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Rick

Dell 3110cn the best color printer on the market

dell 3110cn I have been using the Dell 3110cn color laster printer for 10 months now and I must say that it is amazing. I just checked the stats tonight and we have printed over 1000 pages per month 10,480 to be exact.

During that time we have put $100 worth of toner into it. Currently our black cartridge is at 40 percent, cyan and magenta are at 80 percent and yellow is at 60 percent. The black is the cartridge that we replaced previously. Let’s do some math. A nice durable ink jet printer costs roughly $150. A set of ink tanks costs about $60. Every 700 pages a $30 cartridge needs to be replaced. Color cartridges may go out sooner.

Most users go through about 5000 sheets per year. Between color and black, it is not unusual for an ink jet user to pay out $210 in ink for an economical ink jet and even more if you have an Epson, newer HP or older Canon. Heaven help you if you have a Lexmark that takes $45 cartridges.

Adding the cost of ink and printer, you will likely spend at least $950 combined ink and printer cost in the first four years. Most estimates are much higher than this. The average costs used by many online reviews for ink jet printers is $60 per 700-1000 sheets. If this figure is more accurate that you can almost double the costs mentioned above. True you can save some money by

Deep Cleaning Temporary Files in Windows XP

Temporary files are used by our computers to provide behind the scenes speed and function. When we use any program from Solitaire to programming a database, our computers are performing hundreds or thousands of duties behind the scenes…creating, modifying, and sometimes deleting files.

The files left behind are known as temporary files. Temporary files are just that; temporary and expendable. Thousands of them can stack up over time taking up valuable space and slowing your computer.

Since Windows 98, Microsoft has provided us a great little tool called Disk Cleanup. Disk Cleanup can delete Temporary Internet Files, Temporary Windows files and more all in one easy to use utility. Disk Cleanup can be found by:

1. Click Start
2. Click Programs (All Programs)

Google phone in the works

No one is really sure yet, what it all means, but Google announced today that it has joined forces with dozens of other companies to work on a new smartphone platform called Android (gPhone would sound stupid and cutesy).

Android is not technically a phone, it is a mobile linux platform for which phones and software can be developed.

No phones have been announced.
Expect the first phones out by the middle of next year, if Google can do what Microsoft and Apple can’t and actually release a product on time.

After scanning the web for details on the android, this is probably the best article we came across to make sense of it all.

XBox 360 Nyko Intercooler Overheat Problems

This is perhaps a strange thing for our basic computer help website, but it is a pretty serious matter to some people in the computer and electronics business. I couldn’t find a head quarters for information on this problem, so I figured I would try to make one here. Of course we also hope it brings a few new folks to the website.

I bought an XBox 360 about a year after they had been released. Along with my purchase I bought an Intercooler by Nyko. This is a device that plugs into the power of the XBox and blows air past the back fans. The idea and advertised claim is that it would improve the life of my system and cool the inner components.

Spyware’s on the rise – Rules to keep your computer safe

We have posted a number of tips for getting rid of spyware, but most spyware is totally preventable. Most of it comes as gullible, over confident teenagers surf the web. Here’s a list of rules you can print out and post by the computer to keep the computer safe. These are not in order or importance.

1. Use Mozilla Firefox to surf the web

2. Do not click on anything that claims that you have won something

3. Do not click on anything that claims that you might win something

4. Do not click on anything that asks your to vote (except for the HelpMeRick.com poll)

5. Do not download free ringtones, screensavers, games or wallpaper – especially if you are required to install a program for them to work

Re-name your files and folders the easy way – Video Tip

Renaming files and folders can be a tricky task with the mouse. However, using your keyboard, renaming your files or folders is simple!

1. Click ONE time on the file or folder that you want to rename
2. Press the F2 key on your keyboard
3. Type the new name (remember that you can use up to 255 characters…but no slashes)
4. Press Enter on your keyboard

There you have four easy steps to organizing your files. Also, remember that you can perform this same function from within the OPEN or SAVE dialog boxes in many programs.

The only time that you cannot use this techniques is when the file is open.

Don’t add any extra mouse clicks or keyboard strokes to this tip and you should find instant success with this technique.

To rename multiple files at the same time, try this:

1. Select the files to be renamed
2. RIGHT Click on any ONE of the files
3. Type the new name for the file
4. Press Enter on your keyboard

The computer then renames the file you RIGHT clicked on and proceeds to rename all of the other selected files with the same name followed by a number in parenthesis.

Watch the video below to see this tip demonstrated.