DevinCollier.com

I seem to be purchasing small gadgets lately and this month has been no exception.  For work, I needed to put together a series of useful video presentations/screencasts for my fellow co-workers. After looking around on the Internet for a good set of headphones, I found the Plantronics brand and decided to give them a go.

Headset quality
The physical headset felt pretty solid even though it was entirely made out of plastic as most headsets are today. It folded nicely for travel, however it didn’t lay flat so be sure and consider this before slamming it in a briefcase.

Sound quality
Listening to music and other media was pleasant. The included USB sound card helped to digitize the sound from the computer although it was still converted to an analog signal. Overall, I did like using the headset to listen to podcasts, music, and movies.

Recording quality
This is where I think the Plantronics brand shines. The recording quality was very good with little interference, static, and other annoyances. With a little base enhancement help from Audacity or Garageband, these puppies worked great right out of the box. I find them ideal for screencasts, podcasting, or using them with skype or similar program.

Overall I enjoy using this headset. Since I’m on a MacBook Pro, capatibility was a concern, but the included USB sound card worked great out of the box with no drivers or extra software needed.

My mother has an iMac that she loves. I have a MacBook Pro and wanted to communicate with my mom using iChat since I have poor cell reception in my home. At first, I looked into getting her an iSight camera off of eBay. For anyone that has tried looking for a cheap used iSight has quickly found themselves looking for an alternative camera because those iSights are very expensive. They are still selling near retail price. Apple has since discontinued them which left little alternatives to purchasing a new computer.

My first option was to use an older Sony DV Camcorder. At first, it seemed like a good idea, however it just wouldn’t work due to the size and the type of setup required in order to get it to work. Who wants to have a tripod on their desk next to the computer? When iChatting with them, you’ll never really see the person on the other end look into the camera. They would always be looking elsewhere (like at the monitor for example).

Then I stumbled upon a blogpost that mentioned any UVC compatible webcam would work with iChat if the Mac had OS Tiger 10.4.8 or later installed. Since manufactures don’t really show that specification on the box or website, you have to hunt it out or look for reviews by people that have tried it out. I finally found the Logitech QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks Webcam from buy.com that was free after rebate. I choose this model for a few reasons. First, it would end up being free after rebate, you can’t go wrong with free. Next, it had a built in microphone which was nice in case it didn’t work with the Mac and could be used as a webcam for a windows based computer without the need for an additional microphone. Lastly, it was small and UVC compliant, so it should fit nicely on my mother’s iMac.

When my mom tried it out, iChat recognized it immediately and set the camera to the default capture device. The microphone also worked right out of the box. I set my mom up with an AOL instant message account and we were chatting away within minutes.

I’ll have to admit that the quality isn’t as nice as the iSight built into my Macbook Pro, but it was decent and very usable. The manual focus lens on the Logitech is easy to turn and makes the picture as clear as possible with the given built-in lens. Overall, I’m impressed with the quality and ease of setup. The camera was relatively cheap (free) so I can’t complain.

Pros: Easy to setup (with a mac). Clip to attach webcam is a nice addition for an older iMac G4. Built in microphone a plus. Inexpensive.

Cons: Some distortion in low light conditions.

Recently, we have a need in my family to preserve slides by scanning them into the computer and digitizing our analog photo collection since mold, mildew, and other “elements” are starting to deteriorate the photos.

Costco had a sale on the 3600u slide projector making it an ideal alternative to sending them into a photo place for scanning. If we could just scan them in at home, we would be able to save money and
edit as we scan.  So I picked up one of these scanners and started working.

When I opened up the unit, I noticed that the scanning head had become jammed probably from shipping. A quick jerk knocked it back into place after I realized that it wasn’t supposed to be like that. After the

first few scans, I realized that there must be some issue with the scanner since none of the slides were turning out well. I decided to get another one to try and experience similar results of pictures being fuzzy, very dark, and generally horrible quality. I checked out the manufactures website and read through the manual.

After trying every setting possible (exposure, brightness, contrast, etc), I realized that scanning slides is something this unit wasn’t designed to do very well. Some of the slides that I know are very clean and clear come out horrible, dark, and completely unusable. Thank goodness I purchased this at Costco since their return policy is very liberal. Usually Costco has products with high quality; however this scanner must have been an exception to Costco’s quality guidelines.

The Good: Small form factor. Comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements. USB 2.0.
The Bad: Horrible quality. Manufactures software is very buggy in Windows (crashes often).  Scans take over 60 seconds each. Poor unit build quality. Only can scan one slide at a time. Scanner head has no “lock” mechanism for transportation protection.

Bottom Line: Save yourself the trouble and steer clear of this scanner (and I assume company). Costco offers slide scanning for $0.29 each at the photo lab each. They come on a CD and look fantastic.

From looking at my keyword search logs, I’m finding more and more people interested in a technician’s secret for toner. I’m not sure if it’s regarding whether or not to refill toner, if remanufactured toner is ok to use in a printer, or if printer techs like me have dirty secrets to unveil. So for this post, I’ll answer some of the most common questions I get asked about toner cartridges. If you have questions about toner and/or cartridges, please feel free to comment on this post or submit a question.

Q: Does using remanufactured toner cartridges void my HP/Toshiba/Brother warranty on my printer?

A: The Sherman and Clayton Anti-Trust Acts of 1914 prohibit a manufacture to void the warranty on a product they sell because you don’t use their specific, brand name, over priced, high margin product. As an example, when you need an oil change, getting your car serviced at the dealership is generally a little more money. Going to a local shop can save you money, but it doesn’t void your car’s warranty. This same principle is applied to cartridges (and ink too). You’re welcome to use any toner cartridges you wish and it will not void your warranty unless damage to the printer is caused by the use of a bad cartridge or remanufactured cartridge. This is usually a rare occurrence though. Out of the many years I’ve spent working on printers, I’ve never seen a warranty issue be rejected due to not using OEM (original equipment manufacturer) toner.

Q: What is the difference between remanufactured and refurbished toner?

A: Marketing mainly. There is no set standard for “remanufactured” or “refurbished”. Most retailers of aftermarket toner will tell you that their toner is remanufactured meaning that more went into manufacturing the toner cartridge then just filling it with toner. Essentially both names mean the same thing though. Sometimes techs will call the toner “remans” or “refurbs”, but it really comes down to the company that you purchase through. Don’t pay attention to what they say their cartridges are, look for yourself or ask good questions to find the right cartridge.

Q: Can I just refill my toner cartridge and be ok?

A: That’s a tough question to answer depending on what type of cartridge you have. It would be safe to say that the bigger the cartridge, the more likely you will need to exchange or buy a new cartridge. This is mainly due to two parts, the drum and the PCR. Both of these parts will wear out before the toner runs out which causes you to buy a new cartridge anyway. Toner generally does not work like ink cartridges. Ink cartridges generally have a print head inside the printer which makes it possible to just fill up the ink and get by ok. Toner cartridges have a lot more parts to them and generally can’t be “filled” without future issues.

Q: Is remanufactured color toner cartridges just the same as black and white cartridges?

A: Not really. I’ve had a lot more problems with the color cartridges being “off color” and leaking to really not make it worth selling or supporting these. There are a few models that look ok, but they are the minority. This is a reason why color is so much more than black and white.

I was approached and asked about an HP Color LaserJet 2605dnxi and what exactly the “xi” means. I honestly didn’t know off hand but suspected that it had something to do with where the printer could be purchased (in this case it was Costco). First off, here’s a brief list of letters HP uses to describe the naming structure of its printers and what they mean.

D - Duplex (prints both sides of the page automatically)
N - Networking built-in to the printer
T - Extra tray included
MFP - Multifunction Printer (copy/fax/print/scan)
M - Retired term for Macintosh compatible printers
F - New letter that means fax machine included
X - Super Extended model with all the bells and whistles (tray, networking, toner)

So what does XI mean? Well from looking at a few forums and HP’s website I couldn’t really find much, but a printer with XI on the outside packaging generally comes with everything you need (like a USB or Ethernet cable), toner, support/warranty, etc. Here’s a list of possible meanings, although these are just guesses. Any suggestions appreciated in the comments.

XI - Extra Ink
XI - Extras Included

Recently, I tried to install an old Zebra Eltron 2543 and 3844 parallel thermal label printer on an office computer. I found that no matter what I tried, I always ended up with the generic error message of, “Unable to install printer. Operation could not be completed.” When trying to install other printers, I found the same error message popping up right after I clicked on the finish button.

To solve this problem, I attempted the following (all of which did not work):

• Downloaded the most current drivers
• Try alternate drivers
• Change the driver in already installed printers
• Try to print to the newly installed printer with an already installed printer
• Restarted multiple times
• Made sure all Windows updates were installed
• Booted into safe mode and tried to install printer
• Installed the printer successfully on another computer

After all this, I was ready to format and reinstall Windows. I decided to check out Microsoft’s site to see if there were any known issues with my printer or computer. I stumbled upon a knowledge base article that really helped fix this problem, and I’m sure it can help fix many other printer driver related issues.

Here are the steps to take to completely remove all printers on your computer. I like to think of this as a “clean reset” of the printing functionality in Windows XP. These steps involve touching the registry. If you’re not comfortable with going in there and making changes to this portion of the operating system, I wouldn’t suggest it.  I make no warranty that these steps will fix your issue.  I strongly recommend making a complete backup of the entire registry before beginning.

1. Startup your computer is safe mode. This is done by pressing F8 when you first turn on the computer until you see the Windows menu. Select “Safe Mode” and wait until the computer is finished booting up.

2. Delete all files and folders out of these two locations.

• C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers
• C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32×86

3. Open the registry editor. To do this, click Start, click Run, type “regedit” in the Open box, and then press OK.

4. Locate and expand the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows NT x86

There should only be the following two subkeys (delete the rest):

• Drivers
• Print Processors

5. Expand the Version-x subkeys, and then delete all the printer driver entries.

6. Locate and then expand the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors

There may be a bunch of different subkeys in this place. These are the only ones that should be there, delete the rest:

• BJ Language Monitor
• Local Port
• PJL Language Monitor
• Standard TCP/IP Port
• USB Monitor

You can also delete any extra ports that were created but are no longer needed at this location in the registry if you wish.

7. Check to see if the Print Spooler service is running. To do this, follow these steps:

• Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
• Expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
• In the details pane, right-click the Print Spooler service, and then click Start (if it is stopped).
• Exit Computer Management.

If this service doesn’t start, you may have other issues. Head to the link at the end of this article. That that KB page, there is a link to work out printer spooler problems.

8. After all these steps are done, go ahead and restart the computer and try and add a printer. It worked great for me. Hopefully this will help out anyone with that annoying, “Operation can not complete” error.

These steps are a tech’s abridgment of this Microsoft KB article (324757)

UPDATE: It appears that there is a developing problem with this line of car radios from JVC where the CD drive will “click” when first turned on. JVC released a firmware update which has not worked for my stereo. For this reason, I do not recommend purchasing this model.
With our recent tax rebate, my wife and I decided to upgrade our existing car stereo in our ‘99 Honda CRV. With our old car stereo, the sound wasn’t quite working and we wanted a way to use our MP3 player quickly and easily. When looking for a stereo, we marked the following requirements.

• Needed to have an axillary input
• Able to play MP3/WMA CDRW discs
• Not look like something out of a high school Honda Civic with a grotesque spoiler
• Needs to have HD radio tuner built-in

With those requirements I set out trying to find the best deal. From reading various articles on my vehicle, I learned that it would be very difficult to install. Usually I don’t mind attacking anything to do with the installation of electronics, but I just don’t have the time right now. This is why we purchased the stereo that provided free installation. We finally landed on getting a JVC KD-HDR30 which is a new model. I found it hard to get a hold of locally though. After installation and use for a few weeks here are the pros and cons.

Pros

• HD Radio is a really nice step up from traditional radio. Didn’t realize we had so many channels available to us in our area.
• We have many options to upgrade and use this stereo for our needs. The AUX input and bluetooth/iPod add-on modules are great ways to connect all your audio gear.
• Although this is a simple feature, having a CD player that can read MP3’s is great. It saves us so much time from switching between all of our old CDs.
• The remote works well and can be connected to the steering wheel for added convenience and safety.

Cons

• There is no quick seek where the radio plays a few seconds per station and allows you to find a good song while you drive. The lack of this feature is bizzare, but we hooked up the remote now and just use that to navigate while driving.
• The lights on the stereo are really really annoying at night. Even though they dim slightly when the headlights are turned on, it’s really distracting and makes it hard to concentrate on the road.
• Although HD radio is great, it’s not as awesome when you live in an area that only gets the signal here and there. Unlike analog signals that get added noise, digital HD signals just plain go out and all your hear is silence for a little while until the radio finds the station again. Also, it takes the stereo 4-5 seconds to “lock into” a digital radio station. You get used to it, but it would be nice if it just connected right away.
• The iPod adapter doesn’t work with the iPhone. It’s Apple’s fault, not JVC’s.

Bottom line

We’re pretty satisfied with our purchase and the installers at Circuit City. The stereo has a few small feature issues, but it works very well and the sound is great. I recommend not purchasing a car stereo that is “HD ready”. Always get the type with the tuner built-in. You’ll save money and installation costs down the road. It reminds of the “HD ready” TVs that went out of style within months of their launch date. Just spend the extra 30 bucks and get the tuner built-in.

With the built-in HD tuner, AUX front input jack, and MP3 CD player functionality, I’d give this stereo 4 out of 5 stars.

Have you ever made a list of computers or electronics that you’ve own in your life. I started making this list (which is still not compete) and was very surprise as to how many different computers and printers I’ve purchased, used, and sold in my life.

Computers

• Apple //e - $50
• Apple Macintosh Plus - $20
• Apple Macintosh SE - $50
• Apple Macintosh SE+ $45
• Apple Macintosh LC III - $300
• Apple Macintosh Performa 630 - $400
• Compaq Presario 6550 - $680
• Apple PowerMac G3/333 - $500
• Apple PowerMac G3/350 - $600
• CompUSA BTO PIII700 - $200
• Custom BTO AMD 2800+ - $350
• HP Pavillion ZE1100 - $70
• Dell 600m - $300
• Dell 700m - $690
• Dell 6000D - $600
• Apple iBook G3 800 - $100
• Apple iMac G5 17″ - $900
• Dell Latitude 630d - $900
• Apple MacMini 1.6 Solo - $325
• Apple Macbook (1) -$900
• Apple Macbook Pro (1) -$1200
• Apple Macbook (2) - $700
• Apple Macbook Pro (2) - $900

Printers

• Apple Stylewriter II
• Apple Laserwriter
• Canon BubbleJet D60
• HP LaserJet 3150MFP
• HP LaserJet 3200MFP
• HP Color LaserJet 4550N
• HP Color LaserJet 2550
• HP Color LaserJet 3500N
• HP LaserJet 1200
• HP LaserJet 1300
• HP LaserJet 3330
• HP LaserJet 2200DN
• HP LaserJet 2300DN
• HP Color LaserJet 1600
• HP Color LaserJet 2605DN

HP fuels the war on the cheapest laser printers by introducing the LaserJet 1020 series printer. It’s a direct descendant of the HP 1012 and 1018 printers with a smaller form factor and faster printing speeds.The HP 10XX LaserJet series printers have proven to be a great way to introduce laser printing benefits to home and small businesses. Typically, HP LaserJet printers have been somewhat costly compared to their Brother or Lexmark counterparts.

Reliability: This is borderline “throwaway” printer due to the difficulty or a technician in replacing key parts. From inspection, it appears that the roller and separation pad are the only easily changeable parts (besides the toner and drum). Generally Brother was the first that sold printers in which the consumables costs more than the printer. When the HP 1020 fails, it will probably be easier to purchase a new machine.

Performance: The HP 1020 prints incredibly fast for its size. At 15ppm, it can easily out perform most inkjet printers hands down.

Usability: One of the major downsides to this printer is that only Windows based computers can print to it. Most technicians agree that the Windows based market is prevalent in the computer world, but Macintosh computers along with Linux/Unix machines account for a portion as well. The Windows software does install easily, but it seems HP cut too many corners by only including the Windows family to the compact laser printing world.

Size: You must admit, after looking at this printer first hand, it’s seems that HP has really tried to reduce the size of this little printer. Due to the smaller size, any jam can be quickly removed from the printer, and it does fold up nicely when not in use.

Original retail price: $179.95
Current used price: $100.