Bits & Bytes

Here’s the Bits & Bytes quick and dirty printer buying guide!

The first thing you have to decide is what are you going to use your printer for and how often are you going to use it? For example, there’s a big difference in “I’m going to print business documents in black and white by the hundreds a day” and “I’m going to print color photos of my grandchildren twice a month”. The answers to these questions will direct you to either a laser printer or an inkjet printer.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers do exactly what it sounds like they would do: They spray ink on paper. This is a highly simplified explanation, but that’s basically what they do. Inkjet printers are inexpensive, although they can vary quite a bit in price. There are several types of inkjet printers. Plain-Jane inkjet printers are VERY cheap and are used mostly for general home use. You can find these printers for well under $100.

Photo printers are typically higher quality inkjet printers. They usually have either more ink colors that they can use to print or you can replace your “regular” ink cartridge with a “photo” ink cartridge when you need to print higher quality pictures on photo paper. These have a wide range of prices and features.

What to look for in Inkjet printers

The first thing to look for is the print quality. This will be expressed in Dots Per Inch (DPI). The higher the numbers, the better. You also want to look for the print speed.  The speed is measured in Pages Per Minute (PPM).  The faster printers will have a higher PPM rating.  Be aware that the PPM is an “optimal” speed.  Don’t get out your stop watches and time it or you will be disappointed!

What to look for in laser printers

Laser printers are similar in that you also want to look for DPI and PPM.  Also, pay close attention to the cost of the toner and how many pages each toner cartridge will print.  There are two types of lasers, monochrome and color.  Color laser printers have come way down in price, so make sure you at least consider one if you are considering a laser printer at all!

That’s our brief down and dirty look at printers!  If you have questions, leave a comment below and we’ll be glad to answer them!

On today’s show we are talking about what you need to know to buy a new computer.

When you shop for a computer, the list of specs can be confusing if you are not readily familiar with computer terminology. Don’t get caught up in the details! Stick with what’s important so you don’t buy too much computer or not enough computer.  Here are some things to consider:

• Ask what am I going to use it for today, and what is possible tomorrow?
• You are going to notice HUGE price differences in computers.  What I recommend for a mainstream computer with average use is that you find the where the price “spikes” for the extreme high end, and purchase right before that.  That way you are not overspending for newer technology that is not a good value but you are getting a system that will last you several years before it is too obsolete.
• Memory - Don’t skimp on the memory!  Right now 1GB is the absolute minimum I would consider in a new system.  2GB is better.  Memory is pretty inexpensive right now so now is the time to get it!!
• Processor speed - Don’t get hung up on processor speed too much.   You don’t want to spend a bundle to go up a small step in speed.  More cores and more cache is better.
• Storage - Will depend greatly on what you are using it for.  Hard drive speed can be important for some applications, like video recording, DVR, etc.  Video and audio can take up lots of room.
• Quality is VERY important.  Is it a trusted manufacturer?  Not just the computer brand, but the component brand.  Of course, we prefer PC-ER!
• Customize from this base..  need a better gaming video card?  Need a better sound card?  Here’s where custom designed computers can be great!
• Once you decided on the general specs, do you want a desktop or a notebook?
  • Notebooks are more expensive, probably $200 to $400 close to the same specs except hard drive space and screen size.
  • Don’t spend more on a notebook if you aren’t going to take it anywhere!!  It’s not worth the cost.
  • If you need to “go mobile” sometimes but you don’t want to labor over the small screen and keyboard and the unfamiliar pointing device, you can add external devices to your notebook computer, or use a port replicator.
• Check the warranty!!  Some “cheap” models only have 90 day warranties!!  “Cheaper” also sometimes means corners are cut:  fans are missing, cheaper cases, so be careful!
• When it comes to computers “You get what you pay for” is VERY true!