June 12, 2008 at 2:19 pm · Filed under Hardware Hall
Think you got a great deal on a printer? Like the rest of us, you probably paid $50 to $75 for a decent Epson or Lexmark printer. What’s the catch, you might have asked? Most salesmen would say there is no catch. They’d probably go into a rant about how the printer market has gotten more competitive, driving prices way down. While that’s a true statement, it isn’t the primary reason for such inexpensive printers these days.
So, why are printers so inexpensive? It’s pretty simple - printer manufacturers need you to buy their printer model so you’re forced into buying their outrageously-priced ink cartridges. It’s kind of like the relationship between a gasoline company and car manufacturer, except in this situation the printer company is supplying both the automobile and the fuel. Gas companies wouldn’t make any money if no one owned an automobile. In the case of printer manufacturers, things are a little different. They don’t make any money on selling printers - they make their money by selling you the replacement ink cartridges.
It makes a lot of business sense when you think about it. A consumer buys a printer every few years, but may buy ink as much as once every three months. Printer manufacturers would much rather have this steady stream of income. Consumers don’t factor ink cartridge costs into the equation when they buy a printer. They look at the features and price tag. Sure you’re getting a great printer and not paying a lot. But if you use your printer on a fairly regular basis, the cost of ownership over a year or two (thanks to high priced ink cartridges) may exceed $500.
Before you buy your next printer, remember to do some research on printers, paying particular attention to the cost and longevity of the ink cartridge replacements. A little research ahead of time can save you hundreds of dollars. We don’t recommend Lexmark printers because Lexmark ink cartridges are generally mc more expensive than those of other brands, like Canon or Hewlett Packard. Because Lexmark embeds a special chip right into the cartridge, the cost of buying replacement Lexmark ink is astronomical.
Bill Smith is an expert on printers and printer repair. Check out helpful online printer reviews at http://www.buythebestbuy.com
April 5, 2008 at 10:23 am · Filed under Hardware Hall
While most small businesses really do need to find a good local computer consulting business to take care of their computer problems, there are some computer problems that are simple enough for even a technophobe to handle. At Computer Consulting 101, we’ve found there’s one very simple piece of advice that often doesn’t get communicated to non-technical small business end users: When in doubt, reboot first.
Seriously, while it may sound tremendously simple, end users often overlook it during typical computer panic attacks.
Anytime you’re about to consider an issue a real IT support problem and call your computer consulting vendor, always reboot first.
First, exit out of whatever files and programs that you’re working on. Then, run through a Shutdown and Restart sequence to reboot your computer.
If you suspect your computer problem involves something hardware-related, such as with your network card, modem, mouse, keyboard or sound card, you should even go one step further, before calling your computer consulting experts.
Go to your Start menu. Next, shutdown your PC. Then turn the power off for a minute or so… if you’re computer didn’t power itself off on its own. Then finally power your PC back up again and see if the problem resolved itself on its own. Many times a simple reboot is all it takes.
The Bottom Line
While this advice probably sounds very basic, at Computer Consulting 101 we’ve found that a substantial percentage (as many as 10-20% of problems) of trouble calls for IT support become unnecessary after a reboot. And of course, because you probably pay every single time you pick up the phone, why not conserve your IT budget for those projects that can help your company drive more revenue, improve productivity, reduce overhead, and boost your bottom line. Remember, before you call a computer consulting professional, reboot first…. so you can conserve your computer consulting budget for those problems that really require expert assistance.
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Joshua Feinberg of Computer Consulting 101 helps computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Sign-up now for free access Joshua’s field-tested, proven Computer Consulting 101 strategies at ComputerConsulting101.blogspot.com
