"8" money-saving computer tips

"8" money-saving computer tips

1. Don’t fall for a cheap printer.

Recently, printers seem to be getting

smaller and cheaper, but the ink they use is

expensive. What good would it be to buy

a printer for less money but spend $500 on

ink in one year? When looking at printers,

check for ones with big, black ink cartridges.

That type is likely to last longer.

Another reason printers are cheaper

is the materials used to manufacture the

printer. Does the printer appear to be made

of cheap plastic? Would it handle the rigorous

printing that you may require? Some

printers I’ve seen aren’t durable enough

to last a year at a newspaper office. If possible,

try to examine the printer in person

2. Look for a laser printer.

Laser printers are the best machines

for printing proofs. And that means ink jet

printers just aren’t practical. This leads to

tip number three.

3. Be wise with your money.

Okay, this goes without saying, but it

bears repeating. Educate yourself about a

product before you spend

a lot of money on it. Even

if you need something

tonight, it pays to consult

several Web sites

and see what constitutes

a reasonable price. Plus,

looking on the Internet

doesn’t take much time.

4. Bigger, smaller

and different.

What does this mean?

In 2008, be ready to see

larger bytes available in smaller size drives

with new or different technology. Hard

drives, jump drives and memory cards will

all hold more in a smaller package.

5. Be proficient with palettes.

By the time you read this, 2008 Microsoft

Office for Mac will have just hit store

shelves. As expected, there are many new

features. However, you now have to access

palettes and buttons to use Office 2008.

6. Take a look at laptops.

More publishers are purchasing laptops

as their primary work machine. And why

not? Laptops are as inexpensive as regular

machines, and you can take them anywherethere’s an electrical outlet. As the

December ice storm showed us, you never

know when you’ll need to put the newspaper

together outside of the office.

If you want to primarily work in

your office but don’t like using

a laptop’s smaller screen and

keyboard, it’s no problem.

Just plug the monitor and

keyboard you already own into

the laptop for a desktop feel.

7. Protect your banking.

More accounting programs

are integrating with on-line

banking these days.

While this is convenient, it’s not totally

safe.

To prevent hackers getting into sensitive

areas, I suggest that newspapers keep

accounting information on a machine that

isn’t constantly on the Internet.

When your accounting computer does

need to access the Web, be sure that

adequate virus and spyware protection is

available.

8. Backed up lately?

This tip is simple: play it safe and keep

your data backed up.

May everyone have a wonderful 2008.

And like your doctor tells you, hopefully I

won’t have to see you too often this year