Recent Comments
Comment by Jay B on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 11:44 PM)
My wife has an Epson EcoTank inkjet printer (I have a Samsung Laser printer, which I like greatly). My only complaint about the Epson is that it needs...
Comment by Ed Morris on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 09:17 PM)
I once had an Epson ink cartridge printer, but ran into the clogging problem because of not using it often enough. Now I have an HP Neverstop laser pr...
Comment by Kenneth H on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 06:47 PM)
I only have experience with HP and Epson. I have thrown out Epsons before they expired. My HP Office Jet Pro 6978 is the best. I have never had a seri...
Comment by Terry Hollett on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 11:49 AM)
About your ads. They look like small ads in gray boxes and the ads scroll up or down in these boxes depending on if you are scrolling up or down on th...
Comment by Terry Hollett on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 11:35 AM)
I have three inkjets, a Canon, and two HPs. The HP with the built-in wireless support is my main. Easier sharing over a network. As far as the ads, I ...
Comment by Bernie Crowley on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 09:24 AM)
Could not read the whole article due to ads covering the text....
Comment by Gary on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 05:29 AM)
Good article Bob. One problem: an H & R Block ad was covering part of it and I could not get rid of it. ...
Comment by Thomas on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 03:37 AM)
There is another option not mentioned in your article Bob. I use a Cannon Pixma G7065 hich I have had for some years. Before buying this unit, I have ...
Comment by Jou Baur on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 02:08 AM)
I'm upset you ignored the most important kind of printer: Epson EcoTank printers. You buy your ink in bottles, not those silly little cartridges, and...
Comment by Jeff on [TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer? (September 23, 2023 01:16 AM)
I wish you would discuss details of the new lines of inkjet printers that don't use cartridges with the print heads in the cartridge, but have tanks t...
[TIPS] Inkjet, Laser or All-In-One Printer?
Are you in the market for a new printer? You might be wondering if you should you look for an inkjet printer or a laser printer. Or how about a basic printer versus an all-in-one (AIO) printer, scanner, copier, fax, and toaster? The choice -- inkjet vs. laser, and dedicated printer vs. all-in-one -- depends on what you print and how often you print it. Here's a look at the tradeoffs, and factors to consider when buying a printer...
Posted by Bob Rankin on September 22, 2023 | Category: Printing
Adding Memory: A Silver Bullet for Your Computer?
Does your computer seem slow or sluggish? The problem may be too little RAM memory. But “add more RAM” is not the solution to every case of poor performance, and buying more RAM memory than you need or can use is just a waste of money. Read on to learn the ins and outs of adding RAM memory and how much memory is the “sweet spot” for Windows and Apple computers...
Posted by Bob Rankin on September 18, 2023 | Category: Memory
[ALERT] Nine WiFi Security Mistakes to Avoid
Wireless internet (WiFi) is convenient and essential if you have a smartphone, laptop or tablet. But if you aren’t careful, using WiFi to access the Internet can leave you open to hackers and unauthorized moochers of your Internet service. Here are some of the biggest mistakes that people make with WiFi, and how to avoid them. Read on!
Posted by Bob Rankin on September 12, 2023 | Category: Wireless
[SELL IT] Tips for Ebay Seller Success
Have you tried to sell some unwanted items to make a little extra money, but your attempts to sell on eBay have not worked out very well? Check out my power tips for eBay sellers to help you succeed. Read on...
Posted by Bob Rankin on September 08, 2023 | Category: Shopping
Silver Bullets, Cosmic Rays and Tired Computers
An inquisitive reader asks: “Sometimes my computer acts strangely when it has been running for several days without turning it off. I have heard about something called ‘electron buildup’ but I am not sure I should take it seriously. Can electronic devices really suffer from fatigue if they are on too long?” It’s actually a great question! Read on for my thoughts on contumacious computers, cosmic rays, and more...
Posted by Bob Rankin on September 05, 2023 | Category: Hardware
Battery Low? Extend Your Laptop Battery Life
Uh oh... "Your battery is running low. You might want to plug in." We take electrical outlets for granted; they're everywhere -- until they're not. If you forget your laptop's charger at home, or get stuck far from a power outlet (quite common if you use your laptop in a coffee shop, airport, plane, train or car) follow these tips to maximize battery life of your PC or Mac laptop. Read on...
Posted by Bob Rankin on August 17, 2023 | Category: Laptops
[CLEVER] Add a Second Line to Your Smartphone
Have you ever wished you had a second line on your mobile phone? Do you have one cell phone for personal calls, and another for business or some other purpose? It's a nuisance to carry two phones, and expensive too. Isn't there some way to add a second line to a smartphone? Well, yes, and there are some other very good reasons for doing so, even if you're not running a business. Read on for several options...
Posted by Bob Rankin on August 14, 2023 | Category: Telephony
System Restore: Will it Cure Your PC Problem?
Your computer suddenly starts to misbehave for reasons unknown... what to do? You could spend hours tracking down the subtle change that caused the problem, or you could climb into your time machine and go back to an earlier date when everything worked perfectly. That may be possible with the System Restore feature in Windows. Here's how it works...
Posted by Bob Rankin on August 07, 2023 | Category: Windows
Ready to Build Your Own PC?
To many, personal computers seem like complex machines. But under the hood, they basically consist of modules that plug together. You CAN build your own computer without a soldering iron or a degree in electrical engineering. But should you build your own PC? Read on for my advice...
Posted by Bob Rankin on August 04, 2023 | Category: Hardware
Doctor, My Eyes!
Hi All! Today I’m taking a break from my usual job as Translator for the Technology Impaired, to share an “eye opening” story with my AskBob readers. If you’ve noticed I haven’t been publishing as regularly as usual lately, read on to see the reason for that. I think you’ll be glad you did...
Posted by Bob Rankin on July 28, 2023 | Category: Personal
Do Memory Optimizers Speed Up Your PC?
An AskBob reader says “My computer is getting bogged down lately, especially when I have more than one program open. And the other day I got a 'low memory' warning. I've been looking into memory optimizers for Windows, but there are widely varying views as to how effective they really are. What is your opinion?” Read on for my take on memory boosters and optimizers, and why a shortage of available RAM memory might be a GOOD thing...
Posted by Bob Rankin on July 24, 2023 | Category: Memory
[TIP] Is it Time to Update Your Drivers?
One common question from AskBob readers is “Do I need to update my drivers?” They mention popups appearing on their screen, with warnings like 'Your drivers are out of date.' Some are getting emails or even phone calls to that effect. Some users upgrading to Windows 11 have experienced driver issues. Here's the scoop on device drivers, what they are, what they do, when (and when not) to update them...
Posted by Bob Rankin on July 19, 2023 | Category: Software
Seven MORE Free Software Recommendations
Recently, I recommended seven of my favorite free software tools, and many of you chimed in with suggestions of your own. But as I mentioned, I wasn't done; here are seven more must-have software freebies...
Posted by Bob Rankin on July 17, 2023 | Category: Software
[RECOMMENDED] Seven Free Software Programs
Here's one common AskBob reader question: “I just got a new computer, and I want to remove all the non-essential programs that came preloaded, and then install the best freeware for everday computing. What do you recommend?” Here are some of my free software recommendations for your computer. Read on!
Posted by Bob Rankin on July 06, 2023 | Category: Software
Break Up With the Internet (is it possible?)
There's a country song titled “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s”, and it sparked a thought. Back in 1993, before the Netscape browser opened up the World-Wide Web for millions, and your mailbox was cluttered with AOL discs, it was pretty easy to “break up” with the Internet if you wanted to do so. Just unplugging the telephone wire from your 56K modem would do the trick for most people. Alas, it’s not that easy now. Here's what you would have to do in order to disappear from the online world...
Posted by Bob Rankin on July 03, 2023 | Category: Privacy