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Everything you need to choose the right printer

Instant Ink or Instant Profit?

HP has a new program called Instant Ink. The premise seems quite ingenious: Instead of paying a small fortune for ink cartridges, and having to remember to order cartridges before you run out of ink, for a small monthly fee your HP printer can talk to HP and HP will send you cartridges before you…
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A Brief History of Computer Printers

Computers have been around for about 75 to 80 years, depending on who you ask. ENIAC, the Atanasoff Berry Computer, Colossus, maybe something else. But computer printers have been around longer! Yes that’s right, the first computer printers were built before the first computers. Teletypes Teletype machines were initially designed as a way to make…
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Separate Devices or Multifunction?

In the old days, printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines were 4 separate devices. But for many years it has been easy – and inexpensive – to get one machine that cna do it all. But should you? Let’s look at some of the differences, advantages and disadvantages of each type of machine. What Do…
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Toner and Ink Alternatives

Cartridges Cost a LOT One of the biggest costs in computer printing – often far greater than paper and the cost of the printer itself – is toner (for laser printers) or ink (for inkjet printers). Manufacturers are heading to the razor and blades model – sell the printer cheap and make money on the…
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Why PDF?

Everyone has heard of PDF – the Adobe Portable Document Format. But what is a PDF file, why are PDF files so popular, and how does that affect choosing the right printer? What is a PDF file? A PDF file is a document format created by Adobe that can include text, images, fonts and other…
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Scanning in the Fast Lane

One of the most useful office machines today is the multi-function machine, which is either a printer/scanner/copier or a printer/scanner/copier/fax. The scanning and copying can use a flat bed or an automatic document feeder (ADF). Almost all machines include a flat bed, which is great for scanning original pictures, books, newspapers, magazines and any other…
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Printer TCO – Cost per Page and more

For most people buying a printer, whether for business or personal use, cost is a factor. Unlike buying a new car, where the cost of the car is typically a much bigger factor in total cost of ownership than gas mileage, with a printer the consumables cost (ink or toner and other items) is often…
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Connecting Your Printer

Most printers are connected using USB, Wired Network or Wireless (WiFi) Network. There are some other current options such as Bluetooth or NFC (near-field communication) and some older connections (serial, parallel) but for most people with most printers it will be USB, wired network or wireless network. Many printers include all 3 options, so what…
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