Advantages and Disadvantages to Using Replacement Ink in Your Printers

When the ink in your printer runs low or becomes empty, you now have the option of either purchasing a brand new ink cartridge or using replacement ink to refill your empty cartridge.

• Replacement ink is cheap, easy, and can be inserted by a reputable sales center or at home, however, it is not without risks.

 

• Some disadvantages to using replacement ink in your printer include poor ink quality, damage to your printer, printer errors, cartridge failure, and ink stains; some of which can lead to costly ink jet printer repairs, if you are not careful.

What is Replacement Ink?

Replacement ink comes in a small container and can be purchased from just about any store that sells office supplies. Once your present ink cartridge becomes empty, you simply fill a syringe with ink, or use a syringe attachment, to refill the empty ink cartridge.

Refillable ink comes in a variety of different brands and can be used to refill just about any ink cartridge. The ink can be inserted by a reputable cartridge refill center or by yourself. However, for best results, it is recommended that you have your ink refilled by a reputable refill center to avoid laser printer repairs.

Advantages to Using Replacement Ink

• Cheaper to Replace - The biggest advantage to using replacement ink is that it is cheaper than purchasing a brand new cartridge. Refillable ink can equal a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new cartridge, and it often contains multiple refills.

• Environmentally Friendly - Using replacement ink to refill your printer, instead of purchasing a new one, eliminates the need to throw your old ink cartridge away. This means less non biodegradable material and less toxic waste in the landfill.

• Easy to Refill - Refillable ink is fairly easy to insert. In as little as 3-4 easy steps, you can have a full ink cartridge again.

Disadvantages to Using Replacement Ink

• Poor Ink Quality - Refillable ink usually contains lower quality ink to help lower the cost. This low quality may not be as evident in regular printing tasks, however, it is most evident in photographs. When printing photos with low quality ink, images may not be as vivid as those printed with high quality ink, and it my not last as long.

• Printer Damage - Refilled ink cartridges can leak as a result of overflow or an improperly replaced puncture seal. If the ink spills down into the printer, it can clog the printer head. The risk of leakage is especially true, if you opt to refill the cartridge yourself. According to experts, instructions for refilling the cartridge can sometimes recommend too much ink, which in turn, can result in an overflow. If your cartridge does leak as a result, in most cases, it will not be covered by the warranty, which can lead to costly laser printer repairs.

• Printer Errors - When using replacement ink, there is always the risk that your printer may reject the cartridge, which can happen for a number of different reasons. A worn out cartridge can sometimes have a faulty read that the ink is too low or the cartridge is incompatible. Some printers will reject a repeated serial number on a cartridge, which means, when you replace the refilled cartridge back into the printer, the printer might reject it.

• Cartridge Failure - Though most replacement ink products contain multiple refills, refilled cartridges can only be used about 5 times, before the printer head fails. This means you'll eventually have to invest in a new ink cartridge.

• Ink Stains - Working with replacement ink can be messy. As you insert the ink into the cartridge, you run the risk of ink spilling onto your work station and staining your furniture, clothing, or documents. The ink can also stain your hands and fingernails, which isn't very attractive.

• Costly Ink Jet Printer Repairs - Anytime an unskilled or untrained person attempts to perform repairs on a printer, there is always the risk of an accident. These accidents can range from personal injury to product injury and can be mild or severe. To avoid costly repairs, have your printer properly repaired by a licensed professional, whenever possible.

Ultimately, it is recommend that you only use the recommended manufacturer printer cartridges for your printers. This practice has proven to be a long-term solution for better print quality and less damage to your printers.

Dominick Rivoli is the owner of A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Backing Up to the Cloud

We live in an era where technology is everywhere. It is on our television, in our social circle and in our important papers; from bills to wills and pictures and contacts.

The cloud is the latest addition to how technology is helping us become organized. It is a virtual place that keeps files and important documents, a location where these files are accessed from anywhere you have an Internet connection. While this is a great feature for many reasons, it also has some negative elements as well. The question becomes, when is convenience worth the price?

What Can Be Stored in the Cloud?

The cloud can store any type of file that is on your computer, phone or tablet. Scanned and saved photographs, music playlists, bills and wills. Other files the cloud handles are work documents that employees and employers can share with each other as well as homework for kids. The cloud gives you access to all of your files from the computer or mobile device. With the cloud, you do not worry about leaving your presentation at home or forgetting to turn in your important research paper. The cloud keeps these documents for you, so you can grab them when and where you need them.

Why Back Up to the Cloud?

We have all been in that moment where the computer crashes or your phone takes a swim taking all of your important files, pictures and music down with it. You know the computer or phone can be replaced easily but how are you supposed to get the files back? With the cloud, the baby pictures you thought you lost forever are saved, as well as the phone numbers and email addresses of all of your contacts not to mention that report that is due tomorrow and the wills of you and your spouse. If your files are backed up to the cloud, they are safe and sound in your virtual storage device.

When you switch phones, you can back up all of the files, contacts, photos and apps on the cloud. When you get your new device, you simply access the files on the cloud and they magically appear on your new phone.

How to Get the Cloud

There are many companies that offer storage on the cloud. Microsoft started the idea of the cloud with One Drive. Google came along shortly after with Google Docs. Now, Verizon is in on it with their own cloud storage for their customers. Most of these programs allow for a maximum amount of storage free of charge, after which, they charge for each Gig. With most of these programs, you can share certain documents with people who you choose.

Internet Access Required

Many places offer free Wi-Fi but if you are in a location that has no Internet and no cell service, (yes, these places do exist, although few and far between) you will not be able to access your files stored on the cloud. This is one downside to the theory of a virtual storage for your files. You have to be connected to access your files; so when they say access your files anywhere, they actually mean, access your files anywhere, if you have Internet.

Security Concerns

The cloud has been touted as the best invention since the Internet but how secure can it really be? Some are concerned that when you store your important papers with vital financial or identifying information, you open yourself up for trouble. With anything that is dependent on the Internet, there are going to be breaches, but most companies offer some kind of guarantee in case that happens. If you are concerned about breaches in the cloud, do not put any social security numbers, personal information or financial information on the cloud.

The cloud is a great avenue to keep your important documents and files safe. They are not exposed to a computer crashing or mobile device breaking. If the house catches on fire or you get robbed, the files will be safe and sound in their virtual world. There are very few downsides to storing your documents on the cloud although these are serious negatives. Nobody wants to see their files become compromised by a hacker and everybody wants to access files anywhere. The question remains, when is convenience worth the risk?

Dominick Rivoli is the owner of A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas.

A Preview of Windows 10: What Changes?

Windows 10 is both the most advanced and the simplest Windows Operating System to date. It is created for every individual, not the one for all aspects that most operating systems of the past have been. There are things about the system that put Windows 7 and 8 together and other aspects that are completely new and revolutionary. Here are 10 ways that Windows 10 is different than the rest.

10. Ideas Made By Real Users

Microsoft has gone above and beyond to make Windows 10 something that everyone will enjoy. They have enlisted real users, not professionals, to tell them what they liked and disliked about the previous operating systems. In turn, Microsoft used this information to develop the O.S. into something that everyone, regardless of their computer knowledge, can use.

9. Simple Yet Sophisticated

The main change to Windows 10 is the start screen. Here, Microsoft has put together the best of Windows 7 and 8. You can now use the desktop and start menu that was once a staple to users along with the new start screen of Windows 8. With 10, you can actually be on the desktop screen and have a small version of the start screen come up where you can pin applications, web pages, and programs to the start screen directly from the desktop.

8. Cortana

Cortana is your digital assistant who helps guide you through every part of your day. She can give you turn by turn directions, look up menus online, and give you reviews of places you want to visit. She is now available on the Windows Phone and will be available on all devices with the release of Windows 10. Cortana will also set reminders for you on all your devices so when you turn on your computer, tablet or phone, everything you need to do is right there.

7. A New Way to Surf the Web

Windows Edge is a new way to use the Internet. With Edge, you can still search in the address bar as you can do with Explorer but with more in-depth results. The best feature is that you can actually take notes directly on the web page. Many people use the web to view presentations, classes, and research, and they are forced to open another program to take notes on what they have learned making it difficult to go back and find what you wrote down. With Edge, you can doodle, take notes and highlight important features on the page, and you can then save it offline so you can look it up even when you do not have an Internet connection.

6. No More Old Updates

With every operating system Microsoft has ever made, you can use the automatic updates but that system has had its problems. With Windows 10, the updates are automatically sent to your device and installed as soon as they are available. No more waiting for the latest update to arrive on your device, once it is released it is ready for you.

5. Xbox and Windows Are United

Now you can use your Xbox account with your Windows phone, PC or tablet. Windows 10 has unveiled the latest in gaming technology where you do not need to have your Xbox with you to play your favorite games, use your apps or access your account. It is all done through your account that is paired with Windows 10.

4. The Same on All Devices

On Apple, Android and Windows, you can use your phone, tablet or PC but when you go from a mobile version to PC, everything is different. Some apps are only available on the phone while others are designed for the tablet or PC. With Windows 10, everything is the same on all your devices. Same programs, same start screen, same experience, everywhere.

3. Snap Layout

The snap feature is a great tool for those who multitask. With the old feature, you could snap a window on the corner, and it would take up half of the screen, do it to another open window, and you have two apps running at the same time, both capable of being worked on without one being closed. With Windows 10, Microsoft has implemented a quadrant snap so you can now have up to 4 programs running all at the same time.

2. Holograms

Yes, holograms are finally here! Now, with Windows 10 and the new HoloLens, everybody can create a world where technology has finally arrived. You can create your own 4D images that can change how we learn, how we design and how we live.

1. The Price

Windows 10 is said to be the ultimate operating system, but the price is what really sets it apart. Microsoft has announced that those who are running Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 will receive the 10 upgrade completely free of charge. The catch is that you have to update within the first year that the update is available and once upgraded, there is no going back. Additionally, those who do an upgrade will receive updates and support free of charge for the first year.

Windows 10 is said to be the OS that brings Microsoft back from the brink. Windows 8 was a scratch for the company since most people either loved or hated the upgrade from 7. What Windows 10 does is offer a compromise, the best of both operating systems in one with lots of new toys and features completely free of charge. Given that the sales of Windows devices have steadily risen since the announcement of 10, Microsoft may have saved themselves by giving the users what they want.

Dominick Rivoli is the owner at A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas. Visit the website at www.a1rivoli.com.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Laser Printers

When selecting the best printer for your individual needs, whether that is for home use or the office, you need to think about the quality, price, and speed of the machine. Laser printers use a beam to create the image. Instead of ink, a toner is used during the printing process. Toner is a dry powder made of plastic combined with carbon coloring and black agents. It does include a cartridge that need replaced occasionally.

Many think the laser printer is the best printer available because it does have high quality images, and it is fast. They are also a quiet machine when compared to ink jet printers, and the documents are dry when they come out of the machine.

There are disadvantages that also have to be taken into consideration before making a final decision on which printer is best for you. Laser printers have the following faults.

• Expensive
• Large and Heavy
• Most Cannot Do Duplicate Printing

The following information should help you make a well informed choice in printers so that all your printing needs are met.

Advantages

Laser printers are quite accurate with high quality images being produced. These printers create high quality images and documents because of the technology involved in the printing process. By utilizing electro-photography, the printed results are better quality than from other machines.

Laser printers are perfect for high volume needs. They are also cheaper to use. Laser printers are user-friendly. Supervision isn't necessary with its self-printing feature. This also helps increase the productivity in the workplace, as employees can accomplish other tasks while the printer finishes its job.

Laser printers are fast. Due to their efficiency they are quite speedy. Referred to as "page printers," they print images and documents one page at a time. It works at an extremely fast pace. Another big plus is that all pages are dry directly out of the printer. This reduces the risk of smudging.

Laser printers are definitely the quieter of printer choices. Noise in the work place can be disruptive, causing poor production from workers. Very little sound is emitted from a laser printer. This can keep a calmer atmosphere in the work place, as opposed to an industrial feel.

Disadvantages

Laser printers cost more than an ink jet printer. Due to the extra features found in a laser printer, they are more expensive. On the other hand, it may be a good investment, depending upon your business's needs. Be aware that servicing, maintenance, and repairs for laser printers are also pricey. This may mean it won't be an economical choice, although acquiring Laser Printer Maintenance Plans may help offset the added cost.

Laser printers are larger and weigh more due to the laser technology housed within the machine. They are powerful and print quickly, resulting in the need for a larger device. It will take up a great deal of space in the office. Think ahead of time about where you plan to place your printer and if the space you have can afford a larger device.

Laser printers are what's known as a non-impact machine. Duplicate printing cannot be done with a laser printer because it does not use multipart stationary in the printing process. If this is the type of printing your business relies on, a laser printer may not be the right machine for you.

Laser printers can be harmful to both the atmosphere and people's health. This is of extreme importance in a world that focuses on being green. Some clients may find the practice of using a laser printer as offensive, and you also lose an opportunity to show that your business cares about the environment. Small levels of ozone are emitted because of the high voltages used to run the printer. This can cause harm to the ozone layer. Some versions of the laser printer also emit what some suspect to be particles that can bring on respiratory disease.

Before making a final decision on if a laser printer is the right choice for you and your business, consider all of the advantages and disadvantages. Also consider the speed, cost of Laser Printer Repairs, and the quality of images and documents.

Dominick Rivoli is the owner at A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas. Visit the website at www.a1rivoli.com.

What Do Registry Cleaners Do?

The operating systems that enable us to interact with our computers are designed to be easy to use, but there's a great deal of technical complexity happening in the background. For example, you use your mouse pointer to click on an icon and start an application, a simple act, but it's actually one that requires communication between different resources within the system. 

Lines of code are activated, read by the operating system and an action is taken. The program starts and loads into memory, ready for the mouse pointer or a typed command to start another sequence of actions.

What is the System Registry?

All of this complexity happens behind the scenes of the operating system and only someone trained in the maintenance and repair of software has even a passing familiarity of how all the many modules and tiny programs link together to form the operating system. One of those reservoirs of code, settings, and configurations is the system registry. Used in Microsoft Windows software as a storage area for user profiles and containing all of the information relevant to the many programs running in Windows, the system registry is a hierarchical organization of file entries and data that is entered by each program as it's installed. 

This complex tree of structured data is accessed by Windows to store information on user and software configurations. As such, it's extremely unwise to tamper with the registry unless you're well versed on working with the the software framework that keeps the operating system running smoothly. At the very least, if you do intend to make changes to the registry, first make a backup of its existing state. This is a common practice employed by even the most seasoned software engineers.

Problems with the System Registry

Computers work with clockwork precision, installing programs, uninstalling them, and working with vast amounts of user data. Occasionally, and keep in mind that many manufacturers create Windows applications, programs leave behind a registry entry, possibly more than one, and the registry begins to grow in size. It becomes bloated, slowing down and losing its efficient structure. 

Many laptop repairs employ the use of registry cleaners to seek out these errant registry entries and delete them. Computer repairs benefit highly from such optimizing actions, making registry cleaners a popular means of speeding up computers that are slow to boot and frustratingly plodding when running anything but the simplest of software.

Registry Cleaners

Going far beyond removing redundant registry entries that refer to programs no longer installed on the computer, modern registry cleaners analyze and optimize the registry, checking for errors. Laptop repairs often involve working on Windows systems slowed down by a very large registry, and it's possible to gain a substantial performance increase by simply committing to a full scan by the cleaner software, allowing it to track down invalid entries and references. 

Authorized computer repair services do tend to involve a great deal of upgrades and repairs, but this is one situation where a user can tune-up their own computer and reduce the system registry to a far more reasonable operational size.

Free vs. Pay Registry Cleaners

A computer user needn't be limited by the first registry cleaner they stumble upon. Commit to some research and you'll see a list of popular software options. Some are free and some involve a small investment. Opting for free software still grants you a clean and tidy registry, but the paid versions often include extras such as a customer support line should errors still pop up after the cleaning is finished, and they come without annoying adware, a definite bonus.

Dominick Rivoli is the owner at A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas. Visit the website at www.a1rivoli.com.

How to Back Up Your Hard Drive

Whether you're a home user or the network manager for a large company, data security is important. The information stored on your computer is not something you want to lose. Yet hard drives are fragile pieces of hardware with high failure rates over the years. 

The solution is to back up your data. To do so, you have several options.

On-Drive Backups

The easiest form of data backup is the partition backup. Your hard drive needs to be divided into separate partitions. The backup partition must also be large enough to hold the data on your primary partition. Thankfully, this is all you need for this backup option. If you have a second internal hard drive of the same or larger size as your primary drive, you can designate it as a backup drive and use it instead of a partition.

In order to perform an on-drive backup, you need to use the built-in utility for your operating system. Both Windows and Mac operating systems have backup managers. For Windows, the program is simply called Back Up. For Mac machines, it is called Time Machine. Simply run the relevant utility and follow the on-screen prompts to set up a backup profile, back up your data and set up a backup schedule.

The benefit of this method is that you do not need anything that didn't come with your computer. You do not need to purchase external software or hardware, nor do you need to fiddle with opening up your computer to install a new drive.

The down side is that this form of backup is still susceptible to damage. If a bad sector corrupts part of your primary drive, your secondary partition will be fine. If, however, the drive itself is physically damaged, both the primary and backup partitions will be inaccessible. Using a second physical drive inside the computer can help with this, but it means installing that second drive. This works for a desktop or server, but not for a laptop or notebook.

External Drive Backups

Using an external hard drive is a better option than using a partition or an internal drive. The process is the same; run the backup utility and designate the external hard drive as the backup drive. You have a few more options with an external drive, however.

Firstly, many external hard drives are sold specifically as backup drives. This means they have built-in software that allows you to set up a one-touch backup. You essentially press a single button and wait, while your computer performs all backup operations. These hard drives are often built into durable cases to help prevent data damage.

External hard drives have the added benefit of being portable. You can use them with multiple computers, or carry them with you on trips if necessary. Unfortunately, an external hard drive is not the ideal device for backing up a server or computer with exceptionally large amounts of data. This is because external drives tend to be more expensive for the same amount of storage space as an internal drive.

Cloud Backups

The newest data backup option is to use a cloud server for data backup. With this option, you do not need any hardware yourself. All of the hardware is in a remote data center somewhere on the Internet. This is an ideal option recommended by, for example, a laptop repair service; you do not need you carry hardware yourself, or use precious hard drive space for a backup.

Any damage to a cloud backup server is handled by that company and its own server repair service. These companies also have multiple redundant backups of their own data, so that any data you back up on the cloud is guaranteed to be backed up.

To use a cloud backup service, you will need to locate and contact such a service. There are a large number of such services available, each of varied quality. Before you choose which service to use, you will need to do some research. For a professional opinion, you can ask a laptop repair service what cloud backup service they recommend.

Using the cloud as a backup solution has the primary benefit of not needing to purchase any hardware or software of your own. The process is also very easy; generally no different than using the built-in Windows or Mac backup options. On the other hand, you will need to pay a monthly fee to access your backup. When you stop paying, you lose access to your data until you begin paying again.

There are also some concerns about the security of your data on a cloud service. You are, after all, storing your data remotely. Most cloud providers will make guarantees as to the security of your data, but there is still a remote possibility that your data might be leaked. No solution on the Internet is completely secure.

In the end, choosing a data backup solution is essential if you want your data to exist beyond the failure of a hard drive. Any server repair service will advise that you set up a regular data backup. It's up to you whether you choose to go with an internal hard drive, external drive or a cloud-based solution for your data backup needs.

Dominick Rivoli is the owner of A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas. Visit the website at www.a1rivoli.com.

The Differences Between Windows 8.1 vs. Windows 7

Windows 8 -- and the new update, 8.1 -- is a large departure from the familiar face of Windows that has existed since the early days of Windows 95. The update from 95 to 98 was minor, and 98 to XP was a matter of back-end streamlining and UI modernization. 

The same can be said of the jump from XP to Vista and Windows 7. Windows 7 still looks and feels much like the previous Windows versions, though it operates differently in the depths of its code.

Windows 8 is a departure, and many long-time Windows users consider it something of a negative move. With Windows 8, Microsoft has attempted to unify their operating systems. Windows on phones, tablets and desktops with Windows 8 will all feel roughly the same. In fact, the basic Metro UI for Windows 8 is heavily modeled after touch screen interfaces, which actually makes it slightly clunky to use with a basic mouse and keyboard interface. That is, for long-time Windows users. New users will find Windows 8 to be rather intuitive, surprisingly enough, which makes the computer more accessible to new users.

When it comes to support, Windows 7 has one advantage -- everyone knows how it works. Anyone experience with Windows troubleshooting will be able to find their way around Windows 7 without much issue. Some things may be a little different -- the Programs and Features menu replaces the Add/Remove Programs menu, but they maintain the same functionality. All of the old config options still exist, occasionally under new names. It makes Windows 7 installations easy to support.

Windows 8 is rather new, which makes basic repair perhaps more difficult for established computer support technicians. It's not hard to locate the basic features -- after all, everything is stuck into one sidebar, more or less -- but it takes some digging to find old menus you're used to using for troubleshooting.

In fact, the biggest problem with Windows 8.1 is the desire computer veterans have to make things like they're used to. The new Windows 8 update primarily allows Windows 8 users to boot directly to the desktop, rather than the Microsoft-pushed Metro interface. Unfortunately for nostalgic veterans, the shiny new Start button simply opens the Metro interface anyway.

Both Windows 7 and Windows 8 are easy to support in terms of computer repairs. They're both more modern than Windows XP and the older systems, which means they are both more supported and less attacked. There are fewer software security holes, fewer active viruses and fewer dangerous bugs. Windows 8.1 has the advantage, being an even newer operating system. It has far fewer active threats to protect against.

Hardware repair for a computer running either operating system is, of course, the same. Neither OS cares particularly what hardware you have installed, though the old Windows limits on swapped parts may still come up if you're essentially transplanting a hard drive from one machine into another. It's a simple process to circumvent those restrictions, however, so it's hardly worth mentioning.

Both Windows 7 and Windows 8 work equally well with most printers. Some older printers, those designed to work specifically with operating systems of the day, may have issues with Windows 8. Of course, Windows 8 does include a host of connectivity and troubleshooting options. If your printer doesn't work automatically, a simple printer repairs diagnostic should fix the problem.

When it comes down to core features, Windows 8 is simply a better operating system. It has numerous advantages over Windows 7, including active support and the promise of future updates. The code base upon which it is built is stronger, more secure and more capable than any previous Windows system. It is, in essence, an overhaul of the old legacy systems. Windows 7 may be an update on Windows XP, but Windows 8 is the start of a new breed.

Perhaps the most important change to many computer users is the way Windows 8 handles applications. With Windows 8, software falls into the Desktop and Metro categories. Desktop applications are the familiar software we know and love -- or hate -- in daily use. Metro applications are more like smartphone apps. They're smaller, more responsive and more limited in their capabilities. Thankfully, Windows 8 does support desktop software the same way Windows 7 does. It simply gives the user some more options for fast-launching Metro applications.

Dominick Rivoli is the owner of A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas. Visit the website at www.a1rivoli.com.