The total cost of an office copy machine depends on the features you choose, the billing program used, and the materials the machine requires. Some businesses purchase just a machine, and then pay for service and supplies costs separately. Most vendors offer Cost-per-copy, or CPC programs, the compute all costs as one monthly bill. Purchasing equipment separately might yield a better deal on a used or recycled machine.
Equipment Costs Copier machines can range in cost from under a thousand dollars to tens of thousands or more for a higher quality machine. A good way to save money on a printer copier is to buy a used machine or one with recycled components. Make sure you have a maintenance plan in place if you don’t have a warranty on the machine. Purchasing a used copier machine is like buying a used car- you can always try to negotiate to get a better deal. You should also see if the used machine can be upgraded to incorporate more memory or to add features (adding trays, etc.) if necessary.
Consumables and Supplies
Supplies such as paper, ink, and toner should be included in the cost of owning a machine. These materials can be purchased from the copy machine vendor, or from a separate source, such as Staples or Office Depot. There are several different online retailers that offer delivery options and automatic shipment plans, so you can plan your costs in advance. Most traditional copier supplies are made of harsh chemicals and can require special disposal procedures, such as arranging for pickup or sending used components back to the manufacturing company for disposal. “Green” materials are easy to find if you want a more ecologically friendly option, and they are usually cheaper. Using an all in one printer scanner also cuts supply costs, because you can store documents electronically and print less often.
Maintenance and Service Costs
When you purchase a new machine, you might be eligible for a warranty or included service contract. If you lease a machine, most vendors will require that you sign a maintenance or service agreement. Though you can purchase a warranty for a used machine if the factory warranty has expired, it’s a good idea to figure out how much the warranty will add to the cost in the long run. Often paying for maintenance out of pocket can be cheaper, especially in the cases of used machines. Maintenance contracts can offer the use of a “loaner” machine in the event of repairs, and specify time guarantees for when a broken machine will be fixed.
It’s important to consider all potential costs when making an investment in any office machine. Copier machine vendors will usually try to “sell” you to the most expensive option. By comparing quotes for equipment, supplies, and services from different sources, you’ll be able to get the best deal.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tips For Saving On An Office Copy Machine
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Machine Embroidery Designs Enhance Wearables & Crafts
Has the machine embroidery bug bitten you yet? Do you want to get into machine embroidery, but just don’t know where to start? Do you wonder if the investment is worth it?
About four years ago, I purchased my first embroidery machine, and I have been hooked to the art ever since. I’ve slowly built a library of designs and I’ve learned how to hoop, stabilize, and choose the right thread!
I started by researching the vast array of embroidery machines available, many of which also do standard sewing. Machines are priced anywhere from $400 up to many thousands. Search the Internet or go to your local Sew Vac or fabric store for a demonstration! Choose a machine based upon how much embroidery you want to do and what your budget will allow.
To tell the truth, I felt weird about using machine embroidery at first. I wanted to be the designer and I didn’t want to depend upon someone else’s creativity to make my work look beautiful. Then, I discovered that I had lots of choices and I couldn’t resist the designs that are available. I found quilt embroideries that you can use to quilt blocks in the hoop and get better results than using free-motion or a long arm machine. I found all sorts of vintage looks in redwork, bluework, and even lace that you embroider right on a dissolvable stabilizer in the thread color that matches your project best. Of course there are many modern detailed designs in every theme from babies and kids to holidays and weddings.
Embroidery designs are “digitized” from artwork. While most sites sell artwork that can be picked up by many digitizers, some sites selling machine embroidery files such as SWAK Embroidery and You Can Make This also have designs from original hand-drawn art. This means that those designs can only be purchased from those sites and therefore, you won’t see them just anywhere.
One great thing about embroidery designs is that they have a color palette selected for you in advance, but you can also adjust the colors to your specifications by choosing from color families and tones. Filled designs are those made up of all embroidered stitches. Appliqué designs allow you to choose fun fabrics to add your own artistic expression to the finished product. If you make some cute cropped pants, but need a matching shirt, find an appliqué design for a tee shirt and use the fabric from the pants in the appliqué to add just the right matching touch.
Some designs are really versatile in that a change of thread color can make the design work for any occasion. Take a balloon design and use thread in your child’s favorite colors. Makes realistic looking oak leaves in any color-palette from spring yellows and greens to fall reds, browns, and oranges. Change the colors in a cute cheerleader design or collegiate alphabet to match your school colors. Even merge two designs or add lettering to a design to make it yours, using your embroidery machine or digitizing software.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Inside the Astra Espresso Machine
Astra espresso machines are a top of the line brand for commercial enterprises and individual consumers who are very serious about their espresso. As American produced machines, Astras are designed for 110 volts, putting them at an advantage over many European machines.
There are two features that really set the Astra espresso machines apart: the sought after Sirai pressurestat and the Procon rotary pump, which is much quieter than the vibration pumps that are fitted in most espresso machines. In addition, there is heavy duty wiring, quick on/off steaming and hot water valves, and the machines work both with ground coffee and with espresso pods. Another good thing about getting Astra espresso machine is that the company is willing to customize it for you if that's what you want. For example you have an automatic milk frother or a pump pressure gauge installed.
You can order your choice of standard panel colors, or the company will match any color upon request - should you wish to paint your kitchen chartreuse and violet, your espresso machine can be created to match. The boxy shape of the Astra receives mixed reviews. The few exceptions to the basic aluminum box can be found in their classic line, which feature options such as brass, hammered copper, and gold plating - not to mention a decorative eagle that seems to fly over the top of the crowning dome.
The Gourmet series machines are compact, yet contain a 4.2 liter boiler, resulting in a virtually endless supply of dry steam. They can produce up to 180 shots of espresso per hour. Customers report the steamer needing less than 20 seconds to steam milk for a large latte. The excellent stock tip can easily steam small quantities of milk with control. Astras can be hooked to existing plumbing or to a water reservoir, such as a five-gallon jug. The shower screen is easy to remove and clean, which is not always possible in many other espresso machines without removing the grouphead gasket. Astra Gourmet machines are popular with small businesses and also with home buyers who are serious about their espresso.
The Astra Pro is highly rated by individual consumers. It produces reliably excellent espresso and a thick, dark crema. One note of caution: it takes a while to warm up, upwards of twenty minutes. The machine can get very hot if it's in use for a while, making it a poor choice for household with pets and small children. The self-tamping system takes a while to master. After getting the hang of this machine, it's well worth the effort. The Astra Pro has a single gauge that displays both boiler pressure and pump pressure. It fits into an 18" space, unlike many of its competitors.
Of the many reviews of these machines available on the web, it seems impossible to find a complaint about the durability of Astras. The manufacturer offers a two-year limited warranty on parts, and a one-year limited warranty on labor. In general, the company is very helpful on the phone, even to buyers who purchased their machine second hand. Should you decide to buy an Astra, you'll get the best value by buying it directly from the company or from a secondhand source such as eBay.
By: K. Braun
Your Personal Laundry
Ask a home maker, what in her opinion is the most cumbersome job, and pat comes the reply, washing.
There is an extremely annoying misconception that home-making is an easy job. People who are working perceive a very wrong idea that it is easy to maintain a house.
A house wife would be the best person to clear this myth. Actually home-making can be a back-paining, tedious vocation which leaves a lot many people exhausted and drained out at the end of the day.
Today, a majority of the couples in urban areas are working. This means that they get time only during the weekends to catch up with their home-making errands. Washing the entire weeks clothes, getting them dried and ironed take up most of their free time which they hardly sometimes manage to get.
Thanks to the ever-evolving and progressing technology, today most of the houses in metropolitan areas have domestic helps in the forms of washing machines, geysers, microwave ovens, food processors etc. They make even the most tedious tasks smoother than ever.
Washing machine is the most inevitable domestic appliance in the modern metros. Most of the washing machines come with driers and operates on the rinse mechanisms. They are basically classified as automatic and semi-automatic which, as the names suggest, indicate their functionality as to whether they meet all the washing needs or just a part of it.
A semi-automatic washing machine needs your presence as you will have to fill the water drum of the machine up to the required level and stop the water flow the moment the level is reached. The person has to manually attend every task which the machine does i.e. washing, rinsing, and transferring the clothes from the wash tub into the spin tub for drying.
However, it gives a flexibility in washing, that is, you can you can give separate treatments to different types of clothes. For e.g. the delicate clothes like frilly frocks, lace gowns, saris etc. can be put together with jeans, towels and other heavy outfits. To sum up the description of semi-automatic machine, we can say, this kind of machine comes handy for those who have varied washing preferences and time to supervise its working. A semi-automatic machine saves labour but the same cannot be said about time.
Now coming to the fully automatic machines, they are undoubtedly an update of the semi-automatic ones. They don't need you constant supervision. You can dump in the clothes, connect the water tube to the tap, open it and forget. The machine will take care of the washing, rinsing, drying, stopping the water flow, powering off, everything. So when you get back from work, you can find your clothes all clean and bright.
The washing methods of the machines vary. Some tumble the clothes, others rotate them and the rest give a to and fro motion to the clothes to free them from dirt. The latest washing machines are loaded with Surgilator agitator to whisk out dirt and stains from the clothes and leaves them spic and span as the hand wash does.
The high power machines available in the market, can wash buckets of clothes as well as steam out the wrinkles and odour with as little as a press of a button.
Manufacturers like Whirlpool, Indesit, Hotpoint, and Milies are whacking their brains to provide you the most affordable and the most efficient mode of clothing. The cost of these devices range from low to high and the efficiency is unquestionable.
These washing machines are just like you when it comes to saving. They use very little detergents, water and power for their jobs. Most of them come with paddles or fingers to throw out even the most stubborn stains. They are your own personal laundries so that you enjoy your well deserved leisure time with your loved ones instead with the dirt and stains.
By: Issac B
Automatic Espresso Machine Review Helps You Buy the Right Machine
Why do you think many prefer automatic espresso machine for preparing their tasty brew? Simple...it does everything automatically, that is, all by itself without any user intervention. Great...how much time is saved? What these automatic espresso machines do? Grinding of coffee beans, putting them in the hopper, filling and heating the necessary amount of water and finally giving you the best coffee each and every time is what these automatic espresso machines do. You need not worry about preparing coffee anymore. You just have to clean the dishes. How easy! Few automatic espresso machines even fill the hopper with coffee powder for you to use the next time.
It is always a good method to read the automatic espresso machine reviews before you buy them. However, don't read the reviews that are available on the manufacturer's website. In general, manufacturers try to pose that their product is only "the best" in the market. What you have to do is read automatic espresso machine reviews that are written by people who really own such a machine.
These manufacturers will have their own Internet websites where the customers will be allowed to post automatic espresso machine reviews. Here, a customer or a buyer can post both the advantage and disadvantage of owing an automatic espresso machine. This helps the manufacturer to know what really people want and at the same time gives the potential customers an edge about how the espresso machine really works. Merely reading an automatic espresso machine review is not going to help you. Understand the concept and make a thorough analysis based on the automatic espresso machine review that you read. This is what is going to help you in taking the decision.
Key element in any espresso is its grinder as this is what is going to determine the consistency of the coffee. This is the reason why some owners have a grinder separately for this purpose. However, if you have read automatic espresso machine review that is not biased, you would have understood that it is not the grinder that determines the taste of the brew.
Key features in an espresso machine:
Do not stop your research with the manufacturer's website alone. There are other websites that deals with automatic espresso machine reviews. It is worth looking at automatic espresso machine reviews that are posted in different websites when you are going to invest your hard earned money on espresso machines. Make your decision depending on whether the machine has a facility to be connected directly to the water line or you will have to pour water manually or it is possible to do both. You can be well prepared if you know the pros and cons of the automatic espresso machine.
When reading through an automatic espresso machine review read it thoroughly and see if this is what you are looking for in your machine. No machine will have all positive reviews, which is for sure. Don't go for a machine that has only negative reviews. If you are not familiar with various brands that are available in the market, reading through the automatic espresso machine review will give you an idea about various brands along with its pros and cons. This will help you in getting the machine that suits your need as well as fit your pocket.
By: Krystyna
A Surefire Strategy For Playing the Slot Machines
There is really no surefire strategy for playing the slot machines, however there are ways that you can improve your game play and stand a better chance of winning. The first step is reading the information posted on the slot machines. If you do not understand something ask one of the casino attendants to explain it to you. If you're an online player then get in touch with a customer service representative and they will be happy to help you with your queries.
Know what the maximum payout is and how much coins are required to get a possible shot at winning the jackpot. Remember some machines will not pay out any jackpots unless you play the maximum amount of coins. It would be a shame for you to get a winning spin only to find out that you did not play the maximum amount of coins to receive that jackpot.
Playing the slot machines is all about having fun, you want to choose a machine that will suit your pocket, look for a slot machine that you know you can afford to play the maximum amount of coins required but one that pays the highest jackpot. This is a good surefire strategy for playing the slot machines as it will allow you more game time, because your cash will last longer than if you were playing one of the higher end slot machines. Make sure and check out the various slot machines as some of them require fewer coins but offer the same jackpot payout as those that require more coins.
If you are playing in an actual casino and you find that you are just spinning and spinning that lever with no hits, then move on to another slot machine, as that slot machine might be what is known as a cold or unfriendly slot machine. Further you might want to observe which slot machines some of the regulars to the casino are playing, as they will probably know which machines are "Loose" and which are "Cold". Loose slot machines are those slot machines that payout quite often and are considered "very user friendly" while "Cold" slot machines are those that never seem to pay out and are considered "not very user friendly".
Probably the most important surefire strategy for playing the slot machines is to know when to call it quits. Here's the deal, say for instance that you hit the jackpot three times in a row and have accumulated quite a small fortune, now would be a good time to walk away with your big fat pocket full of cash and a smile on your face. The point here is not to be too greedy, remember the story of "the dog and the bone", well take heed and keep what's in your wallet rather that going after what you might never have.
On the other hand if you still feel the pull of those slot machines and just can't resist its call, then at least be sensible and stack away a good portion of that fortune, and use the rest to satisfy your gambling urge. Hopefully these surefire strategies for playing the slot machines have been helpful, and may your pockets always be full with cash.
By: Sarah H