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Motion Detector Technology
Motion detectors are in use all around us in both residential and commercial locations. There are many common uses for motion detectors that most people find convenient and helpful in very common, everyday situations, and there will be some new and ...
Optical Wireless Security
IntroductionNetwork security is one of the major concerns for any business or organization transporting sensitive and confidential information over the network. Such network security concerns involve the lowest network layer, typically referred to asthe ...
Satellite Radio Showdown: Sirius vs XM Radio
The advancement of technology has seen the introduction of many new and exciting gadgets and services over the years: video recorders have been replaced by DVDs; record players with CD players and MP3s; and terrestrial television channels have been ...
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The early 1960's brought the next major printing improvement with the use of cathode ray tubes (CRT) being used for photocomposition. Today, most functions in advanced composition systems--justification of lines, hyphenation of words, and calculations of page depths--are handled by computer.
With the computer age came dot-matrix printers, first for the office and then becoming affordable for home use. Now, affordable, high-quality digital printers have become available, at reasonable prices, for use in the home or office. We have certainly come a long way with printing devices over the centuries. Today, a printer is one of the essential peripherals you will need for your computer. The difficulty in buying the right one is complicated by the fact that are so many types, models and features from which to choose.
The best approach when buying any major item is to educate yourself. Start slowly, you don't need to become a Canon or an HP expert. You simply need to know some of the terminology so you do not feel overwhelmed by the meaningless technical jargon used by some salesmen who are more concerned about a commission than your personal needs as a customer.
Some important terms to know include: inkjet, laser, dpi, cpi (characters per inch), impact printers, optical density, nozzle, cartridge, cpp (cost per page), cps (characters per second), and toner.
Three different technologies dominate in the field of personal printers: inkjet, laser, and to a lesser extent, LED (light-emitting diode). Using replaceable cartridges that spray fine droplets of ink, personal inkjet are the least expensive, but print slowly. Laser printers use a process similar to that of
a photocopier: a light-sensitive drum rolls charged black toner onto the paper. This produces crisp, fast printouts, but the machines are more expensive to purchase.
Before comparing prices of specific brand or models, first decide whether you want ink jet or laser. Your choice should be determined by the jobs you plan to send to the printer. Lasers still win the speed contest, while ink jets offer an important advantage of color printing. In the past, the choice was fairly consistent: lasers were used in the office, while inkjets were purchased for home use. Fortunately, with the rapidly changing technology, prices for both types of printers have been reduced enough to make it possible to purchase one of each, if you absolutely need both color and high-quality text.
Another decision to be made before shopping would be your resolution needs. Resolution--the sharpness or the clearness of the image--is measured in Dots Per Inch (dpi). A basic definition required for different uses is as follows: general-purpose txt: 300 dpi; higher quality text and graphics: 600 dpi; photo-quality images: 1,200 dpi; professional quality photos: 2,400 dpi. Be aware that resolution rating do not tell the whole story. Most vendors design their own techniques for enhancing resolutions through software algorithms. Consequently, some 600 dpi printers will produce images equal to a 1,200 dpi printer.
Other important considerations should be speed--pages per minute (ppm); ink/toner configuration; paper capacity and handling; the connection type (will it interface with your computer); driver software; media (can it handle glossary photo paper, card stock and envelopes); construction; the amount of space it takes at your work space; and certainly, price. Surprisingly, printers are now available under $70. Whatever your budget, with a little comparison shopping, you can find the printer that is right for your particular situation at an affordable price.
About the Author
Larry Denton is a retired history teacher having taught 33 years at Hobson High in Hobson, Montana. He is currently V.P. of Elfin Enterprises, Inc., an Internet business providing useful and valuable information on a variety of timely topics. For a print shop full of information, resources and suggestions about printers, visit http://www.PrinterPath.com
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