Nvidia Geforce 7800 Gtx Review

Writen by Nicholas Spriggs

Nvidia has done it again, with it's newest video card, the geforce 7800 GTX. If money is no object and you demand the best, this is the video card for you.

The 7800 GTX, which promises 600 MHz, 256 MB of 256-bit DDR3 memory and a graphics core clock speed of 430 MHz, is the absolute fastest video card, to date, that money can buy.

Despite the high clock speeds, the 7800 utilizes a single-slot cooling solution. This is made possible because of the processor size which is 20 NM smaller then their previous 8600's. Also contributing to the cooling of the card is the improved power managment system, which automatically turns off unused portions of the chip.

The 7800GTX is equipped with 24 pixel shader units and 8 vertex shader units. With over 200 GFLOP's of shading avaliable, Nvidia raises the bar, once again, on video card's graphics and performance.

This is all in just one videocard, pair them up in SLI mode and you have the best video cards in terms of speed, stability and appearance. One thing to watch however, when running dual cards in SLI mode, is that unless you have a top of the line processor, such as the FX-55 you may find your video cards waiting on your processor to catch up. In this case you may want to hold off on getting both cards untill you upgrade your processor.

Nicholas Spriggs is the author and creator of desktop-computer-guide and is dedicated to bringing you the most accurate information on computers and all things related

http://www.desktop-computer-guide.com - Your guide to computers

Inkjet Refills

Writen by Richard Romando

Inkjet printers are the printers that dominate the consumer market. Although contrary to popular belief, inkjet printers are not successors of the dot matrix printers. Thermal printers are used for specialized printing in industries similar to those previously serviced by the dot matrix. You can purchase an inexpensive inkjet printer that gives you fast and high-quality printouts. You can even purchase ones that can print out photos with realistic-looking colors at reasonable prices.

A marketing strategy used by inkjet manufacturers: printers are sold at a very affordable price, but in order to maintain the quality of the printouts, you are required to purchase specific kinds of ink. These inks are usually very expensive.

There used to be no alternatives to such products. You were stuck buying these inks at high prices. Nowadays, you can purchase ink refills instead. Ink refills are not manufactured by the same companies that produced your printer or the ink that comes with it. They come at a very low price compared to the original inks. Inks refills usually come in remanufactured or recycled ink cartridges. You can purchase do-it-yourself refill kits or ink cartridges that have already been refilled. You can save up to 80 percent off the price of original inks if you opt to use ink refills.

The problem is that once manufacturers discover that you have used alternative ink over the original one that is recommended for your printer, the warranty of your equipment is automatically void.

In using ink refills, there is also a very high chance of ink bleeding, which can ruin the printer heads of your printer, making it defective. Even without this happening, manufacturers may still be able to detect if ink refills have been used on your equipment. Newer printers are now equipped with features that can detect the authenticity of the ink that you use.

Some consumer are willing to take the risk of using ink refills because of the substantial savings they can get from such products.

Inkjets provides detailed information on Inkjets, Inkjet Cartridges, Inkjet Printers, Color Inkjets and more. Inkjets is affiliated with Inkjet Printer Cartridges.

Will Ipods Change The Way We Watch Television

Writen by Ro Russell

The industry was intrigued by Wednesday's announcement that episodes of the hit ABC shows "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" will be available for Apple's new video iPod. Episodes will go on sale for $1.99 on iTunes the day after they are broadcast.

For ABC and its parent Walt Disney Co., the bet is that the new technology will bring in more new fans of the programs than will be taken away from watching them on traditional broadcast television.

The network's affiliates were not told the deal was in the works before Wednesday, and they're the people most likely to be concerned about its impact. Now the iPod will join digital video recorders and DVDs as another way of seeing television programs other than their regularly scheduled times on the ABC stations.

Leon Long, chairman of ABC's affiliate board and general manager of WLOX-TV in Biloxi, Miss., wasn't worried.

He said if viewers have the choice of watching "Desperate Housewives" on their wide-screen television with surround sound or a two-inch iPod screen, they will almost certainly watch it on TV. The iPod option will likely be attractive to people who missed an episode and want to keep up with the story, he said.

See additional story here

Portable Mp3 Player Based Education

Writen by Bal Simon

A revolution in learning technology has taken place. Actually, it took place a few years ago, and I'm only just now catching up. The reason is that no one connected the dots for me, and I guess I'm a bit slow. :)

That's the value added I'm giving you here today. I'm connecting the dots for you, in case you haven't yet made the connection.

MP3 players have become huge business. The most popular of these, of course, is the IPOD, but you can find many other brands with lots of different features to select from.

They mainly get used for entertainment purposes - listening to music on the go, hearing podcasts by your favorite artists, and so forth.

But the real revolution for upwardly mobile people is in having portable education that you can take with you most anywhere.

I got, as a birthday gift, Creative's MuVo TX FM. If you get this one, and if you have ears anything like mine, be prepared to spend another $10 to get a decent set of headphones, because the ones that come with it physically hurt my ears. Not permanently - just a bit of temporary pain. And since I'm not into avoidable pain, I went to my local Radio Shack and got their "Three-In-One" package - which includes 3 sets of headphones for, like I said, about $10.

OK - so having an MP3 player is "dot" number 1.

"Dot" number 2 is that you can find huge numbers of MP3 audio files for instruction on almost anything. And you can download these files to your computer. And from your computer, you can transfer these files to your MP3 player.

For example, from one of the membership sites I in which I participate, there is an mp3 file of an interview of Brian Keith Voiles, an acknowledged master copywriter. I've had that file on my computer for ages. Never got around to lisening to it.

Now it's on my little MuVo and I've started listening while - well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go to ...

"Dot" number 3 is that you can get an adaptor (I got mine, again from Radio Shack) to let you play these audio files in your car over your stereo speakers.

Beautiful!

Now as I drive around doing errands, I can absorb in the convenience of my car, wihtout breaking any laws, information from copywriting experts or from self-help coaches, and more.

I spend a fair amount of time in the car, so this really increases my productivity.

But we're not done yet...

"Dot" #4 - My little MuVo enables me to go to bed, and continue listening as I drift off into the Land of Nod ... without disturbing my wife!

I can walk around the house, go work out, and all kinds of other sundry things - and continue learning.

Finally - the unit I bought also enables me to record ideas on the fly and play them back. I haven't fully tested this yet, so I'm not sure about the audio quality - is it suitable for playing to you on my website? I'll be experimenting and report back to you.

The MuVo that I got costs about $149 plus whatever tax and shipping applies. Add the new headphones (a must, I'm sad to say) and the car adaptor, and you're looking at a total expenditure of about $180.

That may seem like a fair amount of money, but if you spend a lot of time doing mentally deadening things like driving around doing errands or working out while the gym plays the latest in so-called music so that you can't think - well, this may be an incredible value.

I can recommend the MuVo (depsite the headphones), but shop around. Lots of folks vouch for the iPod. And others for something called Zen. You'll find lots of options, including price. Something is bound to work for you.

And once you have it - watch out. You're brain may just explode with the new wealth of information you'll be painlessly absorbing.

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This article may be reprinted as long as you keep it intact, unchanged and include this resource box. Bal Simon will help you turn your ideas into money. Visit http://subscribe.wealthcountry.com/home.php. You can contact Bal at http://www.wealthcountry.com/contact.html

Your Hard Drive Is Going To Explode Why A Ups Is Essential

Writen by Kevin Souter

It's most peoples worst computing nightmare. You wake up in the morning, flip on the computer, and it doesn't boot. Sometimes the problem rears its ugly head as a horrific clacking noise. Other times it simply gives a read error.

At this point, most people panic. The first thing you wonder is whether or not the data is recoverable. There is no universal answer to this. In some cases, a simple scan with some data recovery software is all that it takes to retrieve the contents of the drive. In other cases, if you want it badly enough, it will take thousands of dollars and a shipment of the drive to a clean lab where they will pull the platters inside of the drive and access them that way.

Now you're probably wondering if there's a way to prevent this from happening. Well, you're in luck. Getting a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is the very best and most effective way to prevent your data from pulling a disappearing act.

While it is not fool-proof, having something that regulates the electricity flowing into your computer can reduce the risk of a drive failure by up to 70%. This figure goes up to around 90% if the computer is being used while in an electrical storm. (My computer repair business always gets a little boost after a thunderstorm, courtesy of the lightning wreaking havoc on people's hard drives.)

Don't just run out and get any UPS. You want to get an intelligent one. The 'intelligent' UPS will regulate the power without having to hit the battery every time the voltage takes a dip which greatly improves battery longevity. They also include options to hook the power supply up to your computer via a serial or USB port so you can monitor what the power is doing. This also gives the option to allow for a soft shut-down if the power goes out and you are away from your desk.

You can get an Uninterruptible Power Supply at most computer stores. Best Buy carries a fairly wide selection of them.

As for brands, I've personally used APC with much success. Opti-UPS is another excellent brand. In fact, I have an Opti that is 6 years old and still works fine, although the batteries now have no life to them. (That's to be expected. Rechargeable batteries only last so long)

Now that you know of the importance of a UPS I would strongly encourage you to invest in one. It is far better to spend $100 now on some preventative maintenance than having to spend much more later on data recovery.

Kevin Souter is a full time computer technician. He also operates some free spyware removal and computer repair websites.

A Market Study Of Colour Printers

Writen by John Sollars

The printer manufacturing market seems to be a booming one. Manufacturers are no doubt eyeing expansion and coming up with newer products to capture the burgeoning market. The manufacturers are interested in the colour -printer sector for purely reasons of expansion. There is stiff competition between the makers as all are concentrating to keep the prices low to capture the market. It must be said here that while in the monochrome department Hewlett-Packard co. are the market leaders, the reigning company in the colour segment still remains undecided.

However the future of the colour printer market is purported to be a bright one according to those investing in these companies. The investors are much optimistic, as these printers, using four times the toner cyan, magenta, yellow, and black of a monochrome printer, will produce pictures of a much higher quality. The market, currently a billion dollar industry, will increase manifold.

Adding on to its product range, printing giant Lexmark introduced its c52x series, which included the c524n last June. Earlier there was a huge gap in its colour line up-there was simply the low- end c510 with a capacity of printing about 8 colour and 30 monochrome pictures in a single minute which wasn't all that fast. There also existed, side-by-side, the high-end c762 which, though having a higher speed, was much more expensive, thereby difficult to afford for the smaller offices and home users. As there was no other product catering to the demands of the users the competitors of Lexmark had an edge over it.

The introduction of Lexmark's c524n however changed things. They introduced this product with a very low price range, thereby making it affordable. Offering a dpi resolution of 1200*1200, this network ready colour laser printer has an outstanding colour output and can print up to twenty pages per minute. The very first page may be printed in as little as 13seconds. The model has a monthly maximum duty cycle of 65000 pages, which is quite impressive. The new c524 also reduces the time taken by print jobs considerably as it has a 437.5MHz processor and 128Mbytes of memory. The memory can be expanded up to 576, which decreases the waiting time taken for print jobs. Moreover, colour care technology and Lexmark coverage estimator help in managing the cost involved in using colour toner. The model, weighing 57 pounds, is 17.3 inches wide, 19 inches high and 20.2 deep. With the model also comes a CD consisting of the user guide and the printer software, a power cable, a paper exit extension tray, set up sheet and toner cartridges for cyan, yellow, magenta and black. The product has a one-year warranty period for on site repair.

It goes without saying that that outsourcing of IT and consumer electronic products lower manufacturing costs of the product, which helps lower the prices of the produced good. The question is how low must the producers keep their profit margins in order to stay in the race in today's colour printing market?

The current analysis lab examined the c524n at a product volume of 1,20,000 units under the assumption that the model was produced in china. An analysis was made of the procurement costs of commodity components, manufacturing costs of fabricated components and location labour rates. The production cost was estimated to be around £265 / unit. The cost distribution showed the cost of the printer mechanism and its assembly to be about £51. The electronics and assembly account for £60. Other costs included laser power supply, consumables assembly, fuser assembly, paper assembly, control panel assembly electronics assembly, final arrangements, etc.

At the time of launching the product, the product was supposed to be priced at £390. However, Lexmark priced the product at almost half of the originally intended price at some places. To maximize its revenue, the company in a clever move, outfitted the toner with different toner cartridges. The toner content was increased or decreased according to the budget of the customer. The more expensive models containing more toner catered to the demands of the enterprise segment while the lower priced models with low yield cartridges were ideal for small offices and also home users.

The product, being suitably priced, was a great success, perfectly fitted to meet the needs of the buyers and the manufacturers and compete with its competitors in the lucrative colour printer market. Lexmark claimed the print quality was Photorealistic. On account of its chemically processed, spherical toner delivering a 1200*1200 dpi resolution and also because the new print head four lasers in one unit with a mirror. The machine enabled Lexmark to take on the enterprise market as well as their competitors, especially Hewlett-Packard.

John Sollars is the managing director of Solar Electronics, suppliers of inkjet cartridges and pc peripherals based in the UK. To access a comprehensive online shop of original and re-manufactured printer inks please visit http://www.mega-office.co.uk

Printers What Really Happens When You Hit Quotprintquot

Writen by Bill Smith

You just poured hours upon hours into a lengthy research paper. All that's left to do is print it out. And that's the easy part, right? Sure looks easy from the user perspective, but it's actually quite complicated. A series of critical processes kick off as soon as you kit the OK button.

The first thing that happens is your software application (MS Word, Excel, etc) sends the data you want to print to your printer driver. The printer driver is nothing more than some software that translates data into a format that your specific printer can understand. When you buy a new printer, it generally comes with a CD. On that CD is the printer driver software you need to enable your specific printer to talk to your computer.

The printer driver takes the translated data and physically sends it along to your printer. It's able to connect to the printer via the USM connection interface. Much of the data received by the printer goes directly into the printer buffer, where it is stored. By storing the data within the printer itself you're able to finish the print job quickly.

If you just turned your printer on for the first time in a while or if the printer has been standing idle for a while, the printer will run through a series of diagnostic tests. Some of these tests check he availability of ink, while others clean the print heads.

Once this preprinting step completes, your printer brain sends a message to the paper stepper motor telling it to engage the rollers and feed paper into the printer body. As the paper is being fed into the machine, the belt pulls the print head into "ready" position. When the paper is perfectly positioned, the print head goes to town, firing droplets of ink at the paper. With incredible speed and accuracy, the print head travels back and forth across the page spewing colors. When it reaches the end of the page, the stepper is quickly engaged, advancing the paper forward. This process continues until the print job is complete.

Bill Smith is a printer expert. Visit his website at http://www.buythebestbuy.com to learn more about printers and ink cartridges.

Making The Right Decision About Toner Cartridges

Writen by Chris Robertson

The prices of inkjet printers and laserjet printers have never been lower. Similar to video console manufacturers who sell gaming consoles at below cost, knowing that they'll make enormous profits from the sale of video games, manufacturers of inkjets and laserjets sell their products at a low cost, knowing that they will profit tremendously from the sale of inkjet and toner cartridges. Indeed, it's been said that you'd have to spend over $5 billion to fill a swimming pool with ink from manufacturers' cartridges.

The expense of the cartridge is compounded by the growing use of inkjet and laserjet printers. The popularity of digital cameras has grown exponentially in the past five years, and consumers are increasingly opting to print out their digital photos at home. Businesses are utilizing desktop publishing software and high quality printers to produce brochures and marketing materials that they would normally send out to be printed. Likewise, everyone from scout troop leaders to health educators are using available technology to tailor educational content that can be printed on the fly using inkjet and laserjet printers.

This means that the market for inkjet and toner cartridges is booming. It also means that, in order to make an informed decision, the consumer needs to understand the emerging issues in the cartridge wars. To wit:

Black and white vs. color: When you go to buy a printer, you may be stunned at the number of brand options, which include InfoPrint, DocuPrint, WorkCentre, OfficeJet, Optra, and more. If you're primarily going to print documents, a printer with only a black cartridge will suffice. If, on the other hand, you're planning to regularly print photographs or brochures, a color printer might be a better option. If you decide upon a color printer, you'll further be able to choose from among printers that have a four-color cartridge, a six-color cartridge, or even more colors.

Manufacturer's brand vs. generic: Some manufacturers insist that only their proprietary cartridges are optimized for your printer. On the other hand, there are many who view that stance as simply a way for manufacturers to rake in the dollars, and who say that refilled or generic cartridges perform the same function for less money.

The coverage question: Many consumers experience sticker shock when they buy replacement cartridges for their inkjet or laserjet printers. Depending upon what you print, you may be in for a greater shock when your cartridge runs out of ink in a very short time. Typically, when a cartridge package indicates that the cartridge will print a certain number of pages, the assumption is that only five percent of the page will have ink on it - typical for a word processing document. If you're printing pictures, though, you're getting ink coverage of 100 percent, so your ink cartridge will run dry much more quickly.

Paper vs. ink: When it comes to ink cartridge quality, your photo or document will only look as good as the paper it's printed on. This especially applies to photos, where poor paper can cause an image to look muddy.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Computers Website and Majon's Computers directory.

Webcam How To Choose

Writen by John Wright

With the growing availability of high bandwidth internet connections getting a webcam and staying in touch with friends and family has never been easier.

What is a Webcam
A webcam is a small video camera that takes still or moving images and sends them to your PC via a USB cable. The quality of image capture is determined by the webcam's lens, optical sensor and the frame rate the camera can transmit.

The best available resolution is 640x480 and the frame rate is almost always 30 frames per second. If your looking to take movie clips then you will need a camera with a high resolution and frame rate. If you want to use your video camera for video conferencing, you could go for a cheaper, lower-spec camera but with the ever increasing availability of high bandwidth internet connections and VoIP software such as Skype, I would recommend going for a good quality camera.

PC specification and your Webcam
At this point it would be a good idea to check the minimum specification required to run the webcam of your choice, and whether your PC meets that specification. The majority of current webcams require at least Windows 98 Second Edition to work properly. Minimum processor requirements generally vary from 350MHz to 700MHz but I would suggest a processor speed of at least 1000MHz. RAM specifications vary from 128MB to 512MB. Manufacturers of webcams will generally state a wide compatibility specification, however, a good rule of thumb would be to take the top specification mentioned for your webcam and use that as your minimum specification requirement.

Ok your PC has met the minimum RAM and Processor specification for your webcam, the next thing to think about is the kind of port your webcam is going to plug into. The majority of webcams manufactured in the past five years plugs in to a USB port. However, there are two kinds of USB ports older USB1.1 ports (12Mbit/s) and the more recent USB2.0 ports (480Mbit/s). These two types look identical and you can plug a USB2.0 port into a USB1.1 socket and you can plug older USB1.1 devices into a USB2.0 port, however, only a USB Hi-Speed device on a USB2.0 port will transfer data faster than 12Mbit/s.

Upgrading your PC to meet your webcam requirements
Before you undertake any upgrade, you need to compare your PC's specifications to the minimum requirements of the webcam you want to install. Check out the need to know below before you take the plunge.

A webcam's manufacturer will specify certain minimum requirements that your PC should meet if it is to work successfully with the device. These generally include the version of Windows on your PC, your processor's speed and the amount of RAM fitted.

Some webcams use a USB Hi-Speed connection. Before you buy one of these cams check to see if your PC has USB2.0 ports. If your PC runs a version of Windows older than XP then it almost certainly doesn't have USB2.0 ports.

Most current webcams come with a built-in microphone, but a few don't. Before you buy, check to see if your webcam has a microphone, if it doesn't you'll have to buy one that plugs into your sound card.

John Wright is an IT professional specialising in internet marketing and computer systems. For more information and articles go to Raidens hardware articles.

Dvd Replicationwhat You Dont Know Could Give You A Free Pass To The Jailhouse

Writen by Teresa Tam

DVD replication has come a long way recently. I could recall the times when I started burning CD-R's. Back then, It would take close to an hour to replicate only one CD. Now, I could put 6 times the amount of data into a single DVD in less than 1/6th of the time. With the advent of the internet, there was so many things to download. With all the freedom online, there have been more legal concerns with DVD replication.

The way the law is, you have the right to own and use your DVD replication equipment. However, it's what you do with it that may burn you. DVD duplication can become a very big legal issue. So whether it's a movie, some music, or any time of image, video, or audio, you have to determine if it is in fact copyrighted. If it is, you have to get permission from the owner to duplicate it. There are also cases where you must pay to duplicate the media. This can be in the form of a royalty.

Now what happens if you legally own the DVD? Should you have the freedom to do what you want with it? That are some fine guidelines that you must follow. Let's say that you make a copy of that DVD. In this case, you are not breaking the law. You are legally permitted to have a backup for your own personal purposes. Especially if it's a rare DVD - you can have a copy in case you're afraid that something might happen to the original.

So far, that's only part of the story. Again, that duplicated DVD is for your "personal" use. So what if you decide to let a friend borrow that DVD. You have now breaking the law.

Don't take this lightly. I knew a friend that came back from China. At the time, there were tons of bootlegged DVD's. You could find thousands of blockbuster movies that were recently released in the U.S. cinema. This person ended up buying four of these DVD's and packed them in his luggage on his trip back to the U.S.

When he arrived at the airport, they discovered the bootlegs. To make a long story short, he was fined $10,000 for each DVD. So that was a total of $40,000. Who knew if those movies were great or not. It wasn't worth that huge penalty. In fact, he had to sell his home to pay off the fine.

Now that you're informed, it is now up to you to make an educated decision. If you decide to duplicate copyrighted DVD's that you own, make sure that you don't loan them out. You never know what will happen once it get's out of your hands. Even if it's a friend that you trust, who knows if it will be viewed or seen by a person who you don't trust?

Teresa Tam is a frequent user of DVD duplicators. On her site, http://dvdreplication.justinformed.com, you'll find more information on the legal concerns of dvd replication.

Wireless Headsets

Writen by Josh Riverside

Wireless headsets are headphones that are not physically connected to the main device with a wire. These headsets use radio or infrared waves to receive signals from the main source. They provide extremely flexibility to do anything while wearing them-walk, jog, skate or even ski.

Wireless headsets are becoming fairly common even for household use like watching TV or listening to music. Since they are not connected by cords to the main equipment, they allow flexibility to move around and do things like cooking, exercising or any other household chores.

Some wireless headsets use infrared rays for receiving signals, like a remote control. These have a limited range of receiving of a maximum of 30 feet. Cordless headphones, on the other hand, use radio waves. The headset should be adjusted in frequency with the base station so as not to interfere with other devices. These headsets have a greater frequency of up to 2.4 GHz and can reach up to 300 feet.

When buying a wireless headset consider the following: is it comfortable? Does it stay securely in place for long hours? Is the microphone flexible and unobtrusive? Are the volume and other controls easily accessible? Is the sound quality on both the lines clear?

Most wireless headsets these days come with advanced features like standard/voice tube/ noise canceling, the solution type (telephone use/ mobile use/ headset adapter/headset accessory), the kind of ear piece (monaural/binaural), the kind of phone or computer connection to be used with the headset (Bluetooth, USB, 3.5mm/ Analog), the compatibility (to music), the kind of computer usage (VoIP, Computer Gaming), the range of bass/treble, the speaker power, etc. The kind of battery should also be considered since the length of use is dependent on the strength of the battery. Some wireless headsets use rechargeable batteries.

The leading manufacturers of wireless headsets are Plantronics, GN Netcom, Headsets.com, Sennheiser, Jabra, and Sony. The Internet is a good source for locating the ideal wireless headset. There are several web sites that provide comprehensive information about the wide range of wireless headsets available in the market today. Manufacturers also provide the support of online specialists to help you select the best headset, including discounts and warranties.

Headsets provides detailed information about headsets, wireless headsets, phone headsets, aviation headsets and more. Headsets is the sister site of Free Phone Conferencing.

Toshiba Offers You More

Writen by John Gibb

One product area that Toshiba has been doing very well in lately is the DVD player market. This includes normal DVD players and recorders that hook up to a TV, DVD drives that go inside computers, and portable DVD players that can be used to watch films on the go.

When it comes to TV DVD players, Toshiba was part of the original DVD working group that worked together to come up with the format, and had some of the first players on the market. Unlike the cheap clones that have since come out of the Far East, Toshiba DVD players implement the standards consistently and reliably, making sure that all DVDs will play, all the extra features will always work and the picture quality will be the very best that the disc can manage. Although Toshiba DVD players can be expensive, their reputation is second to none, and they are considered by many home cinema fans to be some of the best players available at any price.

Given its mastery of the high-end DVD player market, then, it is understandable that Toshiba has made moves to expand its product offering in this area. As recordable DVDs came on the market, Toshiba was again in the working group and one of the first companies to offer the product. The same goes for portable DVD players, where Toshiba was at the forefront of building a market for them, combining the great DVD playback of their DVD players with the build quality and light weight of their laptops to come up with some of the best portable players out there.

Finally, if you're thinking of buying a new DVD drive for your computer, you would do well to consider getting a Toshiba. Toshibas tend to be able to read DVDs slightly faster than some other brands, and are much more reliable when it comes to burning discs. They are a favourite among computer enthusiasts, as they can copy some discs that other players can't, making them especially good for making backups of copy-protected commercial software.

John Gibb is the owner of Toshiba Laptops sources For more information on Toshiba Laptops check out http://www.Toshiba-Laptops-sources1k.info

Led Lighting Modules Taking The Heat Out Of The Situation

Writen by James Stratford

The appeal of using LEDs in lighting applications is growing rapidly. The numerous and significant benefits of using modules that incorporate a matrix of LEDs are being recognized by design engineers in several key industry sectors, including aerospace, architectural lighting, and the "golden egg" automotive market.

Attributes such as design flexibility, low power consumption, even and reliable light, and long lifetime distinguish LED modules from designs based on traditional filament lamps and fluorescent tubes. LEDs can also have knock-on benefits, such as greatly reducing the size and complexity of the module and simplifying the lens design.

A good example of some other benefits of LED lighting is demonstrated by an application in the cabin of a passenger aircraft. A retrofit LED unit that replaced a fluorescent-tube lighting module enabled finely controlled dimming and also provided mood lighting through the use of differently coloured LEDs.

Thermal management

Perhaps the most challenging issue when realizing a module design that uses LEDs is to manage the temperature of individual device junctions during normal operation. If the considerable amount of heat produced by all the devices in a module is not managed correctly then the junction temperatures may reach a level where the LEDs' expected life is shortened and reliability is compromised (see Links).

LED modules typically comprise a matrix of many surface mount devices. These LEDs are soldered to an etched copper layer that provides the interconnects between the individual LEDs as well as other passive and active components that are required to complete the circuit. The small size of the LEDs and the close proximity with which they can be mounted means that designers have a huge amount of design freedom and can achieve complex lighting patterns with high levels of brightness.

The etched copper circuit is separated from a base plate – usually made of aluminum – by a thermally efficient, electrically isolating dielectric material. The characteristics and capabilities of the dielectric layer are key to the design flexibility and performance of the overall module.

Dielectric materials are made by blending thermally efficient materials such as alumina and boron nitride with other ingredients, to provide a flexible yet resilient coating on the base plate. An important characteristic of the dielectric layer is the amount of electrical isolation it provides between the copper on the topside and the metallic base plate on the underside. This is known as its dielectric strength. A typical dielectric material may possess a dielectric strength of around 800 V/mil and be coated onto the base plate to a thickness of 8–12 mils (1 mil = 1 inch–3 = 25.4 µm).

Dielectric materials used on insulated metal circuit boards usually have a thermal conductivity figure in the region of 3W/mK. This is approximately 10 times the performance achieved by FR4 (flame retardant woven glass reinforced epoxy resin) PCB material.

A further key requirement of the dielectric layer is to be able to compensate for the different coefficients of thermal expansion of the copper track on the topside of the assembly and the aluminum base plate/heat spreader on the bottom side.

Going three-dimensional

Flat sheets of insulated metal circuit board comprising copper foil, a dielectric layer and an aluminum base plate have been available for several years. In the eyes of the forward-thinking LED module designer, the main problem has been that flat sheets of insulated metal circuit board limit them to 2D shapes.

To address this limitation, new dielectric materials are becoming available that have a low modulus, meaning that they are compliant with mechanical stress and strain. These materials not only accommodate the coefficient of expansion of the metal elements of the construction, but also enable parts to be formed into right angles, and even through 360˚. This enables designers to realize complex-shaped designs and ones that form a complete circle with either internal or external copper traces.

When designing with new, formable insulated metal circuit board materials it is possible to route the tracks around corners, which alleviates the need to use connectors and hard wiring. There are several benefits to this, including enhanced reliability resulting from having fewer junctions and interconnects. Despite the slightly higher cost of the new materials, the overall cost is reduced because fewer components are needed, and assembly time is reduced.

Strength and durability

LEDs themselves are inherently durable. Mounting them on metal based circuit boards only serves to enhance their robustness and that of the finished module, providing excellent resistance to vibration and mechanical shock.

Automotive lighting clusters provide a good example of how LED modules can provide superior performance compared with traditional filament lamps. On-vehicle applications experience high levels of vibration and wide operating temperature ranges that can cause premature failure of filament lamps. In some operating conditions LEDs can last up to 100,000 hours, which means that they should not require any attention for the life of the vehicle.

The long life of LEDs also simplifies the designers' task because it is less important to make the lighting module accessible for servicing in the finished product. This can result in a neater, more integrated installation and also in potential cost savings.

Temperature modelling

Thermal analysis software packages are available to help prove LED based module designs before they are committed to manufacture. These software packages gather data from an integrated database about LED performance and specifications along with those of other devices that are mounted on the insulated metal circuit board. This data is combined with other information about elements of the design, including the copper traces, power and ground planes, and vias. The collated information is then processed to produce an accurate representation of the thermal performance of the design.

User-friendly graphical representations of the results enable the design engineer to quickly pinpoint areas that may require attention, right down to component and track level.

Thermal analysis software can bring significant commercial and design benefits by helping speed the time to market and reducing the number of iterations needed to reach a production-ready solution.

James Stratford is the managing director of Universal Science (http://www.universal-science.com), a UK-based company that designs and manufactures a range of thermal materials.

Tel: +44 (0)1908 222211

e-mail: sales@universal-science.com.

Printer Cartridges

Writen by Elizabeth Morgan

There are so many different printer cartridges available. It is up to you to decide which one is most suitable for your printer. When you buy a printer cartridge, make sure you take into account the cost involved in replacing the cartridge.

Printer cartridges come in two types: the combination print head and the ink reservoir cartridge. The combination print head is not economical because the print process is controlled by set circuits and these have to be replaced with every ink replacement. Moreover, they can be refilled only once.

The ink reservoir cartridge is considered economical as the print head is not within the cartridge thereby saving a basic expense. The design is such that compatible units can be produced. Inkjet printers use thermal technology and go by the name of bubble jet printers. Laser jet printers are based on static electricity and the quality is superior to inkjet printers.

While using printers, keep in mind that they should be serviced regularly, that the paper used should be of good quality and that correct installation techniques and aligning instructions are followed.

If you are buying refilled cartridges, look for OEM or original equipment manufacturers like Canon, Epson, Brother, to name a few. The company's name on the product is a sign of its authenticity. Generic cartridges give high quality results and are reliable and they are a cheaper option to their branded counterparts. Some names in this field are Hewlett Packard, Compaq, and Lexmark. Remanufactured cartridges are basically recycled cartridges which pass the required test for proper use.

It is necessary to have some knowledge about printers and their use regarding printing output and cartridges otherwise one may end up buying the wrong cartridge. Since cartridges come in different varieties for different jobs, one must have a clear idea of one's requirements. Accessories can be quite expensive so good research before buying a printer would go a long way in keeping within your budget.

Printer Cartridges provides detailed information on Printer Cartridges, Discount Printer Cartridges, Inkjet Printer Cartridges, Buy Printer Ink Cartridges and more. Printer Cartridges is affiliated with Printer Ink Refills.

Guide To Buying A Desktop Computer

Writen by Andrew Gates

With the rapid pace of technological developments, nothing has become as ubiquitous as the computer. Everyone's got one. And they are used for all manner of endeavour, by people of all walks of life. So, do you simply buy the computer that someone's selling? Or do you do some homework and figure out what detailed specifications are going to make some difference to you?

At Myshopping.com.au you can compare the prices of a wide range of different computers from different vendors and of different specifications. This guide will help you find what you're looking for.



Mac or Windows (PC)

At the outset, you need to decide what you are going to use the computer for. This will help you make the fundamental decision of whether you should go Mac or PC. Although, with the advent of the dual core processor (an Intel chip now used by Mac) the differences are narrowed a little, there are still some choices that can help you favour one system over another. Historically, Mac computers have a reputation for greater stability that comes from a more robust operating system than Windows based computers. Largely for this reason, Macs have been the computer of choice for the graphic design industry, the music production industry and the video production industry. This has prompted the software manufacturers to make professional software packages for these disciplines that favour the Mac operating system. Although they have packages supporting the Windows operating system, they are often less capable.

Consequently, if you are engaged in these industries and need your computer for this type of work, you should consider Mac. Mac computers appear to attract fewer viruses and software malfunctions than do Windows based PCs. On the down side, there has always appeared to have been limited software support for Mac systems.

Another decision that may guide your choice is the aesthetics of the computer. If you have limited available space, there is nothing quite like the iMacs or the mini Macs for space saving. iMac's all-in-one desktop units are compact and complete with all the connectivity you need. However, the look of other brands may be more to your taste, with many models available in compact packages and modern colour schemes to suit practically all dйcor. Now that you've made that basic decision, you can start comparing the apples with apples.
Mac
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional


The Components of Your Computer

The two factors that determine the price of your computer are size (yes it does matter) and speed. Either or both of these two dimensions are a factor of practically every component that makes up the machine. Naturally the highest price tags go with the combination of biggest and fastest.

CPU
The heart of the computer is the CPU (central processing unit). You need to decide which CPU you want driving your computer. These come from different manufacturers, and the current development of the technology is called Dual Core, which means that there are two processors on the one chip. Dual Core technology delivers more performance with less energy requirements. Intel and AMD are the two leading CPU manufacturers, and they offer different products under different names.

Current processing speeds range from about 1.4 GHz (gigahertz) through to 3.46 GHz. But it is not simply just a matter of speed. There are other considerations. Mac Operating Systems have a different architecture to Windows and will perform many functions faster with a slower speed CPU. A dual core chip at 1.4 GHz will deliver a better performance that a Pentium 4 chip at 1.8 GHz. A 1.4 GH dual core chip running a Mac with OSX Tiger, will perform better than a 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor running Windows. You need to decide what you want your computer to do, what your major software requirements are before you decide on the CPU processor.

However, for everyday use, a processor faster than 1.8 GHz will deliver excellent performance. As a rough rule of thumb, choose a Celeron for low cost computing, a Pentium 4 for mid-range budgets, or an AMD Athlon for bigger budgets. You can compare computers based on Pentium, Celeron, Athlon or Dual Core CPUs by searching those specifications on Myshopping.com.au and finding different vendors and brands using different processors.

RAM
This is where bigger definitely means better performance. RAM is the system memory that enables the computer to use its programs and swap data between the hard drive and the program functions. It's important to match the speed of the RAM of your computer with the speed of the CPU. The more RAM you have available for your programs to work, the faster will your computer run. Most computers today come with at least 256 M (megabytes) of RAM. But memory is a relatively cheap component, and it costs little extra to upgrade to 512 M or greater.

HARD DRIVE
For a detailed explanation of hard drives, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Hard Disc Drives.

The hard drive of the computer stores your program files and your data. As computers have advanced, so has the need for more capacity to operate programs and store data. People working in media fields tend to work with very large files and require large storage space. Most computers in today's market come with a minimum of 40G of hard drive space. However, this can be upgraded (usually in 20G chunks) to as much as 200G or more. The effectiveness of your hard drive also can depend on its physical speed (5400-7200 RPM) and the speed at which it can transfer data between the computer's RAM and the hard drive. Faster means better performance.

REMOVABLE MEDIA
You will want to have a CD-R or (CD-RW) drive installed in your computer, and or possibly a DVD or DVD-R. For reading a CD ROM, all that is required is a CD drive and for watching DVD movies, a DVD ROM drive. However with a CD-R drive, you can record your own data and music CDs, and with a DVD-R drive, you can burn files in a DVD format, allowing you to store movies and data in far greater quantities. The CD-RW (DVD-RW) drives allow you to use re-recordable media. Your decision will depend on what you want to use your media drives for and what you want to store.

Other removable media will possibly include flash card storage, which is usually plugged in via the USB ports on the computer.

MONITORS
For a detailed explanation of monitors, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Monitors.

The monitor for your computer is integral to its function and aesthetics. If you are working in graphics you may want to stay with a CRT monitor. However most bundle offers these days are supplied with LCD monitors, which have the advantages of smaller space requirements, use lower energy and offer wider screen images. However they generally are more expensive (although prices are dropping everyday), can frequently be not as bright, have limited viewing angles and sometimes require a digital interface connector.

For graphics intensive work, LCD screens do not have the same capacity to render colours in gradients as CRT monitors. Once again, size matters. Bigger screens cost more than smaller ones.

VIDEO AND SOUND
For a detailed explanation of video cards, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Video Cards.

The interface between the CPU and the Monitor is provided by the video card. One of the basic decisions you need to make is whether you require a 3D or 2D card. Video cards come in two different types: those that use an AGP (accelerated graphics port) on the computer motherboard and those that use the PCI bus. Data transfer rate is critical to video performance. Faster video cards use an AGP, and this proves a faster data transfer than PCI cards. Most video cards also have their own video memory installed on the card, a feature that increases a computer's memory performance. Today, these memories are often 128M or 256M, and can be more in the higher-end cards dedicated to sophisticated video work or gaming. Video cards performance is also affected by what is known as clock speed or clock rate, cards with a faster speed offer faster performance.

Cheaper computers, and laptops and notebooks, have an integrated graphics chip included in the motherboard instead of a discrete video card. This type of configuration is not as powerful or as fully functional as having a separate video card, which can allow more comprehensive gaming, the use of multiple monitors and faster and better rendering of images.

For a computer to reproduce the sounds recorded in games, movies and music products it requires a sound card. Quality of sound can be affected by the sound card your computer has installed. It's important that you know how you want to use the sound reproduction processes of your computer. If you are a musician and want to record audio, then you will want to be sure that you have excellent connectivity, good midi access and at least 16-bit (CD quality) audio reproduction. Sound cards give you the possibilities of full cinema surround sound, and the many subtle effects employed by high-end games.

Nearly every computer comes with a set of stereo speakers. However it pays to have a good listen to what you're buying. Make sure you listen to program that you are familiar with (take your own CD along) and compare the sound in a quiet environment. Many speaker systems for computers have poor frequency response and are underpowered. For desktop use that does not involve a quality listening environment this may be satisfactory. But if you want to listen to music and watch movies for the full effect, then you need to consider buying a good quality set of speakers. Use the search facility of Myshopping.com.au to compare specifications and prices of different speaker systems.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
The choice of keyboard and mouse are personal choices. Sometimes it depends on what you do on your computer, whether you have formal typing skills or whether you're a two-finger hack. Serious writers may prefer an ergonomic keyboard. Keyboards frequently have different clicks and responses to others. You may prefer an infrared cordless keyboard and mouse. You may prefer an optical mouse on which you don't have to clean the rollers. Optical mice have no rollerball, and can be used on most flat surfaces, but they are more expensive.

CONNECTIVITY
Today, connectivity is everything. Your computer can have wireless connections to all of your peripherals: printer, scanner, and other computers. Having an onboard modem will only be really important if you are using a dial up internet connection. Broadband modems tend to be peripherals and you can connect via USB, wireless or firewire. It does pay to consider how you will connect to the internet and other peripherals. It's not always convenient to get behind your computer to plug something in or unplug it. Some sound cards have a front face panel with all the connections you need. The USB ports on Macs are conveniently located. Many PC manufacturers haven't caught on to the fact that it's important for some people to easily access the connections to their computers.

To compare the different bundle offers from different brands, and to compare the different components by their specifications, search the Myshopping.com.au database for exactly the specifications you are seeking. You can compare prices and vendors, and order what you need online with a few clicks.

Andrew Gates for comparison online shopping service MyShopping.com.au. MyShopping.com.au helps you compare the different computers from different brands in terms of specifications and accessories. You can also compare prices from hundreds of different brands and vendors.

Dualcore Processor Wars Amd X2 Vs Intel Pentium D

Writen by Peter Stewart

There's a war going on and the latest battle continues to offer the promise of good prices to consumers looking for the best stuff for their computer.

Since the inception of dual-core processors a little while back the race has been on to see who can get the better chip with this dual-core processor technology.

During the final days of the single-core battles, there was a stalemate between AMD and Intel. Intel's clocked higher but were unable to match the speeds that the AMD managed at lower clock speeds.

The oldest difference between them has been their suitability for specific tasks. AMD have had the gaming sector in the bag, especially in terms of the value for money possible with their lower clocked chips, which could be overclocked to the same speeds as their top models. Intel has the crown for general performance. When it comes to office related tasks, Intel processors are able to outperform AMD chips in these areas.

As the ability to clock the chips any higher became more and more difficult technically, the next step was to just add another core, theoretically allowing twice as much number crunching in a dual-core processor. This is not exactly how it works however.

Modern operating systems and programs have not been designed with multiple-core or dual-core processors in mind. They were designed to make use of one core on one processor. The major expense that went with multiple processor computers was the circuitry needed to split tasks up amongst the processors and sharing cache.

Dual-core processors simply act like two places for tasks to go. Instead of single tasks getting split up and performed in two different places, as is the case with traditional single core processors, single threads get split up amongst the cores. This essentially means that each program gets assigned to a core.

Because of this there is absolutely no increase in speed for gaming from dual-core processor chips. Only once the games themselves have been programmed to take advantage of dual-core processors will there be a difference. This is due to the intensive nature of games and the number crunching needed for intense graphics, which for now cannot be split over multiple cores in dual-core processors.

So back to the battlefield.

AMD were the first to introduce their dual-core processor solution to a desktop computer. This gave them a slight lead over Intel. Despite this, AMD gave people a bit of a surprise with their new offering.

Always having been renowned for giving far more than expected for the price, these new dual-core processors were very expensive. Part of what managed to give AMD a hold in a market previously dominated by Intel was their good pricing. This shock did not go down well with consumers.

To add insult to injury, Intel's dual-core processor offerings came in at remarkably good value. Both of their initial dual-core processors cost less than AMD's lowest priced model. That's right, AMD's cheapest dual-core processor cost more than Intel's most expensive. This definitely put the ball in Intel's court and was downright disappointing for AMD fans.

AMD did manage to introduce a cheaper model to compete better with the Intel offerings. Despite this, Intel was still the forerunner in this area.

Performance remains an area that is sketchy.

With the relatively new technology involved it is hard to draw a clear conclusion on who is faster. With operating systems only recently oriented towards fully utilizing dual-core processor technology, it is still new territory. Both offer increased performance, but as to who will rule the roost, we'll have to see.

For the meantime it would probably be advisable to just watch. Being a cautious buyer I prefer to buy into a sure thing, once things have settled down, prices will balance out and all the related technology will be in place. Then we will be able to get a true opinion on where to put your hard earned cash.

Get the most honest and useful reviews and Dual-core processor reviews at our Desktop Computer Hardware Reviews site or get practical computer buying tips at our Computer Buying Guide site

Just The Fax Mam

Writen by James Snyder

For years, I smugly prided myself as a non-fax machine person. I felt it beneath my dignity to own such a technical contraption. The quill is more my style than a computer but, being practical, I reluctantly use a computer, casting wistful glances at the dust gathering on my quill.

Unfortunately, in the world in which we live, it is necessary to fax some letters or documents to someone in some odd part of the world. I don't like it, but that's just the way it is.

On the rare occasion when I must fax some document at an office supply store, I usually sneak in the back way. It has been my experience, when the fax man seeth me cometh, he always raises the price per page. This is just a small service he does for Yours Truly.

Then, when paying for this service, the fax man usually says with an impish grin, "When are you going to get a fax machine of your own?"

I always flash a smile back at him, but if he knew the thoughts in my head, he would charge me more per page. Silence truly is golden, especially for the person exercising the virtue.

Actually, I don't trust machines. I know a mind somewhere is controlling all of these machines — a menacing, mischievous mind dedicated to the simple task of messing up my life.

When I eventually break down and buy a fax machine someone will invent something to replace it and I'll have another antique on my hands to put alongside of my Underwood typewriter and boxes of 8-track tapes.

This notwithstanding, I ended up buying a fax machine several weeks ago. I didn't want to, but I had no choice in the matter.

My printer finally went the way of all printers. I hated to see it go. The left side was cracked where Noah, the original owner, dropped it. For years, it served me quite well. My next printer will have a big ink cartridge to fill.

I hate buying replacement equipment. Rarely is the new any better than the old, just more expensive, not to mention complicated. But, necessity is the stepmother of all complications in life, and I set out to buy a new printer.

I resolutely did not want to buy a fax machine. Under no circumstance did I want to buy a fax machine. Therefore, I ended up buying a fax machine.

It is impossible to buy a printer anymore. In order to buy a printer you must buy a machine that prints/copies/scans/faxes. I think it's a pretty sneaky way to get me to buy a fax machine. Someone "out there" is set on me owning a fax machine even though I don't want to own one.

This new machine does everything but vacuum the interior of my car. But it was the cheapest machine I could find.

I bought the machine but determined not to use the fax part. After all, somebody has to stand up for what they believe. Not everybody should succumb to the latest trend.

I was doing fine until ending up in the hospital. When I got out, I needed to fax a document to the hospital. Now I faced a taxing dilemma.

Do I go to the office store and fax my document, or do I try out my new printer/copier/scanner/fax machine?

Precedence finally gave way to convenience. I took my document to my new machine and figured out how to fax it to the hospital.

Not being confident in my technical knowledge, I called the hospital office to check on the faxed document. Much to my surprise the person on the other end said in a very cheery voice, "Yes, I have the faxed document right here in my hand."

I must admit, although I hate doing so, faxing from my house was much easier than going to the office store.

I now knew how to fax a document anywhere in the world, but I had nothing to fax to anyone in the world. I just stood there looking at my machine trying to think of something to fax.

Even though I knew how to fax a document, I still did not know how to receive a fax.

Several days ago, a friend called and said he had a document he wanted me to have right away. He then asked the ominous question, "Do you have a fax machine?"

I began to say no, but hesitated and confessed I had a fax machine but did not know how to receive faxes. It was humiliating to make such a confession, but it was true.

"It's simple," he said, "hang up the phone and I'll dial again and let the machines talk to one another."

This caused no small discomfort. To think these machines are talking to one another behind my back is most disturbing. What are they saying about me behind my back?

Now that I come to think about it, I have heard sounds similar to snickering coming from the general direction of my printer/scanner/copier/fax machine. I don't mind Big Brother watching over me, but I do mind some machine making jokes with other machines about me.

When it comes to "new things," God is the master. This is what He promises to do for us. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV.)

Put that in your printer and fax it.

Reverend Snyder is currently ministering at the "Family of God Fellowship" in Ocala, Florida. More of his articles are available for reprint at his website: http://www.godspenman.com/ Rev. Snyder is available as a guest speaker. He writes a weekly column and is the author of "You Can Always Tell a Pastor; But Not Very Much" available at: http://www.jamessnyderministries.com/

Advantages Of Discount Laptops

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Used or refurbished electronics are better than new ones for some excellent reasons. Companies such as IBM, Dell, Compaq, HP, and Gateway are known for making high quality laptop computers. Each company is a reliable manufacturer of quality goods and is highly competitive in the market. Giving the customer exactly what they want, making top-notch products, and offering repairs in cases where the products are defective are a few options to be provided to the customer. Every company spends a lot to advertise their new product. However, when the product is refurbished they do not advertise it, thus saving that money.

Products being reconditioned must pass a thorough examination. After repairing any defect and sanitizing if required, the product is repackaged either by the original manufacturer or a reputable professional outside firm may perform the reconditioning, returning the products to like-new new condition. Every refurbished laptop sold must meet the original manufacturers standards and must maintain high quality standards. Each item is checked multiple times for proper working condition and quality. Reconditioned goods usually have a very low cost of return.

Lots of money can be saved by purchasing remanufactured goods. Savings can go up to 50%~60% of the original cost. A refurbished laptop computer will have the same technology and features as a brand new mobile computing device, except for the price. Refurbished laptops are also offered the best value in extended warranty and support programs. Buying refurbished computers or used laptops allow saving money and still owning a feature-rich, quality computer or laptop with a manufacturer's warranty included.

Some discount computer stores excel in delivering quality, name brand refurbished laptop computers. They constantly have more used laptops, computers, monitors, and printers that have been refitted and approved for sale by manufacturers such as HP, Dell, Compaq, Gateway, IBM, and Sony.

It is suggested to also consider if the LAN card, CD Writer, DVD Player, DVD-CDRW (although these might depend on personal preference), 56K modem, IrDa (Infrared), and Bluetooth are available when choosing a cheap laptop, since they are usually provided with all the present laptops. Also, it is advised to always check the upgradeability of the laptop.

Discount Laptops provides detailed information about discount laptops, discount laptop batteries, and more. Discount Laptops is affiliated with Live Spy Cam.

Your Common Questions And Answers On Your Inkjet Cartridges Are Now Ready For Your Review

Writen by Joseph Mercado

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 Motivational Marketer. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on marketing inkjet cartridges; http://www.InkSecretsRevealed.com

How To Purchase A Flat Panel Tv

Writen by Philip Liu

When purchasing a flat panel TV, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here, we've listed a number of considerations for you to evaluate.

High Definition Upgradeable or HDTV-Ready

If you see either of these terms used when deciding to purchase a flat screen TV, it means that the TV is capable of producing the highest resolutions possible for digital television today. "Upgradeable" means that you'll need to first add a separate HDTV receiver before you can view the pictures in high definition mode (1080i or 720p). But, even if you don't upgrade, the picture will still look fantastic. When watching regular DVDs or TV broadcasts, the picture will be almost as good as real HDTV because most have line-doublers to improve the picture.

16:9 Aspect Ratio

Unlike conventional televisions, new plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions most likely have a wide, rectangular screen that is very similar to the shape of a movie screen. This is known as 16:9 aspect ratio—for every 16 inches wide, the screen is 9 inches high. Compared to conventional TVs, which are 4:3 in aspect ratio, the field of vision is wider for a new flat screen TV.

When watching DVDs at home on a 16:9 wide-screen television, you will be able to enjoy the full screen effect of the movie the way it was intended. On the other hand, when watching regular, standard definition television (like a news broadcast or talk show), you will need to either set the television to fill the screen entirely or watch with vertical black bars on either side of the picture.

Finally, remember that even though most television broadcasts are in 4:3 format, 16:9 widescreen format is the way of the future. Many events are shot in HDTV format (for example, the Olympics, special sporting events, nature documentaries, etc.) and as more and more people purchase high definition television, all broadcasts will be in high definition within the next few years.

Reverse 3:2 Pulldown

Television shows are usually shot on film at 24 frames per second. When transferred to video running at 30 frames per second, the picture quality is distorted in the translation. New televisions are able to correct those distortions through a series of reconversion techniques which reverse the distortions. The result is a smoother and cleaner picture.

When looking to buy a new plasma, LCD or rear-projection television, look for this feature.

3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter

The 3D Y/C digital comb filter's job is to take the cable signal coming from the wall and separate the color, sound, brightness information into useable information. New plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions have digital 3D Y/C comb filters that do a pretty good job of this so as to avoid what is know as "dot crawl" where the edges of objects appear rough. In addition, a good digital comb filter will also counter the effects of moiré, where still objects appear to move and ripple.

Most high end plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions also have component inputs from video sources (such as a DVD player) that separate the signal before reaching the TV and bypass the digital comb filter. This results in an even clearer and brighter picture.

Picture-in-Picture

Picture-in-Picture (or PIP) allows you to watch two shows at once, with the second show in a box in a part of the screen. PIP is fairly common these days to all sorts of televisions. However, consider getting a dual tuner PIP plasma, LCD or projection television since that allows you to watch the second channel without needing an external tuner (for example, from a vcr). In addition, there are also TVs that will show different channels side by side—these are called twin view PIP TVs.

Inputs

"Inputs" refer to how related audio/visual components connect to your plasma, LCD or rear-projection television. The highest video quality input is known as "component video". With component video inputs, the color and brightness information from the cable is separated into useable data before entering the television. The next best input is S-video input which give a picture almost as good as component video—whereas component video separates brightness, blue signal and red signal from each other, S-video just separates brightness from blue and red signals.

All new plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions will also have inputs for various multimedia devices such as DVD players. In addition, some will allow you to connect a computer.

(c) 2005 Philip Liu - All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Philip Liu is a freelance author and publisher currently based in New York City. Philip publishes regularly on his websites dealing with cell phone reviews and news and plasma, LCD TV reviews and news.

Nvidia Graphic Card Ge Force 6600 Gt Review

Writen by Kirk Jensen

This is an in-depth review of the Nvidia Graphic Card Geforce 6600 GT as it compares to last generation top-notch cards and low-end current tech cards.

(PRWEB) April 17, 2006 -- This review is taken from experts at Anandtech. To start with it is good to distinguish the difference between the AGP and PCI Express versions of the Nvidia graphic card for the Geforce 6600 GT series. First the Geforce 6600 GT for the AGP has an auxiliary power counter, which is not present in the PCI version because it can take up to 75 watts of power from a PCI express X16 slot. Also motherboards are only an option for the PCI slots not the AGP slots.

Until now, we didn't have a good midrange card with the latest technology on it for an affordable price. Those how wanted good performance and a reasonable price went with older cards that where cheap as time went on. This was fine but consumers lost out on staying on top of the lastest technologies available to them with newer cards. This problem is especially present with Nvidi's release of the Shader Model 3.0 support. FarCry is a good example of the lack of Shader Model 3.0 support with older Nvidia graphic cards.

The key marketing factor for the Nvidia Geforce 6600 series aside from it features is its performance and price. All the feature with the Geforce 6600 series promises amazing value.

What Anandech did was a comparison of the latest and most demanding games with a heavy focus on PS2.0 to see how it stacked up against current and previous version of ATI and Nvidia graphic cards.

The Test

As a comparison point Anandech took the ATI X600 XT, but this doesn't give a trully good comparison, the only way to get a good comparison is by comparing both AGP and PCI cards. One such comparison with Doom 3 uses a source engine AGP benchmark which ran on a over clocked Nvidia graphic card FX 5300, so that are not as comparable to the rest of the world.

Anandech felt this was a good setup because of the fact that PCI express systems will have to compete with AGP systems. So as long as the processor has enough power to keep it from becoming a large bottleneck they will have a clue about the graphic cards performance.

The Test Setup

The Geforce 6600 GT did very will and scored in a dead heat with the Geforce 6800 and ATI X800 pro. The games in which the test was done are the following: Doom 3, FryCry, Halo, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, and Unreal Tournament 2004.

Doom 3 Performance

The Geforce 6600 GT scores high with the PCI express systems, but falls short compared to more powerful card as resolution increased beyond 1024 X 768 and AA is turned on. The resolution where lower then other test because Doom 3 is a very taxing game.

FarCry

The Geforce 6600 GT scored very well until it hit 1600 X 1200 without AA/AF, with the AA enable it dropped greatly in performance.

Halo Performance

Regardless of the resolution the Geforce 6600 GT scores between the Geforce 6800 and AT X800 Pro.

Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy Performance

Very strong performance until the AA and AF were enabled. Also this test shows that the Nvidia Geforce 6600 GT is perfectly capable of filling the gap the top of line, latest generation graphic cards.

Unreal Tournament 2004 Performance

This demo was very graphic intensive and stressed the cards more then other above games. The number show that the Nvidia Geforce 6600 keeps up with the lower performing current generation cards and out performs in most cases the last generation high end cards.

Final Words

The Geforce 6600 GT give a very high showing in the market. The card keeps up with some of the lower end high end cards (6800 and X800 Pro) at lower resolutions below 1600x1200 without AA and AF enabled. This alone should be enough to sell any normal gamer on the card. Especially that the two previous generation cards (6800 and X800 Pro) go for at least $300 anywhere Anandech could find them, this makes the 6600 GT a much better buy. On top of that, previous generation cards that go for $200 will be much less performing still. This is great for hardcore gamers who just doesn't have $300 to $500 to spend will be very satisfied with a 6600 GT. If they have the $200 in the budget, and PCI Express is a necessity, the Geforce 6600 GT is absolutely the way to go.

For more blogs like this one please visit: http://www.gameznstuff.com/blog

Kirk Jensen Owner of http://www.gameznstuff.com, http://www.gameznstuff.net Internet coaching advisor

Bar Code Label Printers

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Bar codes improve data management significantly, and almost every business is using very advanced versions of this technology today. Bar codes speed up data collection considerably by storing significant amounts of data digitally in small black lines that can be easily machine-read. Better printing technology, label materials, scanning systems and wireless communication systems have made bar codes even more indispensable.

Bar code label printers are generally the most common dot matrix, laser, and ink jet and thermal printers. Dot matrix printers are one of the oldest printers used for printing bar codes. In these printers, the lines are built dot-by-dot as a solenoid-driven needle strikes an ink ribbon, transferring the ink to the paper. These printers are inexpensive, can print any form and are easily accessible. However, the quality dot matrix printer is unacceptable today. Ink jet printers are one of the most commonly used printers, especially for high-speed applications. They can also be used to print directly onto a carton where a label has already been affixed.

However, they are suitable for only high-speed printing and may not be very cost-effective for small-scale bar code printing operations. Ink jet clogging, limited barcode resolution, "bleeding" ink, and poor contrasts are some of the disadvantages. Laser printers are quite good as far as the quality of the print is concerned. They have very good resolutions and can scan quite well. However, they cannot effectively print smaller labels. The adhesive on the labels has to be good enough to take the heat and pressure from the printer as most label adhesive tend to melt. Thermal printers for bar coding are of two types: direct printing and thermal transfer.

Bar code printers have to be analyzed on the basis of: quality of the print, readability, initial installation cost, speed, long-term maintenance cost, materials waste. Each of these printers has different results. Thermal label printers score well on all aspects except for material waste. They are most suitable for applications that have variable data fields, point-of application systems, varying label sizes, graphical and scalable text fonts, and high-definition bar codes. They are also compact, quiet, and have lower operating costs.

Today, there are special bar code label printers available with various options like different print modes, label cutter, liner take-up, peel, rewind, tear, real-time clock (for printing time and expiration dates); alerts for maintenance; portability, compatibility with parallel; serial, USB, wired or wireless Ethernet, twinax or coax cables; memory for storing frequently used data; font options like styles and colors; multi-lingual options; sensors and many more. These printers are also compatible with different sizes and materials of labels, including water-resistant, fabric or acrylic.

Prices of bar code label printers start at $300 for a basic printer and may go beyond $3000 for one with all the works. Most of them come with all the required software and tools.

Label Printers provides detailed information on Label Printers, Bar Code Label Printers, Color Label Prints, CD Label Printers and more. Label Printers is affiliated with Record Labels.

Inkjet Paper

Writen by Richard Romando

Inkjet printers are common equipment both for the house and the office. They are fast, cheap, efficient and produce professional-looking results. Aside from the proprietary inks that you use for these printers, manufacturers also provide you with specialized papers to give you the best quality printouts. Manufacturers claim that original printer papers give you the advantage of sharper text quality and brilliantly colored images, which make office presentations, business proposals and school reports much more impressive.

The most commonly used paper is 28-pound 8½" x 11' matte finished paper. However, you can opt to use higher grained papers. Manufacturers sell these in packs of 200 sheets at around $20 per pack.

If you need larger sized paper, you can also acquire 32-pound 11" x 17" paper with the same matte finish. You can purchase them in packs of 100 sheets at $30.

You can also produce your own brochures or flyers by printing them on paper that has a glossy finish on both sides, giving it a more professional feel. This paper is thicker than the regular types of paper, preventing the ink from showing through to the other side. You can purchase it in 8½" x 11" or 11" x 17" sizes, in packs of 50 sheets, at $13 and $20, respectively.

If you want to print your own photos on your inkjet printer, you can purchase photo paper in 4" x 6", 5" x 7" and 4" x 12" sizes for panoramic photos or 8½" x 11? paper for full-page photo printing. This special photo paper is designed to resist water, smears and smudges. You can purchase 4" x 6" and 8" x 11" photo paper in packs of 100 sheets for $12 and $30, respectively. Panoramic 4" x 12" photo paper is sold in packs of 20 sheets for $15, while the 5" x 7" paper is sold in packs of 60 sheets for $20.

You can also purchase specialized papers like photo cards to print holiday greeting cards, mailing labels, banner papers and iron-on transfers.

Inkjets provides detailed information on Inkjets, Inkjet Cartridges, Inkjet Printers, Color Inkjets and more. Inkjets is affiliated with Inkjet Printer Cartridges.

The Hard Drive Buyers Guide

Writen by Steve Jones

As home computers become more advanced, and our uses for them become more complex, the need for higher performance and capacity hard drives increases. It is now possible to choose hard drives with vastly different capacities and rotational speeds, making things more confusing for the consumer.

Thankfully for consumers the hard drive market is extremely competitive and the price at which a high capacity hard drive can be bought is quite astounding. Now that broadband internet is common place, with more and more people downloading music and movies, the need for high specification hard drives has never been greater.

When choosing a new hard drive it is important to consider What you use your computer for. Those who just use their home pc for basic requirements such as word processing and surfing the internet will not need to spend as much on their hard drive as someone who may use music applications or lots of games. When buying a hard drive also try and anticipate any future requirements also.

Lets consider the following hard drive specifications:

1)Capacity

2)Rotational speed

3)Buffer size and transfer rates

In terms of capacity, hard drives can range from 30 - 300 GB. 40 GB hard drives are fairly standard these days. If all you will be using your PC for is to run a few basic software applications and games then this will provide you with plenty of space. But as most people these days are generally also using their home computer to store lots of music, videos and photos, I would strongly recomend buying something between 60 - 120 GB capacity. With hard drives being relatively cheap these days it is better to buy something that will continue to provide storage in the future, than go for a smaller option now and have to upgrade sooner.

The second factor we really need to consider is the rotational speed of the hard drives. This has become a big selling point for manufacturers. The speed is measured in revolutions per minute and you will find figures such as 5400RPM, 7200RPM, 10000RPM, 15000RPM quoted by the hard drive manufacturers. Hard drives work by reading information from rotating magnetic platters as they rotate, hence the faster the rotating speed, the quicker the information is read. There is a down side to faster rotating speeds though, and that is wear and tear. The faster a hard drive spins the quicker it will wear out and it will also be more vulnerable to crashes. Rotational speed is really important, so if your going to be using your PC for music or gaming then you need to buy a 7200RPM drive. If its just for basic usage then a 5400RPM drive will suffice. Again as the price difference between 7200RPM and 540RPM drives is minimal, you may consider opting for the faster speed as this will not need upgrading as soon.

The buffer size and transfer rates will not be of importance to many people, and only need to be considerd by people building dedicated games machines or for high end music applications. The buffer is used as a temporary store for data and the larger the buffer size the better your pc will operate. It is possible to buy hard drives with a buffer size of 8MB. Its best to buy a drive with as large a buffer as you can afford. The same is true for transfer rates, buy the drive with the highest transfer rate that you can afford.

This buyers guide should have covered all the points you need to consider when purchasing your new hard drive, but if you want more information then plenty is avaiable on the internet. For further information please visit our site.

Steve Jones has worked with computers all his life and is now using his knowledge to write articles for http://www.officialharddrive.com.

Basic Inkjet Printer Care And Maintenance And Ink Related Troubleshooting

Writen by Christy Berger

The printer is the one computer component that requires the most attention, though the importance of regular maintenance is often overlooked. Your printer is the single conduit between concept and creation --- the device that brings your virtual media into the physical world.

In this article I will provide tips to maximize your print quality and introduce you to regular maintenance procedures. This information is provided to assist you in consistently producing quality prints and to extend the life of your printer.

Whether you use your ink jet printer frequently or infrequently, to improve and lengthen your printer's life it is essential to ensure that it is clean, running smoothly and is clog free. It is recommended that you clean your printer thoroughly every 6 months for optimal performance based on how often the printer is used. Also, if you have pets it is a good idea to blow the printer with compressed air from time to time as dust and hair take their toll over time.

Keep in mind that the maintenance processes consumes ink, so only perform it when necessary or swap out your ink with inexpensive cleaning cartridges to conserve your ink levels. The maintenance tools can be accessed through the printer driver or control center. Once the cycle begins it is imperative that you run the complete cycle before restarting the printer.

•Check the Nozzle: Are you experiencing a faint print quality or are certain colors failing to print? You will need to run your nozzle pattern check utility. If the printout still shows gaps you will need to clean the nozzles.

•Clean the Print Heads: If your nozzle check indicates that your print heads are clogged, it will be necessary to run the cleaning utility which removes the blockages. Occasionally it may be necessary to perform the cleaning utility more than once to remove the blockage. Also, some printers have a built in 'deep cleaning' option that you may need to perform.

•Align the Print Heads: If the lines and colors are out of sync or there is banding, it may be necessary to align your print heads. This can be done by choosing the 'alignment' option on your printer's utility menu.

If cleaning and aligning do not solve your problem, you will have to contact the original manufacturer to assess the cost of the repair. If your printer isn't covered by a warranty you should weigh the repair cost versus the cost of a new printer. Sometimes a new printer equipped with new cartridges is the most logical alternative.

Christy Benger is a Senior Customer Service Representative at PrintCountry Printer Ink . More information about this article could be found at Discount Printer Ink Cartridges Care