Computer printer buying tips

Purchasing a printer can be a daunting and sometimes confusing task. Below is additional information that can help you with your purchasing decisions.

Technology

The first and foremost important consideration to consider when purchasing a printer is the technology the printer utilizes to print. Today, ink jet and laser printers are the two most popular printer technologies.

Ink Jet - Inkjet printers are an affordable and effective solution for home users and home businesses.

Laser - Laser printers are a recommended solution for businesses or networks that require speed and efficiency, and high quality resolution.

• Inkjet vs. laser printer.

Resolution

Resolution on a printer is measured by the amount of dots per inch a printer is capable of printing. When looking at purchasing a printer, it is important to look at the DPI the printer is capable of printing.

It is also important to know that some printer manufacturers may generate their own methods through software for increasing their resolution.

Speed

Speed is another important consideration when looking at computer printers. The speed of a printer is rated in PPM, or pages per minute, and rate anywhere between 4 and 10+ PPM, depending on several factors such as if it is Black and White or Color, text only or full page. You should expect a faster PPM from a laser printer printing text than an Inkjet printer.

Ink and Toner

Ink or Toner is an important factor when purchasing a printer. Look at the below characteristics of the Ink and Toner used with the printer.

Price - By far the most important factor is price; if the printer becomes a frequently used device you may find that the price of the ink can far surpass the price of the printer. Look how much the ink will cost when it needs to be replaced.

Availability - From where can the ink or toner be purchased? Some printer manufacturers may require that you purchase the ink directly from them; and if purchased from a third-party, cause your printer warranty to become void. Verify that the ink can be purchased from a third-party and if so, from whom.

Type - See what ink or toner used with your printer, and for users considering an Ink Jet printer, see if the printer accepts separate color cartridges. Some manufacturers may include all the cartridges as one cartridge, causing you to have to purchase all the available colors for one color that may be out. In addition, see if the cartridges are just ink or ink and nozzles. Cartridges with ink and nozzles will cost more than those that have just ink.

Cost per page

Cost Per Page - The measurement of the ongoing price of the printer after its initial purchase. It is important to look at the cost per page and see how much you may be paying for the amount of printing you expect to do. You can expect to pay less for a laser printer than an ink printer when looking at Cost Per Page.

Other considerations

Paper handling - The method of how the printer handles and distributes the paper can be an important consideration when looking at printers. Many Ink Jet printers well feed paper through a slot on the top of the printer, while laser printers will use a tray method of feeding the paper to the printer. Make sure your printer is capable of handling all your paper needs.

Options - When purchasing a printer, look to see if the printer requires additional add-ons that may be required; this can also factor into the overall cost of the printer. These add-ons can include but are not limited to such things as cables, trays, ink, software, etc

Price range

Price range - The price range can vary depending upon the quality of the printer and brand of the printer. Below is a price range of what to expect when purchasing a printer.

Ink Jet Printer: $100 to $400
Laser Printer: $300 to $2,000

Network equipment buying tips

Purchasing network cards and accessories for a network, for many, is a confusing and frustrating task. Below we have listed recommendations and considerations to look at when purchasing a network card or accessories for a network.

Connection types

When purchasing a network card, look at the available connections that card allows. Today, this is not as important as it has been in the past as today many networks are only using RJ-45. If your network utilizes a different interface, such as Coax, verify the card you are planning on purchasing has this connection.

Connection speed

Connection speed is an important consideration when looking at purchasing a network card. Today, the majority of networks and cards are found in 10 Base or 100 Base, 100 Base being the faster of the two solutions. While slightly more expensive it is recommended that all users looking to buy a network card purchase 100 Base network cards as these cards, if needed, can be switched down to 10 Base.

Card interface

The interface that the card connects to is also an important consideration. Below is a listing of the three available interfaces.

PCI - The recommended solution for desktop computers as it is a faster solution when compared to ISA. However, this is a slightly more expensive solution when compared to ISA.

ISA - Solution found with 10 Base network cards, ISA cards are a cheaper solution but can be a much slower solution when compared to PCI.

PCMCIA - Solution used with laptop computers, PCMCIA cards are the only solution for laptop computers. When looking to buy a PCMCIA card, it is important to look at the following:

• Connection - By far the most important consideration; when looking at PCMCIA cards, look at the connection and if any additional cables are required to connect the network card to the Network. These additional cables can become lost and sometimes damaged. The alternatives to additional cables are cards that contain the actual connection on the card.
• Slots used - Verify the card being used utilizes type II connection. If the card utilizes a type III connection, verify that the other cards besides the network can be inserted.

Network cable

When purchasing a network card a network cable is not included, unless you purchase a network kit. Therefore, it is important to also verify if the network card includes a network cable, and if it does not include a cable, look into purchasing a network cable with your network card. The below information is what to look for when purchasing a network cable.

1. Verify that you purchase the right cable. Today, the most common network cables are Ethernet and Coax. If your network card has an RJ-45 connection, you want an Ethernet cable; and if your card has a BNC connector, you want a Coax cable.
2. If you are planning on only connecting two computers together, you may want to consider purchasing a Cross Over cable that is different from a standard network cable. This cable allows the computers to be connected without the need of a network hub.
3. If you are planning on connecting to a large network, you need to purchase a standard network cable. Additionally, if you are planning on setting up a network with two or more computers, you also need to purchase a network hub or switch.

Network hubs

Network hubs are a stand alone hardware device that allow for several computers to be connected to a large or small network of computers. Network hubs are only required if you plan on setting up a network of 2 or more computers. If you plan on using your computer and network card to play network games, a hub may only be required if you plan on hosting that network party. When looking at purchasing a hub, it is important to look at the following.

1. See if the amount of ports on that hub are sufficient for your needs.
2. Verify that the hub is an auto sensing hub. This means that the hub can detect if the network is running at 10 or 100 base and switch to that appropriate speed. It is important to know that a hub only connects to a network running at the same speed.
3. Verify that the hub has LED (lights) status indicators. LEDs to look for are the connection LED lights to indicate what speed a computer connected to that network may be, if the hub is experiencing activity, and collision LEDs to see if the network is experiencing a severe amount of collisions.

Other considerations

Other important considerations to look for when purchasing network equipment include:

Warranty – How long is the warranty and what does it cover.

Support – Is the technical support number a free number; is it open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Price range

Network equipment prices can be very broad in prices because of the quality or features that particular device may include. We have a general list of the major network equipment; however, this is not a complete list and prices can very likely exceed the prices stated below, sometimes by several thousand dollars.

Network Card: $20 to $200
Network Cable: $1.00 to $80
Network home Hub: $40 to $200
Network home Switch: $90 to $2000
Network home Router: $100 to $2000

Computer motherboard buying tips

For users planning on building a computer, a motherboard can be a confusing and sometimes frustrating decision. Below we have listed some considerations and tips when looking at purchasing a computer motherboard.

Type

The type, or form factor, of the motherboard is a crucial consideration when looking at a motherboard. There are various form factors and not all computer cases can accommodate each form factor. Today, the most commonly found and used motherboard is the ATX motherboard. When looking at the motherboard, make sure your case supports your motherboard form factor. Additional information and help with the form factors can be found on our motherboard page

When looking at who to purchase a motherboard through, consider all different brands of motherboards and vendors who sell those motherboards, as all motherboards have positive and negative reviews. A listing of motherboard links and manufacturers can be found on the motherboard section of our network.

Considerations

CPU socket or slot

There are a wide variety of different CPU Sockets and Slots. When looking at purchasing a motherboard, ensure it is compatible with the CPU you have or that it will be compatible with the CPU you plan on purchasing.

Additional information about CPUs and the Sockets or Slots can be found on our CPU buying tips page.

Drive connectors

Drive connectors can be an important consideration when purchasing a computer. Determine the interface of the drives you plan on using, and ensure that the motherboard supports that interface or has the connector for that interface. An example of such an interface is IDE, EIDE or SCSI.

Additional information about hard drive buying tips can be found on our Hard drive buying tips page.

Additional information about CD-ROM buying tips can be found on our CD-ROM buying tips page

Memory slots and type

Today, there is a wide variety of different types and speeds of memory. When looking at purchasing a motherboard, ensure that it is compatible with the memory you currently have or plan on purchasing.

Additional information about Memory buying tips can be found on our Memory buying tips page.

Slots

The available slots can be an important consideration. Below is a listing of the different slots used in motherboards.

1. PCI Express - The latest and greatest slot and bus type.
2. AGP - AGP, or Advanced Graphics Port, is used for video cards as a replacement for PCI.
3. AMR - AMR, or Audio Modem Riser, is a slot that is used for Audio and Modem cards and is found on some motherboards. This is not a critical slot and has been replaced by the CNR.
4. CNR - CNR, or Communication and Network Riser, is a slot that supports audio, modem, USB, and Local Area Network cards. This slot is highly recommended for any user building a large amount of computers as the cards are cheaper than the standard PCI or ISA cards.
5. ISA - Today, ISA is becoming obsolete and is not found on all motherboards. Unless you have old ISA cards that need to be used, it is recommended you purchase a new motherboard with no ISA slots and additional PCI slots.
6. PCI - The most widely and commonly used slot.

• Additional information about each of the above computer bus types.
• Computer video card buying tips page.
• Computer sound card buying tips page.
• Computer modem buying tips page

Jumpers

Jumpers are overlooked when considering a motherboard; however, they can be an important consideration, especially for users who plan on overclocking their computer. Below is a listing of some of the jumpers that should be asked about or known when purchasing a computer motherboard.

1. Does the motherboard have a clear CMOS jumper?
2. Does the motherboard have CPU settings jumpers? Or is it configured through CMOS? Is it auto detect?
3. Does the motherboard have onboard video or sound? If yes, can they be disabled with jumper or is it done through CMOS? Note: either way is fine as long as it can be disabled.

USB ports

While all motherboards today have USB ports, ensure that the motherboard you plan on purchasing has USB ports.

Effects

Upgrading and replacing a new computer motherboard may have the below effects on the computer.

Computer monitor buying tip

Purchasing a computer monitor can be one of the most important pieces of the computer since it is what you are going to be staring at while on the computer and a poor monitor can cause eye strain and a bad experience.

Technology

CRT - Today, one of the most commonly used technologies for computer monitors. CRT, or Cathode Ray Tube, is a technology much like what you will find on most TVs. CRT monitors are an affordable solution; however, they are bulky and very heavy.

Flat Panel and LCD - LCD, or Liquid Crystal Display, monitors are similar to what is found on portable computers. LCD monitors overall display much sharper of an image, are lighter and more space efficient; however, they are much more of an expensive solution for desktop displays.

• Computer flat panel display buying tips section.

Size

When considering purchasing a monitor utilizing the CRT technology it is important to consider the following:

Dimensional Size Size can be one of the more important considerations when purchasing a computer monitor. Monitors are available in 15",17", 19", and 21." Like most things, larger is more expensive. The larger the screen, the more viewable space you have to work with. We recommend users that plan on utilizing their computer for more than one-two hours a day and have the available space purchase at least a 17" monitor. Users who plan on using the computer for graphic art or cad, we highly recommend utilize at least a 21" monitor. Finally, users with little space or plan on using the computer for word processing and e-mail may want to consider a 15" monitor.

Viewable Size - The viewable size of the monitor is an important consideration and can vary by manufacturer. The viewable size is the size of the viewable area and not the complete monitor.

Dot and stripe pitch

When purchasing a monitor, Dot Pitch or Stripe Pitch is an important consideration. Dot Pitch measurement is found on most monitors and defines the amount of space (in millimeters) that separates two adjacent pixels that are the same color. The smaller the Dot Pitch, the sharper the image. We recommend that when purchasing a monitor the Dot Pitch be no bigger than 0.25

Stripe Pitch is a measurement used with Trinitron or Diamondtron monitors and is a measurement (in millimeters) that separates two like-colored stripes. The lower the Stripe Pitch the higher the quality of image.

When looking at monitors you should only see a Dot Pitch measurement or a Stripe Pitch measurement. You should not see both of these measurements measuring the same monitor.

Finally, these two different measurements should not be a measurement comparison when deciding between two or more monitors, each technology is different.

Resolution

Resolution is the maximum resolution of pixels capable of being shown horizontally x vertically. Be cautious when purchasing a monitor at any size that advertises a large resolution size such as 1,600 x 1,200 for a 15" monitor.

Some monitor manufacturers may allow for such high resolutions at a high cost but most users never need such resolutions. As the monitor increases in size, the image display will decrease; below is a listing of a usable resolution limit by the size of the monitor. These sizes can be debated but are the standard and most viewed resolutions.

15" 800 x 600 or 1,024 x 768
17" 1,280 x 1,024
19" 1,280 x 1024
21" - 1,600 x 1,200

Refresh rate

The refresh rate is a measurement of the number of times per second the screen is redrawn. This measurement is measured in hertz and it is recommended that a monitor have at least a refresh rate of 75 MHz at the resolution you want to run at.

Controls

When purchasing a monitor, it is important to look at the available controls of that monitor. The controls allow for modification or adjustment of the viewable settings.

Price range

When purchasing a monitor, expect to pay much less than an LCD or Flat Panel display. In addition, the larger the monitor the more money you can expect to pay. When purchasing a monitor, expect to pay the following by size.

15" display: $200 or less
17" display: $200 to $400
19" display: $400 to $1,000
21" display: $700 to $2,000

Computer modem buying tips

Today, with the set standards of V.90, purchasing a modem is a much less confusing task and sometimes considered easy.

Before purchasing a modem, take the below into consideration. Today, with the popularity of the Internet and multimedia over the Internet, broadband is becoming widely available. If available in your area, you may want to consider purchasing a broadband solution, such as DSL available through a phone or third-party company,Cable available through your local cable provider, Satellite available through a third-party, or through a large ISP such as MSN or AOL.

If a broadband connection is not available in your area, below are some recommendations to consider when purchasing a computer modem.

Standards

Originally, when the 56k connection was introduced, there was not a set standard between two major modem manufacturers, causing there to be two different technologies: X2 and KFlex. Each of these technologies allowed for a modem to connect at higher speeds, but only if the Internet Provider supported the technology. Because of the difficulties and issues with these two different technologies, one technology emerged out of the two, called V.90. This technology allows users of any brand of modem to connect at higher speeds.

Today, all modems (purchased new) are V.90 and this is no longer a concern. Additional information and history about each of these technologies can be found on our Modem Standard page.

Interface

Interface can be an important when considering purchasing a modem. It is important that your computer has the available connections and resources when purchasing a modem.

PCI/ISA (Internal) PCI/ISA modems are modems that are found in most computers today. These modems are installed internally into the computer with an available connection on the back of the modem for the phone line. Before purchasing an internal modem make sure the computer has the required slot. In addition, verify that your computer has the available resources. You can sometimes have difficulties installing a modem if a serial device, such as a Serial mouse or Serial PDA, is connected to the computer.

Serial (External) - A serial modem connects to the serial port located on the back of the computer. These modems are easy to install; however, they can cost more than an internal modem as you pay additional money for the plastic cover. Before purchasing a serial modem verify your computer has an available serial connection on the back of the computer; devices such as a serial mouse may already be utilizing your serial port. Some computers may have two serial ports; if this is the case and only one serial port is currently being utilized, verify that the second port can be enabled or is already enabled in CMOS.

PC card (PCMCIA) - Solution used with portable computers, PC Card modems are fairly cheap and relatively easy to install in the computer.

If a modem is already present in your portable computer but you want to upgrade or the internal modem has gone bad, it is important that you verify the pre-existing modem can be disabled before installing the new modem.

USB - A new solution, USB allows a user to install up to 127 devices on the computer and is available for PC and Mac. Before purchasing this solution, verify that your computer has a USB connection. If no USB connection is available, an additional card needs to be installed in the computer.

Connection

Internal, External, or USB modem - Today, all modems have a RJ-11 connection, which is a standard phone connection, on the modem. If important to you, verify that the modem has two available RJ-11 connections. One of these connections will connect the modem to the phone and the other can be used for an office phone. This can be very useful for a home or office computer that may need a phone next to it.

PC Card Modem - PC Card Modems used with laptop and other computers have different methods of connecting to a phone line. X-Jack and a Dongle are two of the more popular connection types used for PC Card Modems. If you are purchasing a new PC Card Modem make sure the connection works for you.

Internet availability

Unfortunately, not every location in the world has the availability to connect to the Internet. If you live in a rural area, make sure you can connect to an Internet service locally without incurring any long distance charges.

Price range

The price range of a modem is ranged by the speed of the modem, if it is external or internal, and the brand of the modem.

Internal Modem: $80 and below
External Modem: $100 to $150
USB Modem: $140 to $200
PC Card Modem: $50 to $200

Computer memory (RAM) buying tips

Computer memory is one of the most commonly purchased and performed computer upgrades. Below is a listing of different considerations and tips to look for when purchasing computer memory.

What type of memory does my computer need?

• Determining what type of memory to use in a memory upgrade.

How much memory should I get?

This question depends on the computer user you are, what programs you plan on running on the computer, and how many programs you have open at a given time. One of the best methods of determining how much RAM you should have is to look at the system requirements of the programs you're running on your computer and double whatever the memory requirements are for the program you use most. However, below is the general recommendation for memory we'd suggest your computer has for todays programs and operating systems.

Minimum: 2GB
Recommended: 8GB
Excellent: 8GB or more.

• How much memory or RAM should my computer have?

What should be expected

Upgrading the computer system memory may have the below effects on the computer.

• Allow for programs that may require steeper memory requirements to be ran.
• Help the computer or computer programs speed in load and opening time.
• Fix memory errors.

Memory installation

Additional help and information about installing computer memory and other computer hardware can be found through our Installation section.

Computer hard drive buying tips

When purchasing a hard drive, it is important to understand and verify the hard drive is suitable for your uses and has or does not have the options you may or may not need. Unfortunately, with hard drive technologies changing every day, it is can be sometimes confusing and frustrating when looking to purchase a hard drive.

Interface

When looking to purchase a hard drive the first and foremost important consideration is the Interface the hard drive uses to communicate with the computer. Below is a listing of each of the available interfaces with information how thy may or may not apply to your computer.

• IDE/ATAPI/ATA One of the more commonly found hard drives and used with IBM compatible computers, IDE is an easy to install and customize interface. Each IBM computer has the availability for a maximum of four IDE devices, these devices can range from hard drives to CD-ROM drives. If considering purchasing an IDE/ATAPI/ATA hard drive, verify that there are available locations for the drive to be connected to.
• SCSI Another commonly used interface, SCSI devices are found in Apple computers as well as some IBM computers. The SCSI interface is a faster solution when compared to IDE/ATAPI; however, in some cases, they can be more difficult to install. To install a SCSI hard drive you must have a SCSI card and an available connection on the SCSI cable connecting to the SCSI card. It is important to remember if you have a Proprietary SCSI card, such as a SCSI card included with the Iomega Jaz drive, this SCSI card may not always allow your hard drive to work.
• External (USB, Fire wire, or Parallel)Several external solutions are also available; these include but are not limited to USB hard drive, Fire wire hard drive and Parallel hard drive. When considering an external hard drive, it is important to look at the speed difference for transferring data to and from the hard drive. In addition, for these external drives to function properly, you must also have the available connection for the drive to be connected to.

Speed

In addition to the interface, it is also important to look at the transfer rates of the hard drive; long transfer rates can considerably slow down your computer when transferring larger files. When looking at the hard drive, look for specifications listing the RPM (Rotations Per Minute). An example of this would be a speed of 7,200 RPM.

Other considerations

Below is a listing of some other important considerations to look at when purchasing a computer hard drive.

Warranty How long is the warranty and what does it cover.

Support Is the technical support number a free number is it open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Included components Verify that the hard drive that you are purchasing comes with the needed components to install the drive. Hard drives included from the manufacturer will include an IDE or ATA/66-100 Cable, standard drive rails, instructions, and diskette for installation.

Internal and External Transfer rates The Internal transfer rate is the rate the hard drive can take the data from the platter to the internal cache or read buffer. The External Transfer rate is the rate the hard drive can then take the data in the internal cache or read buffer to the computer memory.

S.M.A.R.T. S.M.A.R.T. is a new technology used to help warn the computer user of possible problems with the hard drive.

ATA, ATA/33, ATA/66, ATA/100 Another new and sometimes confusing interface is the ATA interface. Developed by Quantum in 1996, the Ultra ATA/33 interface allowed for computers to transfer up to 33 MB per second; later in 1998 this standard was upgraded to the ATA/66 standard with the availability of transferring up to 66 MB per second.

When purchasing an ATA/66 drive, the computer must support ATA66 as well as have an ATA/66 cable in order to support the transfer rate of 66 MB per second. If the computer does not have this cable, the drive will automatically be decreased to a transfer rate of 33 MB per second.

Price range

The price range can vary depending upon what interface the drive uses (SATA, IDE, SCSI, or USB), capacity of the drive, and the RPM (Speed) of the drive. In general, drives can range from $100.00 to $300.00 (US).

Ready to purchase

Once you have reviewed the appropriate information and believe that you are ready to make a purchase of a new hard drive, verify that the source you are purchasing the hard drive is a reputable source and you have reviewed our section on what to look out for when purchasing over the Internet.

Computer Hope is ready to setup and help you with issues you may encounter during the purchase and installation of your hard drive, regardless if you purchase through us or another vendor.

To help support Computer Hope you can purchase directly through our well-known associate, Amazon. Click the below browse button to begin browsing through the hard drive section.

• Is one hard drive better than another?
• Installing a PC IDE/EIDE hard drive.
• Computer hard drive help and support.