The True Cost

Posted by Daniel Lightner in Hardware IT Solutions Quick Tips Wednesday, September 07, 2011

The price tag on any given printer really tells only half the story. Many times the cheapest printer for sale isn't necessarily the cheapest printer to own. And what's the most affordable printer for you in particular? Depending on how many pages you print and how much it costs to print each page, a high-priced printer with expensive cartridges could be a lot cheaper to own in the long run than a less-expensive printer with low-cost cartridges.
Coming up with that long-run cost for comparison isn't always easy.

Before you can calculate the real cost of a printer, you need to know the cost per page. To get it, you need two numbers for each cartridge: the yield (how many pages the cartridge can print) and the price. But until recently, there's been no good way to find out the yield.

Printer manufacturers will tell you the yield they've found and, usually, the estimated cost per page. But printing different images, manipulating driver settings, or changing how you determine that a cartridge has reached the end of its life can all alter the yield you come up with. Without knowing if different manufacturers' tests are comparable, you have to take the claims with a proverbial grain of salt.

So the next time your shopping for a printer. Take the time to do the math. Just because the price tag looks good, doesnt mean your bank account will.

Seven Tips to Help Maintain Your Work Computer

Posted by Elizabeth Goodman in Hardware IT Solutions Quick Tips Wednesday, September 07, 2011

I am not sure about you, but without my computer at work, I may as well go home until it is fixed, then plan to work all night to get caught up again. I try my best to keep the computer up-to-date to try and prevent a break down. I also do not want to be the one who downloaded the file and infected the entire network. (That would be embarrassing.) Here are a few tips that I have learned and will pass on to you:

1.Install all updates required by Kotori Technologies. Depending on the type of plan your company has with Kotori, we may install these updates for you, as long as the computer is turned on overnight. If your company is not on one these plans, you may be responsible for all updates. Not installing updates as suggested by Kotori Technologies can expose your company to viruses and other security risks. Some companies may prevent computers from accessing the network if patches aren't installed after a set date. Also, find out whether Kotori wants you to install updates using Microsoft Update. If they do, make it a habit of checking Microsoft Update regularly.

2.Install only licensed programs. Make sure that you, or your company, has a license for any software you install on your work computer. Your company can get caught in a lawsuit for having software without a license installed on its computers. For example, installing a program your friend bought could present some problems. Software that you've bought a license for is probably fine, but double-check the license to make sure. Sometimes, software bought for home use cannot be installed at work.

3.Don't install different versions of software. Even if you prefer the version of software you use at home rather than work, don't install it on your work computer. You could have incompatibility problems with the software your co-workers are using and with your specific line of business applications. Kotori Technologies may also not be able to make any required updates or provide technical support.

4.Let Kotori Technologies know when hardware isn't working. Fixing a broken computer yourself could just cause more problems. Your fixes, for example, could make the computer incompatible with the corporate network. We offer a helpdesk or technical assistance program designed for this type of work. Kotori may have already seen the same problem and have a known fix. Helping Kotori Technologies track common computer problems can also help them decide which brand and make of computer to order in the future.

5.Let Kotori know when you need something. Giving the Kotori reasonable requests and adequate time for planning can help Kotori respond to your needs. Otherwise, you may end up with computer software or hardware you didn't want, which can hinder how effective you are at work.

6.Don't download programs from Internet sites you don't trust. By downloading programs that may not be secure, you put all the computers on the network at risk.

7.Be aware of suspicious e-mails. A virus introduced though e-mail may be disguised as a downloadable file. If an e-mail you receive is from someone you don't know, contains strange text, or otherwise looks suspicious, contact Kotori Technologies. If you open it, you could potentially cause problems for you and your co-workers. If it does contain a virus, Kotori can ask other employees in the organization to look for similar e-mails.

The Fall of the HP TouchPad

Posted by Jeffery Brown in Hardware Quick Tips Wednesday, September 07, 2011

HP's TouchPad tablet never sold much in the few months that it was out. But, when HP announced that it was ceasing production of the device, that changed.
Consumers have cleaned out the market's $99-$150 per-unit inventory of TouchPads.
At a time when Apple is selling all the iPads it can make and companies are launching new Android tablets that are increasing in market share every day, why did the TouchPad crash and burn?
Many factors play into the answer, falling basically into four categories: 1) issues with HP's management, 2) a lack of apps and developer support, 3) the competition, 4) patience - or the lack of it.

Issues with HPs Management
Issues at the top level of HP management may have impacted the TouchPad's future.
First, there was the companys previous leadership.
The TouchPad runs on Palm's webOS, which HP acquired when it purchased Palm under the leadership of then-CEO Mark Hurd, who left under a cloud of scandal.
Second, HP's leadership, both high-level executives and its board of directors, seem intent on moving the company away from client products, including tablets.
That combination essentially made the TouchPad the Ugly Duckling of tablets".

A Lack of Apps and Developer Support
Further, HP's leadership may be struggling to map out a new strategy in the post-Mark Hurd era.
There's no (TouchPad) app for that. Perhaps the most critical error HP made with the TouchPad project was not ensuring that there were enough apps for the tablet.
Tablets are essentially consumption devices, and they rely on apps for their appeal.
For example, Apple was able to rejuvenate what was a very stagnant tablet market to the point that it almost became a new market because of apps and iTunes. If you want to take on Apple, you must have the apps.
There are more than 90 thousand apps for the iPad, according to Apple's website.
There are reportedly about 300 apps for the TouchPad.
To go along with that, HP didn't make it easy for webOS developers to create apps. The website for webOS developers is difficult to figure out, many webOS developers say.

The Competition
Announced in February, the TouchPad hit retail shelves in July, four months after the iPad 2's March launch.
That's equivalent to an eternity.
This is a very fast-paced market. Apple has built up such incredible momentum and demand for the iPad.
Should HP perhaps have rethought going into the tablet market?
One would have thought that a company of HP's experience, stature and access to market research would have been able to make an informed decision on whether or not to enter the market and how best to compete against already strong competitors like Apple, Google, Motorola and Samsung. But that didn't happen.
It's possible that both the TouchPad and HP, were not yet ready for prime time.
There were complaints about the TouchPad itself, with some users reportedly returning it and demanding refunds.
Also, marketing for the TouchPad was unproductive at best.
HP put a lot of money into TV marketing here in the states, and what was that message? That entertainers and celebrities can operate a tablet. That really did not make a whole lot of sense.
There was little that set the TouchPad apart from the competition. Users need a reason to select one manufacturer's product over its competitors, and HP failed to make a clear distinction between the TouchPad and other tablets.

Patience
Could the TouchPad have succeeded if HP had gritted its teeth and hung on? It might be possible, but we'll never know.
It takes time to build a market.
For example, the iPad wasn't an overnight success. It leveraged many of the time-tested technologies used in the iPhone and built on that device's success, brand recognition and distribution channels.
It seems that US vendors have become too sensitive to immediate market reaction, to the point that any product that isn't an immediate success is deemed to be a failure.
As a result, most products aren't given the time or support that many require to become a success. I came up with a term for this, IT-style ADD -- Advertising Deficit Disorder.
There may be life for the TouchPad yet -- open source enthusiasts have launched projects to port Android and Ubuntu (A Linux distribution) to the TouchPad.
At $99-$150 a pop, the TouchPad is an inexpensive product with which to experiment.

Conclusion
When a company has issues with management, lack of support for people who want to make it better, very stiff competition and an increasingly short sense of patience it is no wonder why an all-in-all pretty good product lived such a short life.

Are We Green Yet?

Posted by Salvatore Rigoroso in Hardware IT Solutions Quick Tips Security The Internet Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Well we hope not to see $5.00 a gallon, but it looks inevitable. Sure it would be nice to drive a small gas sipper, but most people cant fit their families in any of these. Workers still need big trucks and vans, public transportation prices rise because of gas, your commercial workers need to charge more to the consumer for travel time. What are we doing about our future? Is electric the answer? Not likely. Not enough power and the recycling issue for the old batteries would be a nightmare. Our country relies too much on the Middle East for their oil, in Canada their now extracting oil from soil in the Northern part of Alberta, this would be good to cut the Middle East out, however to process for extracting the buy product is extremely expensive. So instead of looking to the Government and oil companies for a solution, (which is not in their best interest) lets find out what the Automotive industries are going to do, they are the ones manufacturing these necessary liabilities. Air Products. Inc, in a joint venture with Toyota opened the first ever pipeline feed hydrogen fueling station in California. Is this the future of transportation? A resounded YES is the answer! GM as well as Honda has been manufacturing and testing these H vehicles since early 1999. It is amazing what they are doing. Honda issued the first public H vehicle on the market this year, the Honda FCX Clarity. A very sporting looking ride, it looks like any new Accord thats on the road today. The best part of all this is ZERO emissions! The cars only emit water vapor. Pure H2O. I dont want to just limit all the kudos to GM and Honda. Toyota, Mercedes and others for the past few years have been researching this alternative as well. And it was Toyota that did open the first public station. Will we see more stations around the country? We can only hope that our future will be environmentally safe as well as affordable to us, the consumers.

Spring Cleaning

Posted by Elizabeth Goodman in Hardware Quick Tips Tuesday, June 14, 2011

It is finally spring time once again. The pools are opening, flowers are blooming, and baseballs are flying. With all that going on, dont forget spring cleaning. Computers need spring cleaning too. This will help them last longer and perform better.
Here are a few tips from some of our previous entries to get you started.