HP Smart Install Technology - An upgrade to the Energy Star?

Photo by clix

Just when consumers think of laser printers that carry an ENERGY STAR rating as the ‘end all’ in terms of energy efficiency, HP introduced the Smart Install technology. Under an Energy Star classification, printers are programmed to automatically switch from printing mode to standby mode in between print jobs. This mechanism helped minimize energy consumption since all of the unit's electrical devices are shut-off when the unit is on standby mode; except for the fuser assembly that continues to consume energy.

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Laser Printing Technology Harnessed to Fight MALARIA

Photo from naturegirl78 

Laser technology employed in the manufacture of laser printers is so precise that ensuing images over printouts duplicate the original. Laser printers utilize the same basic laser scanning device that is used to track down mosquitoes even in mid-flight and shoot them down. This is according to Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft’s former chief technology officer in a demonstration at the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) Conference in Long Beach, California. The first ever laser based mosquito anihilator is manufactured from an assortment of parts coming from laser printers, digital cameras and projectors, and is now readily available in stores and shopping stalls.

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The "Little Extras" Means A LOT in Color Laser Printing

Photo by wagg66

In our present state where offices rely heavily on electronic communication to transmit data and do business, clutter of office equipment is evident. Office equipment includes fax machines, printers, scanners, PCs and all other mechanisms that add to the physical disarray in an office setting. So in almost all offices, the shift to multi-function printers (MFPs) has become a necessity not only to reduce equipment count and minimize footprint but also to save in the process of procurement as well. A multi-function printer is the all-in-one equipment that serves as the network printer, the document scanner and the fax machine.

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What's in store for Single Pass Color Laser Printer users?

New generation color laser printers are equipped with single pass print engines, the latest breakthrough in laser printer design. This actually represents an improvement in printer technology, where all the 4 color cartridges simultaneously supply toner powder in one stroke, and allows paper or media a single pass to complete image development. Under the old multi-pass technology, paper goes through 4 passes (one pass for each of the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Monochrome toner cartridges). The single pass print engine technology guarantees the performance benefits below, though at a cost that is more hefty than the multiple pass units:

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Monthly Duty Cycle: Can your laser printer really print that much?

       Photo by cinz

In a meeting held by a conglomeration of laser printer vendors, Buyer’s Laboratory Information (BLI) and Testing Advisory Committee (TAC) is one in the belief that a printer’s monthly duty cycle is grossly overstated. A case in point is the Xerox 7750 which comes with the recommended ‘monthly duty cycle’ of 150,000. This however is otherwise confusing since the rated capacity does not in fact reflect reality. Should the user consistently push the printer to its optimum capacity then this would result in frequent maintenance work and servicing. Equipment subjected to this type of use will certainly not endure the three-year lease in equipment life.

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