digital art manipulation - vom.com art manipulation ... host the digital art show and/or various...

The Newsletter for Sonoma County’s Mac and Windows Users July 2003 Vol.1 No 7

Digital Art Manipulation

National Do Not Call List Begins . . . . . . . . . . .2Officers/Club Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2July’s Guest Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2President’s Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

New Google Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3What’s News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6How I Saved My Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8NCMUG’s MCE ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Table of Contents

Mother and son enjoying an afternoon nap.Mother on the right

Mother and son just spied a giant rat!

Sonoma Valley Computer Group Newsletter http://www.vom.com/svcg/index.html

OFFICERS FOR 2003-2004

President Veda [email protected]

Vice President Beth [email protected]

Secretary Stephanie [email protected]

Treasurer Joan [email protected]

Newsletter Kathy [email protected]

Members-at-Large George [email protected]

Jeannette [email protected]

BOARD MEETINGS

Usually following General Meeting. Opento all members. Call 935-6690 for furtherinformation.

MEMBERSHIPS

S.V.C.G. Annual Membership: $20.S.V.C.G. Family/Couple membership: $30(residing at same address). Membershiprenewals are due and payable at the beginningof each year.

GENERAL MEETINGS

S.V.C.G. meets second Saturday of eachmonth at Sonoma Public Library, 755West Napa Street; hours: 9:30AM to11AM unless otherwise notified. Meetingsfree; guests welcome.

ABOUTTHISPUBLICATION

Sonoma Valley Computer Group Newsletter is published

monthly by Sonoma Valley Computer Group. Desktop pub-

lishing services donated by: Kathy Aanestad. Call: (707)

935-6690, email [email protected]. © 2003, SVCG.

ONLINE NEWSLETTER:http://www.vom.com/svcg/index.htmlCopyright © 2003, SVCG. All rights reserved. Sponsored by

our local ISP, DataProfessionals, on 19480-8th St. East.

MAILING ADDRESS:Sonoma Valley Computer GroupPO Box 649El Verano, CA95433

SVCG UGBenefitsAs a benefit to being a member of theSonoma Valley Computer Group,O’Reilly Press is giving you a 20% dis-count on all their books and software!For more information, please contactKathy Aanestad at 935-6690 or email at‘[email protected]’.

In addition to the O’Reilly Press offer,SVCG belongs to the Apple User Groupprogram whereby members can pur-chase Apple products at a savings.Contact Kathy Aanestad for user ID andpassword in order to access their onlinesite. We need members to help withfinding contacts for PC user groupoffers so that they can be included in thenewsletter postings.

DonatingUsedComputerEquipmentThe URL listed is for the ComputerRecycling Center. All of the info need-ed (and then some) is listed on the site. http://www.crc.org/

Thanks to Wayne Till for that tip.

❂

☛✉Send your comments to:

[email protected]

July’s GuestSpeakerRon Leal from vom.com, a.k.a.DateProfessionals on Eighth Street East willbe speaking to us about the internet andhappy to answer any and all of your internetrelated questions. Please remember that Rondoes not work for AOL, so your AOL ques-tions might not get answered!

Also scheduled for your viewing and edifi-cation pleasure will be a demonstration onhow to mount your digital artwork usingfoamcore board and spray adhesive inpreparation for our upcoming Digital ArtShowcase event in September.

The club is really encouraging its membersto submit pieces for the show. Please seeVeda’s President’s Message on Pg. 3.

National Do-Not-CallRegistry toBeginConsumers angry and frustrated overtelemarketing calls can take a significantstep toward relief today, as the FederalTrade Commission launches a long-awaited nationwide registry for residentswho want to block unsolicited advertisingvia their home and cellular telephones. ...

Washington Post<http://tinyurl.com/fgsa>

Consumers in the western states can jointhe list at <http://www. f t c . g o v / d o n o t-call/>. This site was very busy today--trytomorrow if it seems terribly slow.


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:by Veda Lewis, [email protected]

The club sponsored Second Annual Digital Art Show is scheduled to happen during the month ofSeptember and we have loads of work to do. Since your club president will not win awards soon in thecategory of delegation, I am requesting your help NOW. Basically everything needs to be done. We needpress releases, art collectors, folks to hang art, folks to take art down, folks to be available for artists toretrieve their work.

Contact me by email (put SVCG in the subject or I may not getit), to let me know what you can contribute. It won't happen with-out your help. Your boardmembers are just as busy as you are andneed a well-deserved break from making everything happen inthis club.

If we don’t get volunteers, this show may not go on.

If you are planning to enter the event, now’s the time to get yourwork ready. If you have friends or family who would like to enter,please do. The volunteer committee should plan on attending theboard meeting immediately following the regular club meeting tosort out details this Saturday morning.

I look forward to this being a club event to remember!

Happy Computing!

—Veda Lewis

the mapping feature. You will first need to check if yournumber is listed in this manner by attempting a search —entering your full telephone number separated by dashese.g., 555-123-4567). If the number appears in the mappingdatabase, an icon resembling a telephone will appear next tothe first or second entry on the results page. Clicking on thisicon will take you to a page containing a description of theservice, and a link to request your number be removed fromthe database--it’s under Phone Book and is the last line inthat section:

To have your residential or business phone and addressinformation removed from the Google PhoneBook, clickhere. (http://www.google.com/help/pbremoval.html)

Many people are unaware of this new database service. Ipersonally don’t want anyone to have a map (and the map isperfect) to my house just by having my phone number.

—Internet

New GOOGLE Feature

There is a new GOOGLE feature: TYPE a telephone number intoGoogle’s search bar, click the search button, and have a MapQuestpage returned as a result. Any person wishing to discover the phys-ical location of a phone number, be it a home (YOURS for exam-ple) or business address. Any stalker could use this feature tolocate a physical street address, and receive explicit directions onhow to get there from anywhere in the country.

Go to http://www.google.com. Then type in your phone number orany phone number. If you have an unlisted number you are not atrisk, but you should pass it on to your family and friends.

Google has made available an option that will allow anyone toremove their telephone number from the database that is linked to

✌

Artwork

by

Stephanie

Clark

c I give permission to use this info in the club roster whichis for members only


Sonoma Valley Computer Group MembershipApplication/Renewal Form

New Applicant Renewal (expiration date on label)

c Use information below c Use the name and address label on Page 12

Name: ____________________________________Address:____________________________________

__________________________________________Home Phone:________________________________Work Phone: ________________________________E-mail Address:______________________________

. Send c $20 (individual) c $30 (family) check to:

Platform: c Mac c PC c WinNTOperating System: c OS 8x c Win3 c Unix

c OS 9x c Win95 c Linuxc OS X c Win98 c WinME

Computer Make/Model: __________________________

How did you hear about SVCG?

cclass c club member c newspaper c newsletter

User Level: c Novice c Intermediatec Advanced c Expert

Sonoma Valley Computer GroupPOB 649El Verano, CA 95433

SVCG Digital Art ShowComing This September

—We’re Looking Forward To

YOUR Submissions!

We need just an hour or two of your time to help host the Digital Art Show and/or various other areas.

It’s going to be fun!

Talk to any of the Board members at Saturday’s meeting oremail us. See Pg. 2 for email info.

Key featuresInterface: USBResolution: Depends on printer technologyRated speed: Depends on printer technologyMemory: 16MBPaper capacity: 100 sheets or more standard input trayPhoto/snapshot

SONY DPP-EX5 PHOTO PRINTERSome inkjet printers are optimizedfor printing high-quality photos,but if you own a digital camera andspend a lot of time printing snap-shots, you may want a second printer specifically for that purpose.Some snapshot printers use inkjet technology, described above, butmost rely on dye-sublimation, which transfers color dye in a con-tinuous tone from a ribbon onto the paper in a series of passes, fol-lowed by a protective clear coating. The print quality is compara-ble to that of professional photofinishing. Another big advantage:they can print directly from compatible digital cameras, and mostmodels also accept storage cards such as CompactFlash,SmartMedia, Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard, or Memory Stick.But photo printers are generally limited to 4x6 or smaller snap-shots; they can’t handle standard 8.5x11 sheets, which is why theyare suitable as second printers only. They typically cost at least$200.Key featuresInterface: Direct from compatible cameras and storagecards, USBResolution: 300x300 dots per inch (dpi) for dye-sublimationRated speed: About 1 minute per snapshotMemory: Measured in KB, not MBPaper capacity: Cartridges hold a handful of sheets at a timePortable

HP DESKJET 450CBIThese pint-size printers aredesigned for life on the road.They weigh anywhere from 2to 5 pounds and are just largeenough to squeeze through astandard 8.5-inch-wide sheet of paper. Portable printers use thecolor-inkjet-printing technology described above. The print speedsand the image quality are hardly top-notch, and you’ll pay a pre-mium for these travel partners, but if you really need to print on thego, they fit the bill. They typically cost $300 or more.Key featuresInterface: USBResolution: Varies by manufacturerRated speed: Less than 10 pages per minute (ppm)Memory: MinimalPaper capacity: Anywhere from a few sheets at a time to 50sheets standard input


Printers cont’d from Pg.

4

Guest Speaker

Ron Lealfrom

vom.com

Topic:

Internet

8

plus:

Demo —How to Mount Your Digital Art

1

What’s News

from Edupage

We are in the process of testing two continuous inking systems(CIS), and several replacement inksets for the Epson 2200 printer.Although these systems give the promise of great savings, we areconcerned about these issues:

1. A possible increase in print head nozzle clogging.2. Overall system reliability.3. Ink durability and compatibility (how well do these inks matchthe output quality and durability of the Epson UltraChrome?).4. Matte vs. Photo Black issue. On a regular 2200 printer, you canswap out the black ink depending on which media type you wish toprint: Photo black will print on all types of media, but the matteblack works best on matte finish media (and matte black will NOTadhere well to glossy or luster media coatings). When you buy acontinuous inking system for a 2200 printer, you must decidewhether you want to go with photo black ink or matte black ink.This decision will determine which CHIP will be PERMANENT-LY installed with your CIS' black ink cartridge. You will NOT beable to change back and forth between black inks. Once you makeyour choice, you must stick with it. The chip not only tells yourprinter (and your printer driver software) which black ink type isinstalled, but it tells the printer that the cartridge is always FULLofink. There is a “universal” black ink that is available as a compro-mise. This ink works well on both glossy and matte coated papers.It does not have quite the D-Max of the matte black (when used onmatte papers), but it is still better than the photo black ink. It's chiptells the printer that it is the “photo black” ink, so that it has all theprinter driver media choices of the “photo black” ink (which aremuch greater than those of the matte black ink). Another concern:Some the alternative “photo” and “universal” black inks use a cer-tain amount of dye to increase their D-Max. This greatly reduceslightfastness.

Please allow us at least a month of testing before we can make rec-ommendations.

ARCHIVE of previous “Inkjet NEWS & Tips” newsletters is avail-able at: http://www.inkjetart.com/news/archive/index.html

Microsoft has joined America Online, EarthLink, and Yahoo in fil-ing lawsuits against individuals and companies it claims are flood-ing its users’ mailboxes with unwanted e-mail. According to

Microsoft, more than 80 percent of all e-mail sent to itsHotmail customers is spam, and the 15 lawsuits the companyhas filed represent the latest step in a broad program to limit thedamage from spam. Ray Everett-Church of consulting firmePrivacyGroup suggested that such lawsuits are primarily apublic relations step and will have very little impact on the vol-ume of spam. David Sorkin of the John Marshall Law Schoolsaid that even if various efforts successfully minimize fraudu-lent e-mail, what really annoys users are the nonfraudulentmessages. New York Times, 18 June 2003 (registration req’d)h t t p : / / w w w. n y t i m e s . c o m / 2 0 0 3 / 0 6 / 1 8 / t e c h n o l o g y / 1 8 S PA M . h tml

The success of Apple Computer’s iTunes music service hasencouraged several other high-profile companies to offer simi-lar services or to modify existing services in the manner ofi Tunes. Companies including Amazon.com, Microsoft,America Online (AOL), and RealNetworks have apparentlytaken notice of the success of iTunes, which reportedly soldthree million songs for 99 cents each during the first month ofthe service. Observers said that Apple’s example demonstratesthat a good selection and a simple process can entice con-sumers away from illegal file trading. iTunes offers 200,000tracks by popular artists, allows users to copy them as manytimes as they want, and gives buyers the ability to make one-click purchases subsequent to entering customer identificationand credit card information. Amazon.com, which formerlyrefused to consider selling individual songs, is now pursuingsuch a strategy after iTunes showed that consumers will stillbuy whole CDs. AOL Music, which does not directly selldownloadable music, will begin doing just that by the end ofthe year. RealNetworks has already modified its online musicservice and offered songs at 79 cents each, a direct response tothe success of iTunes. San Jose Mercury News, 23 June 2003http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/6150883.htm

Despite accepting that Microsoft violated Sun Microsystems’scopyright on its Java language, an appeals court ruled thatMicrosoft is not required to ship Sun’s version of Java with itsoperating systems. Both companies claimed victory from theruling, which overturns a lower-court decision. Sun has arguedthat Microsoft, which developed its own version of Java that is


1 2 4 7 8 9 0

not compatible with Sun’s, tried to use its monopoly power toconfuse consumers and developers about the two versions, ulti-mately to harm Sun’s position in the market. The appeals courtruled that Sun would not suffer “immediate irreparable harm” ifMicrosoft were not required to ship Sun’s Java, but the court alsoprohibited Microsoft from shipping its own version of Java. As aresult, some computer makers have gone directly to Sun to startincluding Sun’s Java with their computers. IDG, 26 June 2003http://www.idg.net/ic_1325164_9677_1-5043.html

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would pre-vent researchers from claiming copyright protections for pub-lished work that received “substantial” federal funding. No defi-nition is given for “substantial” in the bill. Martin Olav Sabo (D-Minn.) introduced the bill in an effort to guarantee public accessto research for “all who may benefit from it--especially whenthey’ve already paid for it with their tax dollars.” The PublicLibrary of Science, an organization that is planning to introducetwo free, online scientific journals, supports the proposed legisla-tion. Opponents said the law is unnecessary because a large por-tion of academic work is already available online. Peter D.Farnham of the American Society for Biochemistry andMolecular Biology said Sabo’s bill would conflict with the Bayh-Dole Act, passed in 1980, which allows researchers to claim intel-lectual property rights on their work, even if funded by federalmoney.Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 June 2003 (sub. req’d)http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/06/2003062702n.htm

The Michigan Senate has passed an antispam bill that would cre-ate a do-not-e-mail list, similar to do-not-call lists and lists--main-tained by some marketing organizations--of individuals who donot want to receive promotional mailings. Marketers would berequired to consult the list and remove the names that appear onthe list from any mass e-mailing. Under the proposed Michiganlaw, violators could face criminal penalties, including imprison-ment, as well as civil penalties of as much as $250,000 per daythat spam is sent. Observers noted that an opt-out list of e-mailaddresses would be an extremely tempting target for spammersoutside the jurisdiction of Michigan. To address that concern, onecompany said it has developed a one-way encryption system thatallows marketers to check their lists against the opt-out list but notto discern the addresses in an unencrypted form. CNET, 25 June2003http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-1021169.html

Microsoft has announced it will no longer develop new versionsof Internet Explorer for the Macintosh operating system.Microsoft’s Jessica Sommer said that Mac users will be better

served by Apple’s Web browser Safari because Microsoftdoes not have access to the code for the Macintosh operatingsystem. A final version of Safari is not yet available, thoughseveral beta versions are. Sommer said Microsoft might con-tinue to offer security and performance upgrades, but “No IE6 is planned.” Microsoft also said it will end development ofInternet Explorer as a stand-alone product.CNET, 13 June 2003http://news.com.com/2100-1045_3-1017126.html


One of Stephanie Clark’s digital art enhanced pieces of furni-ture. She creates most of the artwork on her computer, prints

it out, cuts it up and decoupages it to her furniture. In this case, her livingroom armoir.

There’s nothing like seeing it in person!

How I Saved My PrinterLast year, not one but two of my printers went to the fritz. Theymake all sorts of ill-sounding noises and either printed horribly orstopped printing period; no matter how many times I ran diag-nositc tests on the inkjet cartridge heads, etc. I was seriouslythinking of recycling them and buying new ones. Makes sensedoesn’t it. Afterall, the price I’d have to pay someone to look atthem would be enough to pay for one new printer! Anyhow, to

make a long story longer, I got some very good advice from ourlocal copy store guy, Tom McKean. He asked me if I have triedto clean and lubricate the long metal bar inside the printer. No Ihadn’t. So I went home and this is what I did to both of my print-ers with excellent results.

I opened the cover door to expose the inside of the printer. SeePicture 2. The idea was to be able to move the inkjet cartridges’holder back and forth. To do this, I had to, very quickly, push thepower button on and as the carrier started to move, immediatelyunplug the power cord from the wall. Do NOTturn the printer offby hitting the printer’s power button. That would have defeatedthe purpose. The purpose is to enable the inkjet carrier to movefreely back and forth.

Now the inkjet carrier can be moved easily either left or fight.See Picture 3.

Next step is to clean and lubricate that long metal bar (seePicture 4) with something like sewing machine oil. Take a Q-Tip and apply a couple drops of sewing machine oil on the tipand gently swab the bar. Repeat several time until the tipcomes out pretty clean.

Do you see that shiny bar running horizontally the width of thepicture? That is what you clean; the entire spanse.

Next, gently slide the inkjet cartridge carrier back and forthalong the bar.

The next thing I did was to clean the areas in and around theink depository pads. You’d be amazed at all the ink that hascollected over the year(s). See Picture 5.


This is my Epson Photo 1200. My other printer is an Epson Photo EX.

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

I used Q-Tips and a soft, lint-free cloth to clean around thoseareas.

When I was finished, I closed the lid on the printer and pluggedit back into the surge protector and tested it out. Immediatelythere was a noticeable difference is the sound the printer madeand it printed beautifully the first time. Thank you Tom McKeanfor that wonderful bit of advi$e!!

From there, I went on to clean the second printer with likewiseresults. Yours truly is a happy camper.

—Kathy Aanestad, newsletter editor

The alternative: A general-purpose inkjet can also get the jobdone, and it gives you the added flexibility to print in colorwhen necessary. But spend a little extra--more than $100--fora decent model that will be a little faster and won’t chewthrough expensive ink and paper quite as quickly.

Any inkjet can print photos in color, but if you want results thatapproach professional photofinishing, you’ll need a printerthat is designed to reproduce all of the details and colors insnapshots. If you plan to purchase only one printer, a photoinkjet is your best bet, since it can also handle standard letter-and legal-size paper. Photo inkjets use special inks and papersthat deliver better quality, and are fade resistant and moredurable. Many photo printers also let you print directly fromstorage cards. Expect to pay about $200 or more for a photoprinter.

The alternative: A dedicated snapshot printer is limited to 4x6or smaller prints--think of it as a desktop photo lab--and is real-ly only viable as a second printer. Most use dye-sublimation,which has some advantages over inkjets. Snapshot printers canprint directly from compatible digital cameras.

If you work from a home office frequently or run a small busi-ness, a multifunction printer (MFP) is an excellent choice.Also known as all-in-ones (AIOs), these multitalented devicescombine an inkjet or a laser printer with a copier, a scanner,and a fax machine. They save both space and money and cutdown on the different ink and paper supplies that you’ll needto keep on hand. Though inkjet models start as low as $100, werecommend spending slightly more for a model that includesstandalone faxing and has an auto document feeder (ADF) foreasily faxing and copying multipage documents.

The alternative: If you already have a standalone fax or scan-ner, a personal laser printer should meet your needs, and thereare several color laser printers available for less than $1,000.

If you need a workhorse that can keep up with your small busi-ness or team within a larger organization, a workgroup laserprinter is an obvious choice. Designed to juggle multiple printjobs, these systems have faster processors, more memory, andprint engines that are capable of churning out more than 20pages per minute. But these $400-and-up printers are morethan souped-up personal lasers; they offer workgroup features,such as network printing, high-capacity toner cartridges, andlarger paper input and output trays.

The alternative: A business-class inkjet may be sufficient ifyour team has modest printing needs, and some models sup-port network printing.


What Kind of Printer isBest for Me?

from CNET.comhttp://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3155_7-1016838.html?tag=glnav

Choosing the right printer can be a daunting task. There are sever-al different types of printing technology to choose from, each suit-ed for different needs. Printers come in all shapes and sizes fromtiny travel companions to workgroup workhorses. And the manyspecifications for resolution and speed can be misleading. Here’s acheat sheet to the perfect printer to match your personality.

The home user demands a lot from a printer. The device must tack-le everything from a book report to a newsletter to the occasionalsnapshot--all without breaking the budget. This is why for mosthome users the best choice is a versatile and affordable printer, suchas a general-purpose color inkjet. These printers cost anywherefrom $50 to $150 and are designed to do a little of everything,albeit slowly.

The alternative: Get a personal laser printer for fast, quality text andgraphics (starting at around $200) and a second printer--either acolor inkjet optimized for photos or a snapshot printer--for digitalphotography.

Planning on writing the Great American Novel? You’ll need aprinter that can crank out page after page of text in double time. Apersonal laser printer should fit the bill. It can deliver epic amountsof crisp, legible text faster than Grisham finishes a new thriller.Personal laser printers start at around $200 or so, but they cost lessto operate than inkjets do, so you can save up money for the booktour.

Finally, they have faster processors and more memory so thatthey can manage multiple jobs and print faster. Like personallasers, the vast majority of workgroup lasers are monochrome--designed for printing text and simple graphics--and they startat around $400.Key featuresInterface: USB, parallel, and RJ-45 (Ethernet)Resolution: 600x600 or 1,200x1,200 dots per inch (dpi)Rated speed: More than 20 pages per minute (ppm)Memory: 16MB or morePaper capacity: 250 sheets or more standard input trayInkjet

CANON S520Inkjet printers have come along way in the last 10 years.To d a y ’s versatile inkjets canproduce both crisp text andrich photo prints. Most manu-facturers offer both general-pur-pose and photo inkjet printers, which shouldn’t be confusedwith snapshot or photo printers designed for only 4x6 or small-er prints. Inkjets print an image by applying a precisely con-trolled stream of tiny ink droplets from one or more cartridgesto coated paper. Each manufacturer uses slightly different tech-niques, and the size of the droplets and the way they areapplied to the paper determine the image quality.Unfortunately, the process is relatively slow compared to thatof laser printing--and the ink cartridges and the special paperscan be costly--so inkjets are best suited for home users andsmall businesses with light printing needs. Inkjet printers rangein price from less than $100 to as much as $800, depending onfeatures, image quality, and paper-handling capabilities.Key featuresInterface: USB, parallel, FireWire (some networkablemodels)Resolution: Varies widely by manufacturer and modelRated speed: 5 to 20 pages per minute (ppm)Memory: Measured in KB, not MBPaper capacity: 100 sheets or more standard input trayMultifunction/all in one

LEXMARK X6170Multifunction printers (MFPs) orall-in-ones (AIOs) are the SwissArmy knives of printers. T h e ycombine copier, scanner, printer,and, in some models, fax capabili-ties in one unit, making them perfect for home offices andsmall businesses. MFPs are available with either laser or inkjetprinting (both described above) to suit different needs andbudgets. The best models include flatbed scanners and autodocument feeders for walk-up scanning, faxing, and copyingof multipage documents. MFPs start at around $100.

If you really need to take the whole office in your notebook bag,there’s a printer out there for you. Portable printers shrink inkjetprinting down into a convenient travel size. They weigh anywherefrom 2 to 5 pounds and include a battery (either standard or as anoption) for printing on the go. The drawback is that you pay a pre-mium for this portability, even though these printers can’t matchfull-size models for either performance or image quality.

The alternative: For most businesses travelers, the best alternativeis no printer at all. If you have a wired or wireless network con-nection, you can usually find a printer in most offices. And if youreally get in a jam, you can always use a hotel business center or anairport kiosk.

Most buyers start with a general notion of the type of printer they’llneed. The reason is that different printing technologies are suitedfor different printing needs and budgets. Find out more here aboutthe basic types of printers and their pros and cons.

PERSONAL LASER

Samsung ML-1710Though the technology has been aroundfor years (HPintroduced its first LaserJetin 1984), laser printers are still goingstrong because they combine fast printspeeds, sharp output, and a low cost per page. Like copiers, laserprinters use a photographic drum to attract electrically chargedtoner and transfer it to paper, where the image is fused using a heat-ed roller. The vast majority of laser printers are monochrome (blackand white), and they are best-suited for printing text and simplegraphics. They start around $200. Until recently color laser printerswere too expensive for individuals or small businesses, but thereare now several models for less than $1,000, and these could soonbecome viable alternatives to color inkjets.Key featuresInterface: USB and parallelResolution: 600x600 dots per inch (dpi)Rated speed: 10 to 20 pages per minute (ppm)Memory: Up to 16MBPaper capacity: 150 to 250 sheets standard input trayWorkgroup laser

HP LaserJet 1200As the name implies, workgroup laserprinters are designed for small officesor small teams within larger compa-nies. The basic technology is the same,but these are more than beefed-up per-sonal lasers with features tailored specifically for multiple users.First, they support printing over networks either standard or as anoption. Second, they offer more-advanced handling capabilities,including larger input and output trays, and some models have fea-tures such as duplex (double-sided) printing, sorting, and stapling.


Printers cont’d on Pg. 5


SVCG’s sister user group, NCMUG, has sponsored and supported our group throughout these past several years. September is NCMUG’s (Mac Computer Expo) annual fundraiser. Because NCUMG is a Mac-user group doesn’t mean that

Windows and/or Unix users can’t benefit from the Expo’s speakers and workshops... and it’s FREE! Mark the date on your calendar and come out to support a very worthwhile club.

You can also enter the raffle for a chance to win an iPod or an iBook.

Digital artworkby Stephanie Clark

Sonoma Valley Computer GroupPOB 649El Verano, CA 95433

Place LabelHere

from vom.comDataProfessionals will speakto us about

Postage

for Mac and Windows Users

Internetwith Ron Leal

and Demo

digital art manipulation - vom.com art manipulation ... host the digital art show and/or various...

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