What are compatible cartridges?

A. Compatible cartridges are specifically manufactured to meet or exceed Original Equipment Manufacturer specifications.

These cartridges offer a high output of quality, reliability, and offer great printing results.

Compatible cartridges are brand new retail boxed cartridges, containing only new components such as OEM product.

They are also an economical alternative to expensive brand – name cartridges and supplies that allow the consumer to enjoy big savings. The use of compatible or replacement cartridges does not void the printer’s warranty.

In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on inkjet cartridges; http://www.yourhprep.com

Plug and play equipment or hardware solves the problem of driver installation, re-starting routines, and generally speaking, “hassle”, for those who are not technically proficient.

If your computer supports “Plug and Play”, then, as the name suggests, you simply plug it in and play. For people who are “word perfect”, plug and play might sound somewhat misleading. Peripherals, such as your mouse, keyboard, monitors, scanners, network adaptors, or printers are included in this.

This long awaited technology is made possible via your U.S.B. port. U.S.B. is an abbreviation for UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS. Using this port, your computer detects such peripherals, and after detection, configuration is automatic, in so far as you have no further input.

Prior to “plug n play”, you would have to insert a floppy disc or cd, to supply and install the necessary software or “driver”. To put it simply, your computer cannot see or indeed smell or intuitively know what a device, its properties, requirements and priorities are.

Most computers have two USB ports, usually situated on the back of your unit. A U.S.B. “hub” will effectively increase this number. Basically, it is like an electrical adaptor which allows up to seven devices to be connected to it. If you are a big “gadget” fan, you can simply plug another hub into the first one, and so on.

U.S.B. is classified as Serial communication, as opposed to parallel communication.

This means that it transmits data/info/signal, if you like, one “bit” at a time. Conversely, it receives it in a similar fashion. This is done or executed, in one wire or cable.

Did you ever notice the “big” or “wide” ends on your cables? These cables are parallel and transmit/receive data/info/signals, many “bits” at a time. Therefore, parallel communication needs many cables/wires and consequently more connections, at its port.

U.S.B. ports and cables are smaller. Just pop around to the back of your P.C., and you will immediately notice the difference. On the machine that I am currently working on, I noticed that the printer has both types of ports and that the parallel port and cabling is the option that the technician used. The serial option would have worked just the same, at this level, where transmission speeds are of little relevance.

In summary, Plug ‘n Play is welcomed and embraced by everyone and is a major step towards “user-friendly” computing.

About The Author

Seamus Dolly is the webmaster of http://www.CountControl.com His background is in engineering and analogue electronics. His studies include A+, Net+ and Server+.

seamus@countcontrol.com

The Power Supply convert’s your regular household current into low DC voltage used by the computer. When this component fails,there is simply no activity going on wih your computer.Remember to do the easy troubleshooting first.Inspect the Power Supply for any damage.Double-Check all connections.

Learning how to check your power supply and how to replace it when needed can be a life saver if you’re a computer buff or in business with the trusted PC.Don’t take for granted the simple pleasure of turning on your PC and everything works just fine.

We turned on one of our computers recently and in about one hour,it just re-booted itself.And it continued doing so about 10 times a day until we found out the power supply was the culprit.Things to look for when your power supply is going bad or just dies on you are the following.

NO POWER TO THE COMPUTER

Here you must first check the wall outlet for power by connecting another device such as a radio or lamp to be sure power is present.If the computer is connected through a surge protector,check it as well.

If the wall out has power,check the power cable going to the PC to see if AC voltage is making its way to the system unit.Do this with the use of a multimeter.

If there is power,you will have to open the PC and check for power from the power supply to the motherboard.

When using a multimeter to check voltage,be sure you have a good ground for the black lead of the multimeter.

RE-BOOTING PROBLEMS

One main problem you may face with an ailing Power Supply is that it may re-boot the computer without any warning.All information is lost and it seems as though this happens at the worst possible time.

Booting errors when the computer first start’s up is another indicator of this component going on the blink.

POWER DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS

When the power supply begins to fail,you may receive power at one device and not another.For example,the Hard Drive may receive power but the CDROM Drive has nothing at all.

Another headache with would cause re-booting is the intermittent power going to the drives or the motherboard itself.Follow the steps below to check your power supply should you experience some of the above problems.

CHECKING THE POWER SUPPLY

If the wall outlet,and the power cord are good,make sure the connection at the motherboard is secure.Then you may have to face the fact that the power supply itself is bad.If you have a Multimeter you can test the power supply output before purchasing a new one.Simply follow these steps.

Turn off the PC,but do not unplug it,open the system unit. Set the multimeter to read DC volts in the next range higher than 12 volts.Locate a power connector similair to the hard drive,or cdrom drive connector that is unused and turn on the PC.

You can also unplug a drive connector and use it as well.Turn on the PC and insert the BLACK probe into the power connector on one of the BLACK wires.Touch the RED probe to the YELLOW wire on the power connector.

The multimeter reading should be +12 volts Now touch the RED probe to the RED wire and the reading should be +5 volts.If no readings or different readings occured,you’ll have to replace the power supply.If the readings were correct,you should check the P8 or P9 connectors at the motherboard. These connectors may also be named P4 and P5.To check these connectors,perform the following…

Insert the BLACK probe into P8 at one of the BLACK wires. Insert the RED probe into the P8 connector at the RED wire. The reading on the multimeter should be +5 volts

Check the power going to the Motherboard connections by inserting the RED probe into P8 at the YELLOW wire and you should get +12 volts.Leave the BLACK wire touching the black wire at the P8 connector.Check the BLUE wire and the reading should be a -12 volts.

Now move the BLACK probe to the BLACK wire on the P9 connector.Test the WHITE wire by inserting the RED probe and the reading should be -5 volts.Check the RED wires on the P9 connector and you should get +5 volts on each red wire.You won’t get exactly 5 or 12 volts but the readings will be very close, such as 5.02 volts.

If the Power Supply is a couple of volts off,in either direction,such as when the RED wire should be reading -5 volts but it reads -8 volts,or if there are no readings,replace the power supply.

DO NOT remove the power supply from the system unit case when performing these tests.DO NOT perform these tests if you do not feel comfortable.Be sure to remove any and all electrical static build-up from your clothes and body BEFORE touching any parts inside the system unit.And NEVER open the power supply case for any reason,since high voltage may be present.

About The Author

Otis F. Cooper is solely dedicated to boosting the knowledge and confidence of every computer user that is serious about knowing computers.Use his informative articles and videos to understand every aspect about the PC. Read more about his formula for pc training at http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com

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