Articles Geek Tip:

How to Buy a Printer

Introduction

No matter how digital-savvy we think we are, most of us need to put ink to paper from time to time. It may not be as glamorous as the latest tiny gadget, but that trusty, dust-covered printer in the corner is the workhorse many people depend on. PC World tests and reviews three different types of printers--inkjets, monochrome lasers, and color lasers--on an ongoing basis, and also regularly tests multifunction devices that use each of those printing methods. No matter which kind of printer you're looking for, here's the information you need to make a well-informed purchase.

The Big Picture

From inexpensive inkjets to monochrome and color lasers, different printers are designed to do different jobs. Here's how they stack up, feature by feature. more

Key Specs Explained

We unravel the mysteries of print speed, print quality, and maximum resolution--and tell you which specs are really important. more

Printer Shopping Tips

Whether you want an ink jet for home use or a laser printer to take care of the whole office, we've got recommendations to make your purchase easier. more

The Big Picture

For most people, choosing a printer entails balancing price, speed, and print quality. But as models improve, manufacturers differentiate them in other ways. Inkjet printers, along with digital cameras, have changed the way we print photographs. When loaded with special photo inks and paper, inkjet printers are one of the best options for transforming a digital image into a photograph.

For monochrome lasers--whose text quality is so good and uniform that models' output samples are sometimes indistinguishable from each other--breadth of features is a major selling point. This is good news for busy offices: For example, thanks to extra paper trays and more memory, lasers can print more efficiently; they also come with more-capable drivers, and permit easier remote management. And as color lasers drop in price--particularly those with built-in networking support--more users can afford to add color to their workplace documents. The least-expensive color lasers we've seen so far now cost about $300.

Inkjet Versus Laser Printers

To choose the right printer, you have to think honestly about what you'll print and how frequently youa??'ll print it. The type of printing determines the quality you need. How often you print dictates how fast the printer must be and how much you're prepared to spend on each job.

If you print a lot of text, such as letters and other business documents, a laser printer is likely your best bet. They're fast and produce good-looking documents at only a few cents per page.

For office documents containing color charts and other graphics, consider a color laser printer. Color laser prices have dropped so much in recent years as to become affordable for even the smallest office. They often produce black-and-white pages at a cost per page similar to monochrome lasers. And they print color photos that are adequate for plain-paper documents that mix text and pictures, such as newsletters and marketing brochures.

You'll get top photo quality from an inkjet printer. The choice becomes more complicated if you print a mix of photos and text documents. If you're a home user who prints digital camera photos, text documents for your own use (such as driving directions or product recommendations from a Web site), and maybe a few letters a month, an inkjet printer offers a good compromise between quality and speed. You'll need a variety of papers, and you'll have to learn your way around the printer's driver settings. You can reduce how often you swap paper types by purchasing a model with two separate paper trays.

In the past, almost all inkjets offered the same features: one paper tray for 100 or 150 sheets and 10 envelopes, minimal buffer memory, and no networking option. These days, however, vendors are increasingly adding a variety of features--such as larger displays or touch screens, Bluetooth wireless or Wi-Fi, and increased paper management options--to differentiate their products. Makers of business-oriented inkjets are also offering higher capacities, optional paper trays, ethernet network connectivity, and more memory.

Laser printers generally have more features and options than inkjets do. Monochrome lasers hold from 150 to 900 sheets, with corporate models frequently holding around 500 sheets as standard; color lasers hold from about 200 to 1250 sheets. You can also add trays that hold as much as 5000 sheets. Most high-end lasers include at least 64MB of RAM, with expansion options permitting a few hundred megabytes of memory for queuing multiple print jobs at once (for a busy office, equip your laser with at least 64MB to 128MB of memory); some offer optional hard drives that you can use to save complex forms and other preprocessed images or to store passwords for confidential print jobs, and they all have standard or optional ethernet adapters. Some more-recent lasers also have features such as the ability to print directly from a USB flash drive.

Should I Buy a Multifunction Printer, or a Separate Printer and a Scanner?

So-called "convergence products" that combine two (or more) functions in the same device often do neither task well. While that once may have been true of multifunction printers, it's no longer the rule. It's now possible to get good quality prints and scans from the same unit, and both functions usually work better together than if you bought a printer and a scanner separately. For example, it's easy to copy a document directly from the scanner to the printer, without the image going through your computer.

It's important to realize that multifunction printers come in two varieties. Office-oriented models have an automatic document feeder for scanning multiple pages as a single task, and they often have a built-in fax machine. Photo-oriented models let you scan slides and negatives, and they usually have built-in media slots for reading from digital camera memory cards. You'll need to choose which type is right for you.

Furthermore, the office-oriented multifunctions can include either inkjet or laser printers. While the inkjets suit both home and small-office users, the laser units usually replace a printer, a copier, and a fax machine for a small workgroup.

What Type of Printer Is Best for Photo Printing?

If you're printing only 4-by-6-inch photos, consider a snapshot printer. They use either dye-sublimation or inkjet print technologies. They take up little space in the home or office, and they're often portable.

To print larger sizes of photos, or to print text documents as well, you'll need a desktop inkjet printer. Models with four or more colors of ink generally produce the best quality. For top-quality black-and-white photo printing, look for a model with several shades of gray and black inks.

Most color lasers produce photos that are adequate for many uses, such as real-estate brochures, car insurance claims, and missing-kitty fliers. Many models now let you use glossy paper that helps their images look more like real photos. However, they still lack the color accuracy and print resolution to rival inkjet printers.

Key Specs Explained

Here we'll look at specifications for each of the three most popular types of printers: inkjet printers, monochrome laser printers, and color laser printers.

Inkjet Printers

The slowest but most affordable type of printers, inkjets shoot tiny sprays of colored ink through microscopic holes in a printhead onto a page, one printhead-height row at a time. Most inkjet printers offer resolutions of up to 4800 by 1200 dots per inch, which makes them suitable for printing high-quality graphics and photos, though typically more slowly than a monochrome or color laser printer would.

Inkjet printers are inexpensive printers for the masses, designed for home users, students, or anyone who isn't concerned about the highest text quality. However, a high price does not necessarily indicate excellent graphics and photo prints. The real cost of an inkjet printer comes not from the price of the unit itself, but from the ongoing cost of replacing ink cartridges. Printer manufacturers use a business model similar to that of razor makers: You can buy a great razor for very little money, but you spend a lot replacing the blades.

In the past, almost all inkjets offered the same features: one paper tray for 100 or 150 sheets and 10 envelopes, minimal buffer memory, and no networking option. However, vendors these days are increasingly using features such as larger displays or touch screens, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and increased paper management options to differentiate their products. Makers of business-oriented inkjets are also offering higher capacities, optional paper trays, ethernet network connectivity, and more memory.

Important: print quality. While price doesn't always indicate the print quality of an inkjet printer, there is some correlation. Before deciding on a specific model, check our Top 10 Inkjet Printers chart to see how it did in our print quality tests.

Important: cartridge replacement cost. For inkjets, the cost of ink has the biggest impact on the overall cost of the printer over time. The printer may be cheap, but the price and capacity of ink jet consumables will determine the lifetime cost of a particular printer. Before plunking down your cash, ask how much the replacement ink cartridges cost and how many pages each cartridge can print. Vendors generally charge $10 to $40 or more for a three-color cartridge and $5 to $35 for an individual color or black cartridge. Usually, the cheaper a cartridge is, the less ink it holds; yields range from about 300 to 1000 pages per cartridge. See "Refilling the Tank" in "Printer Shopping Tips" for more.

Worthy of consideration: maximum print resolution. Resolution is the number of dots in a square inch that a printer can spit out onto a sheet of paper. More dots give you a finer level of detail, which is especially important with graphics but negligible with text.

Inkjet printers generally have a maximum color resolution of 4800 by 1200 dots per inch (dpi). Many printers also use software to interpolate an image and to smooth out patches of color, fill in gaps, and sharpen more-detailed sections. Such enhancements can affect print quality as much as the printer's resolution. The best way to determine print quality is not to look at the resolution specs but to print out a sample and judge for yourself.

Worthy of consideration: paper tray and ink cartridge capacity. Expect that you will have to frequently add paper if you use the printer regularly, as most home-oriented models come with only one paper tray. Many inexpensive printers require costly cartridge replacements every 50 to 100 pages, which is usually about the maximum capacity of one paper tray. If you print lots of photos or graphics, you may have to replace ink cartridges even more frequently.

Minor consideration: PictBridge. Many mainstream photo-oriented inkjets include a feature called PictBridge, which is a dedicated USB port for connecting your digital camera directly to the printer. Most also have built-in media card slots that let you plug in a storage card and press a button for instant prints, as well as an LCD menu for selecting prints; each of these options means you don't have to go through a PC to output images. These printers can produce beautiful color photographs. If you change the settings in the driver to "Best" or "Photo" mode and use premium photo paper, many inexpensive, sub-$100 printers can generate high-quality photo prints.

A few lasers, such as the HP Color LaserJet 2605dtn and Konica Minolta Magicolor 2430DL, have media slots or a PictBridge port for printing from a digital camera.

Minor consideration: media card slots. Many inkjet printers have media slots for printing from your camera's memory card, or for transferring the images to your PC. It may also a good idea to check that your digital camera's removable media (SD, Memory Stick, xD, and so on) is supported. A good-sized LCD on the printer is worth having if you intend to print directly from a memory card.

In tests of inkjet printers conducted by the Rochester Institute of Technology, the cost per text page ranged from 2.1 to 7.7 cents per page. The cost per color graphics page ranged from 7.7 to 15.8 cents per page. For full-size photo printers, the total cost (including paper) per 4-by-6-inch photo ranged from 46 to 97 cents. For compact snapshot printers, the range was 23 to 81 cents.

Many vendors offer higher-capacity cartridges; though more expensive, they contain more ink, so they cost less per page. Most vendors also sell printers with individual cartridges for each color instead of one cartridge for all three colors. These are worth a look, because in our experience printers using multi-ink cartridges have a higher cost per page on average.

Monochrome Laser Printers

From home offices to businesses, monochrome laser printers offer the best balance among price, print quality, and speed. They're almost ubiquitous in the business world, as any office with a PC almost always has a monochrome laser printer as well. Home users might choose a laser printer over an inkjet model if they print a lot of text documents. Prices for monochrome lasers have dropped to a low of around $150 for a personal printer, making them a viable alternative to inkjets: For almost the same price as an inkjet, some monochrome laser printers are faster, produce much better text quality, and are less expensive to maintain because laser toner cartridges are much less costly than inkjet cartridges.

Important: text print speed. This is the speed at which the printer can output full pages of text, which is the primary use for monochrome laser printers. Corporate lasers can print text at nearly twice the speed of home models. In PC World's most recent monochrome laser printer tests, vendor-rated text speeds ranged from 12 to 30 pages per minute (ppm)--but in our tests, actual text speeds ranged from 11 to just 21.6 ppm.

Worthy of consideration: print quality. Most monochrome and color lasers print razor-sharp text, grayscale graphics, and line art.

Worthy of consideration: maximum print resolution. Resolution refers to the number of dots in a square inch that the printer can output. More dots provide a finer level of detail, which is especially important with graphics. Monochrome lasers usually have a maximum resolution of either 1200 by 1200 or 600 by 600 dpi. Even these fairly modest resolutions for lasers suffice for printing sharp text and simple grayscale graphics.

Worthy of consideration: memory. Printers queue documents in memory and store TrueType fonts locally to produce the best output. More memory lets you print more documents more quickly, or upload more fonts for higher-quality text. Most high-end lasers include at least 64MB of RAM, with expansion options permitting a few hundred megabytes of memory for queuing multiple print jobs at once (for a busy office, equip your laser with at least 64MB to 128MB).

Minor consideration: connections. A USB or parallel port is all that home users need to connect a printer to a single PC. Business users or those with home networks will want an ethernet port so more than one user can share the printer. Some high-end business models have an infrared (IrDA) port option, which allows notebook or PDA users to print by pointing their infrared ports at the printer.

Minor consideration: paper tray capacity. Corporate lasers, designed for large offices where many employees share the printer, have two to three times the paper capacity of home models. As a group, Monochrome generally lasers hold from 150 to 900 sheets, with corporate models frequently holding around 500 sheets as standard.

Color Laser Printers

Designed for offices where color brochures, photographs, or graphics are paramount, color laser printers are rapidly dropping in price. If you need color, you'll probably want an inkjet printer, but color laser printers are becoming increasingly more affordable. Even though color lasers use toner cartridges bearing a higher initial investment cost, you'll get striking color prints on plain paper at less cost per page. Some new color lasers are also capable of printing glossy photos, though their results usually can't match the quality of an inkjet in this area.

Important: color print speed. This is why you might spend the extra money: High-end color laser printers not only print higher-quality graphics, but they also output the pages more rapidly than less-expensive models. If you print a lot of color graphics, this will be the most important factor in your decision.

Important: text print speed. In general, color laser printers can print all documents--color or monochrome--faster than monochrome lasers can. Again, in PC World's most recent color laser tests, vendor-rated text (monochrome) speeds ranged from 12 to 31 pages per minute (ppm)--but our results had the actual text speeds ranging from just 8.9 to 19.5 ppm.

Important: print quality. Crisp graphics are the most important factor in deciding which color laser printer to buy. Our Top 10 Color Laser Printers chart describes the results we get when printing standardized test patterns and full-page graphics. Both color and monochrome lasers print text extremely well. Color lasers print color charts and other two-dimensional graphics well, but they still can't quite match inkjets in handling glossy photograph prints--yet.

Important: maximum print resolution. Resolution means the number of dots in a square inch that the laser can output. More dots provide a finer level of detail, which is especially important with graphics (but a negligible factor with text). Color lasers usually offer a maximum color resolution of either 2400 by 1200 dpi or 2400 by 600 dpi. Even these fairly modest resolutions for lasers suffice for printing sharp text and simple grayscale graphics.

Printer Shopping Tips

Shopping considerations include the cost of cartridge or toner refills. We'll also list things to watch out for when shopping for an inkjet or a laser printer.

Refilling the Tank

Ink cartridges. Inkjet printers might be inexpensive, but the cost of replacement ink can drive up the overall cost. Check the prices of ink cartridges, and find out how many pages each cartridge is rated to print. Once you figure out how many pages you will print per month, you can determine the cost of the printer plus ink over the course of a year. Consider getting individual cartridges if you know you'll need one color more than others--for instance, if many of your documents have a red logo.

You can save significantly on the cost of printing each page by buying ink and toner made by a company other than your printer's manufacturer. That's fine, if you want just the cheapest possible printing for short-lived documents. However, you're taking a risk if print quality is paramount. For example, at the temperatures applied by your printer's engine, generic toner may not fix to the paper as well as the manufacturer's compound. The result could be poorly shaped characters and gray banding across the page.

There are several ways to spend less on ink and paper for your printer. From the printer's driver settings dialog box, set draft mode to save on ink when you don't need the best quality. You can also save by turning off color printing; black ink and toner are usually cheaper than their color counterparts. Save on paper by printing two pages side-by-side on the same sheet and, if your printer has a built-in duplexer, always print on both sides. Use cheap multipurpose paper for most jobs, such as Web pages and draft documents only you will read. Keep your best paper for when you need the highest quality, such as for business letters and your resume.

When you do purchase ink and paper, buy in bulk. Many manufacturers offer bundles of ink and paper that dramatically lower the cost of printing photos. For example, HP's value pack for its Photosmart 375 and Photosmart 385 combines one tricolor ink cartridge with 50 sheets of snapshot paper for $20--less than the $25 cost of the cartridge alone.

Laser toner. Several laser printer manufacturers, including Dell and Lexmark, sell toner cartridges at a discount if you return the cartridges for recycling when they're empty. For example, Dell charges $90 for each 6000-page cartridge for its Laser Printer 1710n when you return it, but a nonreturnable version costs $130. In part, this is to discourage customers from refilling the cartridges, but it can also help to save the environment.

Other manufacturers have programs for recycling their inkjet and toner cartridges. For example, HP includes postage-paid shipping materials with most of its printers for returning used cartridges, but you can also order these from its Web site. Brother and Oki have similar programs through their Web sites. Konica Minolta includes prepaid shipping labels with its new cartridges for returning the used part.

Your local school or charity may participate in a collection program that helps it raise funds. You can also look for an office supply store that pays you a small sum or offers a discount in exchange for refillable cartridges.

Inkjet Printers

Speed. Manufacturers often list faster print speed specifications on their packaging than we see in testing.

Photo printing. Most color inkjets can print photos at a quality that approaches the level of a professional photo lab. If you plan to use your printer primarily for photos and graphics, look for models that specialize in that type of printing. If you plan to print mostly photos, look for photo printers with features such as media card readers and an LCD panel that allows you to view and print an image without using your PC. Also look for bundled image editing software.

Monochrome Laser Printers

Text only? If you print lots of text-only documents, consider buying an inexpensive monochrome or color laser printer. These printers provide superior text quality compared with inkjet printers.

Value lasers. Some monochrome and color lasers cost as little as $150 and $400, respectively, making them a good deal for home users.

An inkjet for photos. If you need to print a lot of text and glossy photos, buying a good photo inkjet printer in addition to an inexpensive monochrome laser printer could save you money on ink and maintenance costs in the long run.

Is ethernet necessary? Most monochrome lasers come with optional ethernet ports for networks. If you plan to use the printer with just one PC, however, don't pay the extra money for an ethernet card.

Color Laser Printers

High-yield cartridges. When buying toner for laser printers, look for high-yield cartridges. Many manufacturers produce cartridges for the same printer that come in larger capacities at a better price. For example, Dell offers cartridges rated for 3000 pages for its Laser Printer 1710n at $70, whereas a 6000-page cartridge costs $90.

Print speed. Tests consistently find that color laser printers print color graphics more slowly than the printers' manufacturers claim they do.

Toner vs. cartridge. Color laser printer toner cartridges are the most expensive consumable you can buy for a printer, but their yield is so much higher than an inkjet cartridge that, in the long run, color laser toner is less expensive on a per-page basis.

Recyclability. Color laser toner cartridges are also potentially hazardous to the environment. Make sure your office supply store or supplier accepts spent units for recycling.

The cost of color. If you're not running a graphics department but still want to print color, you'll most likely choose an inkjet printer, which can create beautiful photo prints at a tenth of the cost of a color laser--when it comes to initial purchase price, that is. Keep in mind that the inexpensive price of an inkjet is quickly surpassed by the cost of replacement ink.

Paul Jasper- PC WORLD contributed to this Buying Guide.

Articles Geek Tip:

How to Buy a Digital Camera

Ignore Digital Zoom

SUMMARY: When buying digital cameras, concentrate on optical zoom, not digital zoom. Although many salespeople would disagree, when choosing a digital camera to purchase, I would completely ignore advertised digital zoom magnifications and only look at cameras' optical zooms. Digital zooming performs an interpolation, or computer-based 'guesswork', of an image to try to increase the perceived zoom distance. These can result in "fuzzy" images or those with less than optimal clarity, especially if you blow them up into 8x10 or larger photos. However, optical zoom provides for a true zoom-in or zoom-out on your subject.

If you want an example of what a photograph may look like when taken with a digital zoom, take a photograph into a piece of photo-editing software and increase its size by 100% or 200%. Although the picture will look bigger on screen, you will start to see dots or imperfections in the image. That's what happens with digital zoom.

Higher optical zoom cameras can allow you to take a greater variety of pictures, but they do tend to cost more money, which is why lower-priced cameras tend to advertise their digital zoom capabilities a lot more. However, for many photographers, the enhanced image quality is well worth the higher price.

Two Considerations when Buying a New Camera

SUMMARY: Consider these two items before buying a new digital camera. Planning on buying a new digital camera? Among the many choices you have to make including megapixels, image quality, and zoom capability, here are two more things you should consider:

Media Type: There are lots of media types available for cameras, such as CompactFlash, SecureMedia, etc. Because of my previous purchases of CompactFlash cards that I used in older cameras, if upgrading, I would not want to purchase a camera that used a different type of memory unless its other features far outweighed those of competing cameras. Memory prices are going down, but cards are still not cheap and I don't want to 'throw away' this media investment when upgrading.

Some cameras are realizing that not everyone wants to use their manufacturer's proprietary media format. For example, the upcoming (at the time of this tip's writing) Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 uses Sony's Memory Stick format, but this digital camera also supports CompactFlash and MicroDrives.

Battery Type: If you currently use rechargeable batteries, factor into your purchasing decision whether or not your 'dream' camera supports the same types of batteries. I own six or seven sets of AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and would be very weary of purchasing a camera that had its own custom battery type. Of course, if the digital camera offered double the megapixels, a wider zoom lens, and better quality photos, I might reconsider.

Small Doesn't Mean Underpowered

SUMMARY: Small digital cameras may be exactly what you need. Purchasing a small digital camera definitely can have its advantages. They are easier to transport long distances, less bulky to carry with you on trips, and less conspicuous. Plus, nowadays don't expect all small digital cameras to be underpowered toys!

Small cameras may not have as many features as digital SLRs and high-end prosumer digital cameras, but their megapixel resolutions are matching, and sometimes beating, their higher-priced alternatives! Plus, smaller cameras are starting to come with larger and larger zooms.

While a high-priced large digital camera looks impressive to onlookers and usually comes with a wide variety of image manipulation features, don't overlook the value of small digital cameras. If you just want a digital camera to use for friend and family photos, travel a lot and need something that takes up less luggage room, or just don't want to deal with the bulk of a large digital camera, consider the lighter alternatives.

Be Careful When Buying Package Deals

SUMMARY: Digital camera package deals may be too good to be true - or a real bargain! It almost sounds too good to be true. A digital camera, plus memory, a tripod, a backup battery, extra lens, and more... for hundreds of dollars off the original price because it is a package deal!

When buying a digital camera, you're almost sure to be overwhelmed with such "Power Buys", "Closeout Package Specials", and the like. And sometimes, these deals can be real money-savers, especially if you need another camera bag, more memory, a backup battery, etc.

However, be careful before you spend your hard-earned money. While these deals may save you money, they may not save as much money as specified by the individual products' manufacturers' retail prices. And, sometimes, these deals are just ways for unscrupulous dealers to make a few extra dollars on the side, selling substandard or closeout equipment in combination lots that seem like huge bargains for the unwary.

Before you buy such a package deal, examine the contents. Check out what the prices of the individual items REALLY cost, and that may mean visiting other digital camera stores or websites. Then, only then, make a decision. Do you really need the products? Does the package deal really save money, even if not as much money as the seller claims?

I've saved money buying package deals when I really needed all the included equipment, but some people end up spending way more than originally intended on equipment they don't need. Don't let the latter happen to you.

Check What the Zoom Really Means

SUMMARY: Advertised digital camera zoom levels may not just be optical zoom. Be careful when reading a manufacturer's specifications on a digital camera's zoom factor.

Many digital cameras may mention that a camera has a 10x "Combined" or "Total" zoom. This *may* mean that a camera has a 5x optical zoom and a 2x digital zoom (5 X 2 = 10). As mentioned previously in MalekTips, you should only concern yourself with optical zoom as digital zoom just does a pixel interpolation when taking photos, resulting in photographs that may not be as sharp as you'd like. Read the specifications carefully, and if you have any questions, ask a camera salesman about the camera's optical zoom only.

Get a Camera with Magnified Photo Previews

SUMMARY: Magnified photo previews can help determine the sharpness of a digital photo. Digital cameras have the ability to preview previously taken photos. This is the huge advantage over film cameras; see what photos you took and make sure they look good before you develop (print) the pictures!

However, even with the largest of LCD preview screens, it is impossible to view all the details in a particular photo. For most personal use, scanning for details is not a necessity, but professionals and those using digital cameras for commercial reasons may need to ensure their photos are of the highest quality. This is especially true if they are bracketing their photos, taking several copies of the same subject with slightly modified settings.

If this scenario sounds like what you need to do, before you purchase a digital camera, make sure it comes with magnified preview modes. This way, you can zoom in on your photos, ensuring their utmost quality. Digital cameras with this feature may have a button or dial next to a magnifying glass, signifying zoom-in capability.

Is There a Built-In Microphone?

SUMMARY: A digital camera microphone can provide added benefits to your photo taking. One often-overlooked feature of digital cameras is a microphone. You may want to consider purchasing a digital camera with a microphone, as doing so (depending on the digital camera) may provide you with two interesting features:

Voice Memo or Voice Annotation: Some digital cameras let you describe your photographs either right before or after the shoot, allowing you to describe the location, environment, weather, or whatever for posterity. This can be very useful in managing photographs if you're like me and take hundreds of them on trips.

Movie Mode with Sound: Some digital cameras let you take small movies, complete with sound, and process them into AVI or QT (QuickTime) files. I've taken small movies of waterfalls, animals, fountains (Buckingham Fountain), downtown skylines, fireworks, and more. These aren't as impressive as movies taken with a video camera, but it beats lugging another device with you on trips!

Effective Pixels and Foveon X3

SUMMARY: Sometimes advertised digital camera pixel counts can be deceiving. Thanks to MalekTips reader kgelner for updating some of this information.

When comparing megapixel counts between digital cameras, be careful when comparing cameras containing the Foveon X3 three-layer sensor. You may think the resulting photos will come out larger in resolution than what the camera provides.

Most digital camera sensors can detect only red, blue, or green per pixel, using what is called the Bayer filter. A moire effect sometimes appears in photos as digital cameras try to accurately reproduce colors via dithering effects. To reduce the moire effects, digital cameras may use demosaicing effects that may result in "smearing" the photo, causing some loss of sharpness.

Foveon X3 digital cameras, however, have a sensor array, with three sensors for each pixel - one detecting red, one blue, and one green. The digital camera then merges the results together, supposedly resulting in sharper, warmer, and more pleasing photos.

Because of the extra detectors, a Foveon X3 digital camera that has, for example, 3.3 million detectors for red, green, and blue may advertise itself as being 10 megapixels (3.3 multiplied by 3 is approximately 10, though the resulting resolution of a photo will only be 3.3 megapixels). The actual quality of the photo, however, may differ depending on the digital camera's implementation, having approximately the same quality as a 5-8 megapixel photo taken with the Bayer filter.

Don't Expect a Camera to Come with Enough Media

SUMMARY: Buying a digital camera? Be prepared to buy some extra media. When you purchase a digital camera, unless it happens to be a package deal, don't expect the camera to come with enough media to handle your photography needs. Nowadays, most digital cameras, if they come with any media at all, will only be packaged with a 16 or 32 MB card. Though that used to be enough memory for a couple dozen pictures, high megapixel photos in fine, very fine, or raw detail can eat up that memory in just one or two photos. Prepare to spend money on at least one extra media card.

What to Look for to Take Night Photography

SUMMARY: Helpful features some digital cameras provide to take better night photos. Are you planning on buying a digital camera for night photography, perhaps cityscapes or fireworks displays? If so, here are a few things to look for. Note that only the high-end cameras will have some of these features, so balance your desires against your wallet:

* Does your camera have a special night scene mode? This can help take photos in low-lit conditions "out of the box".

* Higher ISO settings allow you to take photos with quicker exposures at the expense of overall image quality. Can you adjust your ISO settings to 200, 400, or higher without causing your digital photos to become grainy?

* Does your camera allow for long exposures of a full second, 2 seconds, or longer? You may need this so enough light can reach your camera in low-lit situations. However, for such photos, a tripod or other stabilizing device is vital.

* Does your camera come built-in with image stabilization or vibration reduction features? This can compensate for the "camera shake" effect when trying to keep your digital camera still during long exposures.

Don't Get Caught Up in Megapixels

SUMMARY: Megapixels are not everything when it comes to buying a digital camera. It's very easy when buying a digital camera to get caught up in the megapixel race. Fast-talking digital camera salesmen don't help as they usually tout that more megapixels are better, no matter what. Surely if a digital camera contains more megapixels, it must take better and clearer images than other digital cameras, right?

Here are two reasons why you should not get caught up in the megapixel race:

1. More megapixels do not always equal clearer photos. Not just the number of megapixels, but the quality of the megapixels matter as well. For example, most digital camera image sensor pixels can only detect just a particular area's redness, blueness, or greenness, but not all three. This is why you sometimes get a mosaic effect, and why you may often have to adjust the warmth of a photo - not enough redness may be captured. However, new technologies have emerged, such as the Foveon X3 three-layer sensor array where each pixel can detect redness, blueness, AND greenness, supposedly resulting in sharper, warmer, and more pleasing photos.

2. You should consider other digital camera features besides just its megapixels. How fast or slow you can set the camera shutter speed can determine the type of sports and night photography you can take. Does the camera support a manual white-balance control to aid photography in homes, offices, and museums? Does it have pre-programmed modes to aid in difficult lighting situations?

If you are interested in the Foveon X3 technology, here is a link to their website:

Foveon - www.foveon.com

Consider the Total Cost of Ownership

SUMMARY: You won't just be purchasing a digital camera - you may need to buy accessories. When you purchase an automobile, you must consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). How much will it cost to gas up the car, as it may need higher-octane fuel? Does it require expensive tires? Does it require more maintenance with obscure parts?

The same should be considered when purchasing a digital camera. While a digital camera may be a certain price, consider the following accessories you will most likely consider buying to enhance your photography or protect your investment:

* Digital media to store photos

* Media card reader to transfer files to your computer

* Extra rechargeable batteries to prolong photo shoots

* UV Filter to remove UV light and protect your lens

* Protective camera bag

* Accessory lens, and for a digital SLR, you have to buy one lens to begin with

* Tripod to stabilize your photos

* Backup device if you don't have a CD burner

If you purchase the most expensive digital camera you can afford, make sure you don't break the budget when purchasing accessories. You may need to step down a notch in your digital camera's quality in order to pay for needed supplies.

Be Careful with Very Cheap Prices

SUMMARY: Beware of the digital camera 'package deal' sales technique. Beware of the digital camera 'package deal' sales technique.

Be careful buying digital cameras with prices that seem too cheap to be true. While this certainly isn't the case of every low price retailer, some companies will bait you in with a low-priced camera, only to tantalize you with 'bargain' package deals that may contain substandard or closeout memory, batteries, camera cases, or the like.

These dealers may lose money if they just sell the digital camera at their rock bottom price, but by selling a package deal they can profit. Thus, you may try ordering just the camera, they may apply a pressure sales tactic, and if you do not purchase the entire package or an extended warranty, suddenly the digital camera is on backorder and will be 'available at a later time'.

Always shop around and only buy equipment from trustworthy businesses that you know will be around later in case of problems with your purchase. And this tip is not to say that all package deals are bad - just make sure to purchase only what you need.

Pre-Programmed Scene Modes May Help

SUMMARY: Scene modes make it easier to take digital camera photos in tough lighting conditions. Scene modes make it easier to take digital camera photos in tough lighting conditions.

Especially if you are a beginner to digital photography, your purchasing decision should factor how many scene modes a digital camera has. Pre-programmed scene modes can, with a couple of button presses or knob twists, configure the digital camera's settings to assist in taking pictures under difficult situations. For example, some digital cameras may have scene modes to assist in:

* Night photography

* Sports scenes or other action sequences

* Portrait photography

* Inside lighting situations

* Firework displays

* and more.

While these modes will not result in professional-quality photos every time, they can assist you in taking better photos "out of the box" until you are able to familiarize yourself with f-stops, apertures, shutter speeds, white balance settings, and the like.

Does Flash Come with an SLR?

SUMMARY: Consider the total cost of ownership when purchasing a digital SLR. When considering the total cost of ownership when purchasing a digital SLR camera, note that many digital SLR cameras do not come with onboard flash units. While this may be beneficial in many situations in that external flash units may be more powerful and controllable than onboard flash units, this is something that you must note in the overall purchase cost.

Uses for your Old Digital Camera

SUMMARY: Don't throw away your old digital camera - here are some ways to get some use out of it. Don't throw away your old digital camera - here are some ways to get some use out of it.

After purchasing a new digital camera, you may be considering what to do with your old camera that may have fewer megapixels, less zoom range, and fewer features than your current one. Here are a few suggestions:

- Give your old digital camera to your parents or friends to introduce them to the world of digital photography (be prepared to spend time showing them how everything works!)

- Keep your old digital camera as a backup in case your main digital camera fails.

- Donate your digital camera to charity or a school (this may be tax deductible - contact your accountant and/or charity for information).

- Sell your old digital camera, if it is in good condition, on an auction site such as eBay.

- Sell your old digital camera in your newspaper classifieds.

How Much Optical Zoom is Needed?

SUMMARY: Do you require a digital camera with 6x optical zoom, or is 2x or 3x enough? (Note that this tip was written for users of compact, intermediate, and prosumer digital cameras. Digital SLR users can purchase lenses with different zooming capabilities.)

With the plethora of digital camera choices available, one question you may ask is how much optical zoom do you really need for the types of photos you want to take? Purchasing a digital camera with a greater optical zoom distance is more expensive than one with only a 2x or 3x zoom, so this decision can greatly affect your pocketbook.

While there are no hard and fast rules, consider the following suggestions. Realize that even if you need a lesser zoom for most of your photos, there will always be times where a greater zoom may be useful.

* Are you primarily taking photos of friends and family, such as in parties or social situations? If so, a 2x or 3x zoom should be plenty. Just be sure to get up close if you need to record detail of a situation.

* Looking for photos of outdoor scenery, or interested in taking photos of architectural elements in a cityscape? A 5x+ zoom can help you take pictures from further away without sacrificing detail.

* Interested in taking photos of wildlife where you need to stand back to avoid scaring animals away, at sporting events where you may be situated in third level seating, from atop observation decks in large metropolises, or other situations where it will be difficult to get in close to your subject? That 7x+ zoom may be needed to get the photos you want.

Where is the Tripod Socket?

SUMMARY: Make sure when purchasing a digital camera that it fits well on a tripod. When purchasing a digital camera, if you plan on using a tripod, check the underside of the digital camera to see where the tripod socket is located. For best balance, the socket should be in the middle of the camera, though some manufacturers design sockets on the left or right side of a camera. A poorly designed socket placement may make it more difficult to steady the camera for crystal-clear photos using a tripod.

Use Comparative Shopping Search Engines

SUMMARY: Looking for the absolute best prices for digital cameras or digital camera accessories? Search many online vendors at once. If you're looking for the absolute best price for a digital camera or high-end digital camera accessory, instead of manually going to several online vendor websites, you may wish to try using comparative shopping search engines. These websites allow you to type in or browse for a particular product, then show you prices listed on a variety of vendor websites.

Depending on the shopping search engine, other items may be listed along with the product's price at each vendor:

* Shipping price * Does the vendor list the item "in stock" (you may still want to check the vendor's website just in case) * Does the vendor charge sales tax * A "rating" of the vendor by the shopping engine's users - whether or not they deliver as promised

Use shopping search engines as a starting point. Listed prices may not reflect the actual prices on each vendor's website (they may be higher OR lower). Be sure to read other peoples' opinions and be careful when purchasing items from a vendor you have never heard of before. Plus, be careful with prices that seem too low to believe - some vendors may aggressively try to sell "package deals" that may or not be a good deal for you.

Here is a list of just a few comparative shopping search engines, provided for informational purposes only:

* BizRate - http://www.bizrate.com/

* CNET Shopper - http://shopper.cnet.com/

* Froogle - http://froogle.google.com/

* mySimon - http://www.mysimon.com

* PriceGrabber - http://www.pricegrabber.com/

* PriceSCAN - http://www.pricescan.com/

* Shopping.com - http://www.shopping.com

Digital Camera Reviews

SUMMARY: Links to websites offering reviews of specific digital cameras Here are five sites you can visit offering a variety of digital camera reviews, some including sample photos taken from a variety of digital cameras:

* Digital Photography Review - http://www.dpreview.com/

* Imaging Resource - http://www.imaging-resource.com/

* megapixel.net - http://www.megapixel.net/

* photo.net - http://www.photo.net/

* Steve's Digicams - http://www.steves-digicams.com/

More Megapixels Means Greater Cropping Ability

SUMMARY: Higher-megapixel digital cameras let you crop more. Although when buying a digital camera you shouldn't get completely caught up in megapixels, digital camera with 5+ or more megapixels do offer advantages over smaller-megapixel cameras, including the ability to crop out information.

Not every digital photo will come out perfect. Someone will get in the way, or a sign will be placed right next to a monument or landmark. There will be times that no matter how well you compose your photo, elements need to be removed before printing.

If you have a 5+ megapixel camera, with the right image editing software, you will be able to remove small elements from the picture. Assuming you don't have to crop out too much, you can still print out 8x10 prints without seeing a degradation of quality. 3 megapixel cameras barely have enough information for 8x10 prints; if you crop photos taken by such cameras and try to blow them up to 8x10 size, you most likely will see some pixilation in the final printout.

More Control May Cost You

SUMMARY: To set manual exposure, you might need a more-expensive camera. While less-expensive digital cameras are great for beginners and even for experienced users, you may have to pay a little more to get full control over your photos. By "full control", I mean the ability to modify both your shutter and aperture speeds at the same time, also while being able to adjust ISO sensitivity.

Cheaper digital cameras may only let you modify the shutter speed or aperture, not both at once. Granted, with most photography these priority modes should work fine, but in very difficult lighting situations you may need the ability to override your digital camera's calculations.

Consider a Weatherproof Camera

SUMMARY: Some digital cameras are made to withstand moisture. Will your digital photography needs often require taking photos out in the rain, snow, or other inclement or at least not-ideal weather (be careful!)? Although lens shades and rain/snow covers may help, if you have the money, you may wish to invest in an extra weatherproof digital camera just for these instances.

Several digital camera manufacturers create weatherproof (sometimes called underwater) cameras, some able to withstand being dunked in 100 feet or more of water without short-circuiting. There are also waterproof housings you can buy for select digital cameras that add ruggedness to your current investment.

Your local digital camera store or online outlet should have information about which specific digital cameras are weatherproof.

Look for ISO 50 Support

SUMMARY: Look for digital cameras with ISO 50 support for crisper, cleaner images. While most digital cameras have ISO 100 as their lowest ISO setting, if you are looking for even crisper, clearer photos when you have lots of outdoor or artificial light, consider purchasing a digital camera that supports ISO 50.

Pictures with this setting have even less grain (noise) than ISO 100 photos, but they will require lots of light otherwise the image will be underexposed. Also, due to the extended exposure times, you will mostly likely need to use a tripod or other stabilizing device.

Power Consumption - Motorized Zoom vs. Zooming Ring

SUMMARY: Motorized zooms may require more battery consumption than a zooming ring. If power consumption is very important when choosing a low-end, compact, or prosumer digital camera (non-DSLR), consider how the digital camera allows for optical zoom adjustment. This is usually done via a motorized zoom or zooming ring.

A motorized zoom lets you press buttons or adjust a lever to zoom in or out. A zooming ring, similar to a manual focus ring, requires you to manually adjust the zoom by rotating the ring clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Both types of zoom require some battery usage as you adjust the zoom; the digital camera must adjust settings as the zoom factor changes. However, a motorized zoom-based digital camera should require even more power to run the zoom motor. Since your hands 'motor' the zoom ring in the latter types of digital cameras, no extra consumption of battery power is needed.

Out in the Field? A Wi-Fi Camera May Be Handy

SUMMARY: Wireless Internet may be coming in the next wave of digital cameras. E-mail photos straight from the camera! Does your photography often take you out in the field where you wish to send photos back to a central computer or e-mail them to others? Sure you can bring your laptop along with you and send photos at a coffee shop that supports wi-fi (wireless Internet), but that just adds extra weight when traveling.

Some digital camera makers are starting to build wi-fi directly into the camera, so (theoretically) you could take your camera to a wi-fi hotspot and upload photos from there. By the time you read this tip, wi-fi may be prevalent in digital cameras.

Hidden Costs with 8+ Megapixel Cameras

SUMMARY: Higher-megapixel digital cameras may have hidden costs besides just the cost of the camera. 8+ megapixel digital cameras, especially digital SLRs, are great in that they potentially allow you to take photos with far greater detail than lesser-megapixel cameras. Plus, crisp photos can be printed blown up to a larger width and height. However, before you plunk down money on these cameras, recognize there may be some 'hidden' costs.

* To take full advantage of the digital camera's features by shooting photos in super-fine JPG or RAW format, you will need much more digital camera media.

* To process the larger photos, you may need a faster computer with more RAM, at least 512 megs, 1+ gigabytes recommended.

* To store your digital photos will require either more hard drive space or more time backing-up photos to external media.

This is certainly not to say you shouldn't buy a digital camera that can potentially take more detailed photos! It's just that there may be a higher total cost of ownership to consider.

Work the Controls Before Buying

SUMMARY: Comparing digital cameras to buy? Familiarize yourself with the controls before making a decision. Buying a new digital camera that has more "bells and whistles" than the one you currently own? Unless you continue to purchase digital camera models roughly equivalent to the one you already own, more than likely the digital camera operation may be slightly different in the new device.

Thought it is possible to accustom yourself to a different set of dials and buttons, do familiarize yourself with the controls of different digital camera models as you compare which one to buy. Maybe a particular digital camera's controls are counter-intuitive. Perhaps you change ISO settings frequently, and a particular digital camera's method of doing so requires navigating menus or is generally confusing.

Though control placement obviously should not be the only consideration when comparing digital camera models, if you like to adjust settings frequently, do consider a camera that complements your work style.

Noise in Prosumer Versus Digital SLR Cameras

SUMMARY: Debating on what kind of high-end digital camera to buy? ISO sensitivity may factor into your decision. Debating on purchasing either a high-end prosumer or digital SLR camera? If price is not the only factor in your decision, you should consider ISO sensitivity and noise.

If you plan on shooting night photos or other pictures in low-light situations and don't always have a tripod to stabilize the camera during long shutter speeds, a higher ISO (faster 'film speed') is a 'cheat' that can sometimes provide respectable results.

Most high-end prosumer digital cameras take clear photos at ISO 100 or ISO 200, allowing you to take pictures in high and medium light situations without requiring a tripod. However, if you don't have a tripod and need to take photos in low-light situations or at dusk, you may be tempted to increase the ISO to 400 or 800 so you can reduce the shutter speed. Unfortunately, at least at the time of this writing, most prosumer fixed-lens digital cameras handle these ISO sensitivities poorly.

Digital SLR cameras, on the other hand, may still take relatively clear photos with an ISO of 400, and some even show respectable results with an ISO of 800. Websites listed in the MalekTips digital camera reviews tip can help show you how different digital cameras handle higher ISO settings.

As tripods aren't always convenient to carry (or even allowed in some situations), you should factor the lower noise of digital SLR cameras in your purchasing decision.

What Does 'Body Only' Mean?

SUMMARY: When viewing digital camera listings for sale, why are some cameras listed as body only? When comparing digital cameras and looking through sales ads, you may notice some cameras are listed with the phrase "body only".

A "body only" camera means that the camera is not a compact or prosumer camera but a higher-end digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. These types of cameras normally support professional features including the ability to shoot faster shots with less noise in the resulting photos.

Unlike other digital cameras, digital SLRs allow you to replace the lens, allowing for different degrees of wide-angle and telephoto shots. Plus, some lenses are 'faster' than others (ones with a larger aperture), allowing you to shoot even clearer photos in low-light conditions.

Since most dSLR purchasers want to choose a lens or group of lenses based on their photography needs, most dSLR cameras are sold as "body only", as cameras without a lens.

Dedicated Trash Can Button

SUMMARY: A dedicated trash can button on your digital camera may make it easier to remove undesired photos when bracketing or experimenting with recording settings. Especially if you are a beginner and need to shoot lots of photos for practice, or even if you are an experienced digital photographer who knows that bracketing can help ensure great photos in difficult lighting situations, ensure that your digital camera has a dedicated "delete" or "Trash can button". This way you can remove undesired photos quickly without having to navigate through menus.

Many digital cameras even let you eliminate photos as they are being saved to memory. After you take a picture, the resulting photo remains on the LCD for a couple of seconds. In this timeframe you can decide to stop saving the photo if you decide the lighting didn't work, the composition was not tight enough, etc.

Don't Stick with a dSLR Kit Lens

SUMMARY: Why a digital SLR's packaged lens may not offer everything you need. Purchasing a digital SLR (dSLR) digital camera package with a kit lens? Reconsider; perhaps you should purchase just the body only and add a separate lens to your order. While some 'kit' lenses that come with dSLR packages may perform adequately for limited uses, my guess is that you will want to either zoom-in closer to your subjects or have the ability to shoot wider-angle pictures.

Most kit lenses have a limited zoom range such as 18-55mm which won't allow you to get close to your subject. For just a few hundred bucks more you can purchase a zoom lens that telephotos to 200mm or even more! If you're not always able to get close to your subject, these lenses can provide you with digital photo opportunities you wouldn't have if you only purchased the standard kit lens.

Video and Audio Output Connections?

SUMMARY: Can you connect the digital camera to a TV, displaying slideshows and movies? Many digital cameras come built-in with a video output port and cable. This lets you play the photos in your digital camera's memory on a television set that has a video input jack, usually as a slideshow animation.

If your digital camera also supports movies with sound, check to see if your camera has an audio port. This way you can play the small movies recorded by your digital camera on your TV. The movies probably won't have the quality or length of movies captured with a digital video camera, but can be entertaining nonetheless.

If you do find a digital camera with an audio output, check to see if it supports monaural or stereo sound, and if it is stereo, if there is only one stereo port or left and right channel ports. This may determine what kind of connector cables, if any, you may need to buy to play the movies on your television set with sound.

Image Stabilization Features?

SUMMARY: Image stabilization features make it easier to take crisp, clear photos when you can't use a tripod. Keeping your digital camera stable when taking photos is vital if you want your photos to remain clear and crisp, free of blurriness. When abundant light is available, stabilization is less important as your digital camera can shoot photos with faster shutter speeds, usually nullifying any shaking of your hands. However, when shooting in less than ideal lighting conditions or fast moving subjects, a tripod or other stabilization device is highly recommended.

What if you can't bring along a tripod? Can you place your digital camera on a beanbag on top of a sturdy object? If not, you can adjust your digital camera settings to take quicker photos at the expense of having darker or noisier pictures. And, you may just have to try to hold your digital camera really, really still!

Photographers who plan on shooting action, night, or sports photography in these conditions should look for digital cameras with built-in optical image stabilization. These can sometimes offset minor shakes inherent when holding a digital camera during a photo shoot. Most digital camera information guides and/or vendors will be happy to show you models that support this feature.

Articles Article:

Looking for Genealogy Websites?

Here is an updated list of nearly all the good genealogy websites on the planet (and then some)!

cyndislist.com

Articles Article:

Internet Fraud Protection Tips

Article By: fraud.org

*Know who youre dealing with. If the seller or charity is unfamiliar, check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau. Some Web sites have feedback forums, which can provide useful information about other peoples experiences with particular sellers. Get the physical address and phone number in case there is a problem later.

*Look for information about how complaints are handled. It can be difficult to resolve complaints, especially if the seller or charity is located in another country. Look on the Web site for information about programs the company or organization participates in that require it to meet standards for reliability and help to handle disputes.

*Be aware that no complaints is no guarantee. Fraudulent operators open and close quickly, so the fact that no one has made a complaint yet doesnt meant that the seller or charity is legitimate. You still need to look for other danger signs of fraud.

*Dont believe promises of easy money. If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, its probably a scam.

*Understand the offer. A legitimate seller will give you all the details about the products or services, the total price, the delivery time, the refund and cancellation policies, and the terms of any warranty. For more information about shopping safely online, go to www.nclnet.org/shoppingonline.

*Resist pressure. Legitimate companies and charities will be happy to give you time to make a decision. Its probably a scam if they demand that you act immediately or wont take No for an answer.

*Think twice before entering contests operated by unfamiliar companies. Fraudulent marketers sometimes use contest entry forms to identify potential victims.

*Be cautious about unsolicited emails. They are often fraudulent. If you are familiar with the company or charity that sent you the email and you dont want to receive further messages, send a reply asking to be removed from the email list. However, responding to unknown senders may simply verify that yours is a working email address and result in even more unwanted messages from strangers. The best approach may simply be to delete the email.

*Beware of imposters. Someone might send you an email pretending to be connected with a business or charity, or create a Web site that looks just like that of a well-known company or charitable organization. If youre not sure that youre dealing with the real thing, find another way to contact the legitimate business or charity and ask.

*Guard your personal information. Dont provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

*Beware of dangerous downloads. In downloading programs to see pictures, hear music, play games, etc., you could download a virus that wipes out your computer files or connects your modem to a foreign telephone number, resulting in expensive phone charges. Only download programs from Web sites you know and trust. Read all user agreements carefully.

*Pay the safest way. Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly. There are new technologies, such as substitute credit card numbers and password programs, that can offer extra measures of protection from someone else using your credit card. For more information about paying safely online, go to
www.nclnet.org/shoppingonline and
www.nclnet.org/essentials/security.html

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Fix Centurytel Email Sending Problem

Centurytel's upgrade to a new email system has caused some serious problems nationwide. If you are not able to send emails follow the instructions here: http://community.centurytel.net/help/ What they do not tell you on this page is that many customers will have to have their passwords reset before these fixes will work. For that you will need to call their support number: 1-800-809-1410

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Google Earth: From Space to Your Face and Beyond

By Mark Aubin, Software Engineer, Google Earth

Would you believe the inspiration for Google Earth was a photo flipbook?

It was 1996 and I was working at Silicon Graphics (SGI), which was then on the verge of releasing "InfiniteReality"  hardware for the Onyx workstation that enables people to create graphics with extraordinarily realistic texture. Our goal was to produce a killer demo to show off the new texturing capabilities to maximum advantage. During a brainstorming session, someone passed around the great Charles and Ray Eames book, POWERS OF TEN  A Flipbook, and suggested that our demo move through imagery the way the book does. After discussing a number of possibilities, we decided that we would start in outer space with a view of the whole Earth, and then zoom in closer and closer.

We'd begin by heading toward Europe, and then, when Lake Geneva came into view, we'd zero in on the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. Dipping down lower and lower, we'd eventually arrive at a 3-D model of a Nintendo 64, since SGI designed the graphics chip it uses. Zooming through the Nintendo case, we'd come to rest at the chip with our logo on it. Then we'd zoom a little further and warp back into space until we were looking at the Earth again. Read Full Article

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Meet Google's culture czar

By Elinor Mills, CNET News.com 30 April 2007 02:13 PM

There's no question that Google is a trendsetter. The company made Web search sexy, and lucrative. It established the foundation for an ecosystem that allows any old little Web site to make money off advertising.

Stacy Savides Sullivan, chief culture officer, GoogleWith its lava lamps, simple doodle design, pampered employees and millionaires in its rank and file, it has become a cultural icon and an emblem of the gold-rush promise of the Web.

Google was ranked by Fortune magazine as the best place in the US to work, and it has reached another zenith by becoming the most popular Web site. It's even become a verb in the dictionary.Read Full Article

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Super Secret Windows XP Secrets

Ask The Geek Radio Show Topic 4/26/07

Try the awesome Windows XP Secret functions.

Notepad

Secret - Create a Log File Instructions - Launch Notepad, Type .LOG on the first line, and then press Enter to move to the next line. On the File menu, click Save As, type a descriptive name for your file in the File name box, and then click OK. When you next open the file, note that the date and time have been appended to the end of the log, immediately preceding the place where new text can be added. You can use this functionality to automatically add the current date and time to each log entry.

Paint

Secret - Image Trails Instructions - Open an image and hold down Shift then drag the image around to create an image trail.

Secret - 10x Zoom Instructions - Open an image and select the magnifying glass icon. Left-Click exactly on the line below the 8x.

FreeCell

Secret - Instant Win Instructions - Hold down Ctrl + Shift + F10 during game play. Then you will be asked if you want to Abort, Retry or Ignore. Choose Abort, then move any card to instantly win.

Secret - Hidden Game Modes Instructions - In the "Game" menu choose "Select Game". Enter -1 or -2 to activate the hidden game modes.

Hearts

Secret - Show All Cards Instructions - Edit this registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAppletsHearts and create a new String value named ZB with a Data value of 42. Start Hearts and Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F12 to show all the cards.

Background - This secret is a reference to Douglas Adams' book the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 'ZB' is the initials of the character Zaphod Beeblebrox, the Galactic President. '42' is the answer to The Ultimate Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything.

Minesweeper

Secret - Reveal Mines Instructions - Minimize or close all running applications. Launch Minesweeper, then type xyzzy. Next hold down either shift key for one second. Now when you move the mouse cursor over a Minesweeper square you will see a tiny white pixel in the top left corner of your desktop screen. This pixel will change to black when your mouse moves over a mine. You may need to change you desktop background to a solid color other then white or black to see the pixel.

Secret - Stop Timer Instructions - Launch Minesweeper and start a game so the timer starts counting, then press the Windows Key + D to show the desktop. Now when you select minesweeper from the taskbar you can continue playing with the timer stopped.

Pinball

Secret - Extra Balls Instructions - Type 1max at the start of a new ball to get extra balls.

Secret - Gravity Well Instructions - Type gmax at the start of a new game to activate the Gravity Well.

Secret - Instant Promotion Instructions - Type rmax at the start of a new game to go up in ranks.

Secret - Skill Shot Instructions - Launch the ball partially up the chute past the third yellow light bar so it falls back down to get 75,000 points. There are six yellow light bars that are worth a varying amount of points:

First: 15,000 points Second: 30,000 points Third: 75,000 points Fourth: 30,000 points Fifth: 15,000 points Sixth: 7,500 points

Secret - Test Mode Instructions - Type hidden test at the start of a new ball to activate Test Mode. No notification will be given that this is activated but you can now left-click the mouse button and drag the ball around. While in test mode press the following keys for more secrets:

H - Get a 1,000,000,000 High Score M - Shows the amount of system memory R - Increases your rank in game Y - Shows the Frames/sec rate

Secret - Unlimited Balls Instructions - Type bmax at the start of a new ball. No notification will be given that this is activated but when a ball is lost a new ball will appear from the yellow wormhole indefinitely. Once this is activated you will be unable to activate other secrets without restarting the game.

Solitaire

Secret - Instant Win Instructions - Press Alt + Shift + 2 during game play to instantly win.

Secret - Draw single cards in a Draw Three game Instructions - Hold down CTRL + ALT + SHIFT while drawing a new card. Instead of drawing three cards you will only draw one.

Add/Remove

Secret - Hidden Uninstall Options Instructions - Warning: Proceed at your own risk! Browse to C:Windowsinf and make a backup copy of sysoc.inf. Then open the original file C:Windowsinfsysoc.inf in notepad. Go to "Edit" and select "Replace". In "Find what:" type ,hide and in "Replace with:" type , then select "Replace All", save and close the file. Go to the "Control Panel", "Add/Remove", select "Add/Remove Windows Components". You will now see many more Windows components to uninstall. Do not remove anything with no label or that you do not recognize or fully understand what it does. Doing so can break certain functionality in Windows.

Control Panel

Secret - Hidden Control Panel Extensions Instructions - Download and install TweakUI, launch, go to "Control Panel" and check any item not selected, then "Apply" and "OK". You will now see the hidden control panel extensions.

Device Manager

Secret - Hidden Devices Instructions - Go to the "Control Panel", "System" icon, "Hardware" tab and select "Device Manager". Select "View" and Show hidden devices.

Secret - Phantom Devices Instructions - Go to "Start", "Programs", "Accessories" and select "Command Prompt". At the command prompt, type "set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1" and press Enter. At the command prompt, type "start devmgmt.msc" and press Enter. Select "View" and Show hidden devices. You can see devices that are not connected to the computer. - Source

Notes - When you close the command prompt window, Windows clears the "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1" variable that you set and prevents phantom devices from being displayed when you select "Show hidden devices".

Music

Secret - Music from the Installer Instructions - Browse to C:Windowssystem32oobeimages itle.wma and play.

Notes - "OOBE" stands for "Out-of-Box Experience".

Shutdown

Secret - Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog Instructions - Go to "Start", "Turn Off Computer..." and press either Shift key to change the "Stand By" button to "Hibernate".

Support Tools

Secret - Over 100 Windows XP Support Utilities are on the install CD

Instructions for Pre-SP2 users - If you do not have SP2 installed, put the original Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM Drive, run the D:SupportToolssetup.exe file.

Instructions for SP2 users - If you have SP2 installed, Download the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools and install.