Hints and tips for buying technologyOfficeworks is dedicated to making technology easy and enjoyable to own. The following hints and tips should make it easier for you to choose the right mouse, printer and storage media for your needs.
We're here to help. So if you need expert advice on office technology, please call our Customer Service team on 1300-OFFICE (633 423) or visit your local Officeworks store.
Alternatively you can email us at support@officeworks.com.au. We will get back to you as quickly as possible.
How to choose a mouse
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| MECHANICAL |
OPTICAL |
| The budget mechanical mouse consists of a cord, a ball, and moving parts. They will get the job done, but they do require mouse pads and regular maintenance and cleaning of the moving parts. |
This is the latest in mouse technology. An optical sensor on the underside of the mouse reflects and captures light from the desk surface. The benefits of this slightly more expensive mouse includes a longer lasting mouse, better response and no need for a mouse pad. | |
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| CORDED |
CORDLESS |
| A corded mouse is connected to your computer by a cord. This is suitable for most applications, but you are restricted to working within a certain area dictated by the length of the cord and your system set up. Be sure to check the connectivity of the mouse that you are purchasing. Most modern mice have a USB connection and require a spare USB port on your computer. Other connection options are available if your system does not have any USB ports. |
A cordless mouse has no cords coming from the mouse itself. A receiver is supplied with the mouse. The receiver plugs directly into the back of your computer (once again please check connectivity options). The mouse is then free to move around your desk within a certain range of the receiver. This makes the slightly more expensive cordless mouse ideal for everyday use. | |
How to select a printer
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| INKJET |
LASER |
- Cheap to purchase initially.
- Models available with good quality photo printing functions ? higher resolutions available.
- Smaller in size and can be portable.
- Can be expensive to run if used in high demand.
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- Cheaper to run with good value on consumables.
- Generally faster print speed.
- Greater paper capacity.
- Available in both Mono (black) and Colour.
- More expensive to purchase initially.
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The questions that follow should help you choose the right printer for your needs.
Is colour output required?No - If you require only black text documents consider a Mono Laser Printer. This type of printer provides great value for money if you only need to print text documents.
Will you be printing photos?
Yes - The highest resolution for good quality photo printing will come from a dedicated Inkjet Photo Printer. These printers work well with photo paper and some can even read straight from your digital camera's memory card.
Will you be printing many documents with colour pages?
Yes - Consider a Colour Laser Printer. Print speed and paper capacities allow for faster results, and the toner cartridges used in colour laser printers will do many more copies than an ink cartridge in an inkjet machine. Colour Laser Printers are also usually suitable for multiple users in an office environment.
No - Look for a basic Colour Inkjet Printer. There is low initial outlay and these machines are usually quite compact, saving space on your workstation. (Be aware that consumables can become pricey if usage of printer increases).
What kind of printer connection will you need?Most modern printers require an available USB port on your computer. The USB port is on the back of your computer or the side of your laptop. It is a small rectangular hole approximately 15mm wide and 5mm high.
If you run an older computer you may not have a USB port. Most older PC's have a parallel port a long rectangle with 25 pins inside. In this is your situation, you must buy a printer that has the option of parallel connection.
Always check the printer that you are purchasing for information on connectivity, required operating systems and available memory.
Installing your printerAll modern printers come with installation software on CD. Your computer will need to have a CD drive to install this software.
How to choose storage media for your machine
3.5" DiskettesThese are the once-common small disks that fit into your floppy drive, often referred to as the 'A drive' on many PC's. The disks generally store 1.44MB of data and are cheap to purchase. There are different formats available to suit your system needs including IBM and MAC formats. It is important to note that 1.44MB of information is extremely small in these days of image storage. Anything more than a few small memo-type documents will be too large for a 3.5" diskette.
Compact Discs (CD's)CD's can store up to 700MB of data. You will need a CD Burner to store information on CD.
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| CD-R (Recordable CD's) |
CD-RW (Re-writable CD's) |
| Most CD-R's can record approximately 700MB of data. They can only be used once. The speed at which the data can be recorded is ever-increasing, but is dependent on the speed of your burner. CD-R's are useful for storing documents, photos, music. Once the burn process has finished the data is permanently stored on the disc. |
CD-RW's have a similar storage capacity to that of CD-R's - usually around 650-700MB. The notable difference between CD-R's and CD-RW's is that the CD-RW can be used over and over. Once the data stored onto the disc is no longer required it can be deleted and reused for additional storage. | |
Digital Versatile Discs (DVD's)You will need a DVD burner if you wish to store information on DVD. A DVD's capacity to store information is much greater than CD-R's and CD-RW's - generally around 4.7GB for single layer technology.
You must create your DVD according to the type of drive you have. Your DVD drive should be labelled with the DVD format it accepts.
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| DVD-R |
DVD+R |
| This is the most common type of DVD storage. It can be used in burners that have DVD-R written on them. DVD-R's can be played in most current DVD players. They can only be burned once - the data storage is permanent. |
This is a format that has recently been introduced onto the market. It is also playable in most DVD players. DVD+R's can also only be written to once - the data storage is permanent. |
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| DVD-RW |
DVD+RW |
| This format is similar to CD-RW in that data can be deleted and re-written when required. DVD-RW's can be used in most DVD players, however they must be recorded in video mode and finalised to do so. |
Similar to DVD-RW, this format can be written and re-written when required. It has greater compatibility with current DVD technology than DVD-RW. |
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| DVD-RAM |
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| This is a special type of DVD media with an exceptionally high storage capacity of up to 9.4GB. DVD-RAM can be written and re-written, however it is not compatible with most DVD-ROM computer drives. You must have a DVD/Ram drive to be able to use it. |
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Zip DisksZip disks look like a 3.5" diskette, but they have a much greater capability for storage. You will need a dedicated zip drive in order to use them. The type of zip disk you can use depends on your zip drive. The disks are available in 100MB, 250MB and 750MB (many locations will only stock the 100MB and the 250MB disks and drives).
If you have a 750MB zip drive you will need to purchase a 750MB disk. The same applies to 100MB drives - only 100MB disks can only be used.
The exception is if you have a 250MB drive. You can use either the 100MB or the 250MB disks in your 250MB drive.
USB Flash DrivesA USB flash drive is approximately the length of your index finger and only weighs a few grams. It plugs directly into your USB port. You can simply drag and drop files into the flash drive folder on your desktop. Flash drives require no cords or additional power sources.
They can store data from 16MB up to 1GB. A 256MB USB drive will hold as much data as 177 3.5" floppy disks! You can copy the data extremely quickly on a flash drive - and as many times as you need.
Digital MediaDigital media cards allow you to capture, retain and transport large amounts of data between a variety of digital devices such as digital cameras, PDA's, palmtops, voice recorders, music players, mobile phones and other handheld digital items.
The digital media card you use depends on your device. Options include, but are not limited to: Secure Digital, Compact Flash and Memory Sticks. |