Hey everybody, just wanted to do a quick post to highlight some of our recent efforts on the video front. We’ve been putting together some instructional videos on ink and toner installation as well as setup videos on some of our more popular printers. Our goal is to provide everything Supplies Guys customers need, from actual products to resources and information. So anyway here’s a list of printers for which we have videos at this time. And if your favorite printer isn’t in this list, let us know and we’ll make a point to highlight it in the near future.
Hey everybody-we’ve been highlighting a lot of printers lately, but we’ve neglected a very reputable printer manufacturer up to this point, Samsung, and I’d like to highlight the Samsung CLP-300 printer today.
Chances are quite a few of you already have this printer, since it has become one of the more popular color laser printers on the market today. Coming in at a reasonable $150-$200, this printer is one of the most affordable color laser printers you can buy. Couple that low price with respectable performance and quality, and you have a useful and accessible machine that appeals to a lot of people! If you don’t own a CLP-300 but are looking for a good budget color laser printer, read up and little. CNET reviewed the Samsung CLP-300 in the following article:
Since I’ve been doing several posts recently about top printers in hopes of creating some useful content for our readers, I figured I’d do a post about the venerable Phaser 8560. Since replacing the Phaser 8500/8550 models about a year ago, the 8560 has emerged as a true workhorse for small to medium sized offices. As most of you know, the Phaser 8560 uses solid ink technology, which is easy to replace and produces great quality prints. If you’re actually in the market for a Phaser 8560, I’ve put together some resources for you that you might find useful. First off, check out what the experts think about the Phaser 8560 in this review:
Lastly, if you need solid ink, I’d encourage you to check out the Supplies Guys as well. They’ve got a large selection of compatible and OEM Phaser 8560 ink, so it wouldn’t hurt to start there. Also, check out the link to the Phaser 8560 solid ink replacement tutorial, which illustrates just how easy the ink is to replace.
Well if anybody can testify to the quality and coolness of the Phaser 8500 solid ink printer I can, because I use one almost every day. The printer is great; speedy prints (aside from the whole 13 minute warm-up thing), very solid quality, falling-down-easy ink replacement…overall a great machine. If you’re in the market for a used one (Xerox updated the 8500 to the 8560 solid ink printer), you’re most likely going to love it. But if you’d like a little more information about it check out the following CNET review:
And you’ll of course need solid ink sticks. A great place to start is right here at the Supplies Guys, where you can get budget-conscious solid ink or OEM.
It is really easy to install the solid ink sticks, but if you need a few pointers or would just like to see exactly how easy Phaser 8500 solid ink replacement can be, check out the following tutuorial and video
Well I think its time to give all those Oki c5800 laser printer owners out there a little helping hand by posting some Oki c5800 resources. Overall the Oki c5800 is a great performing printer, with excellent color quality capable of producing photographs you’ll definitely be proud of. Traditional Oki speed is present with the c5800 in both monochrome and color, so you won’t have to wait in line for prints. If you’re thinking about buying an Oki c5800 you should read the review that MacWorld gave on the printer; its pretty comprehensive and gives the printer a fair shake.
If you already own an Oki C5800, you know changing the toner can be tricky. So if you need help replacing the C5800 toner cartridges, check out this toner replacement tutorial:
Lastly, if you bought a C5800 used or for some other reason need drivers to get the printer up and running, here’s a link to Oki’s site containing all of the Oki C5800 drivers and manuals.
And of course, if you need replacement toner check out the Supplies Guys. Whether you’re on a budget and want to save with compatible C5800 toner or you’re more confortable with OEM C5800 toner, they’ve got the selection for what you need.
Don’t you hate it when you need a heart transplant and you have to sign up for a list and wait around for someone else to die? Sheesh, what a drag. Well, it is annoying, but luckily we have an advocate on our side.
Dr. Makoto Nakamura has created a 3D “bioprinter” that uses technology similar to today’s inkjet printers to create cell based organs. At least that’s his goal; the Japanese scientist has already created simple cellular structures using the machine, and aims to ultimately “print” a human heart. The process is relatively simple in concept, and uses a process similar to other 3D printers on the market today. The organ is split into one-cell tall horizontal layers and a series of jets applies the appropriate cells to each layer, ultimately resulting in a functional organ. Whoa.
Though Dr. Nakamura admits that his ambitious goal of printing a human heart could take up to 20 years to realize, he is optimistic about the potential results. “It would be like building a huge skyscraper on a micro level using different kinds of cells and other materials instead of steel beams, concrete and glass.” Really. Now this guy undoubtedly has more intelligence in his left nostril than I could ever hope to have in my entire cranium, but that sounds incredibly over-simplified. Maybe not, but hey. And what happens when your “cell ink” starts to get low, does the liver you’re printing have a streak all the way through it? Do you have ever have organ jams? “Aw man, Joe can you unjam the printer again, there’s a partial lung stuck in tray 3.” And can you imagine getting drivers for Vista?? Nightmare.
Still, aside from being a little creepy in an artificially-manufactured-essential-human-components way, I think it sounds great. Let’s just hope it doesn’t function like your average, well, printer.
Ok, so it has been a while since I’ve posted on The Printer Post, but I suppose there’s not better way to break that tense silence with all of you people than to do a quick post on how to boost productivity.
I did a post a while ago spelling out exactly how you can eliminate (at least in part) the massive ball of hopelessly intertwined cordage on your desktop, as well as share you printer with a bunch of computers at once. I spelled out everything from bluetooth enabled printers to the various types of wired and wireless print servers. Well, those are cool and all, but one thing is still painfully clear: its still a pain to set up one of these systems. That is until the latest announcement from D-Link unveiling their new router technology.
Basically, it works like this: new routers from D-Link will have a USB port on the back that feature technology called USB over TCP/IP, which D-Link has cutely named SharePort. It’s kinda self explanatory, and it’s essentially the best thing ever if you’re in the cord elimination business. What happens is that almost ANY USB device plugged into the router can be shared over the wireless network. Old print servers requried specific drivers for each device to be built in to the router and so were limited to a finite list of compatible printers. Say goooodbyyye to that stuff.
If you’re wanting to share a USB device with a certain computer, just download a free update from D-Link and you’re ready to go. Share your scanner, external hard drive, printer, USB coke fridge…um just kidding. But the possibilities are great for this platform.
The technology is supported on D-Link’s new Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit Router, and also on D-Link router models DIR-655, DIR-825, DIR-855 and DGL-4500 Gaming Router with GameFuel. If you happen to be one of the lucky many to own one of these routers, you can install the update containing SharePort technology by visiting the D-Link download page.
The only thing I can see as a problem here is that these routers only have one USB port supporting USB over TCP/IP, something that needs to be fixed ASAP. I’m sure later versions will take care ofthis, and for now its nice enough to have a little more convenience in setting up a cordless office. And ahem, boosting productivity.
So you’ve got a problem with you little document-producing friend, huh? Won’t print, jams ALL the time, costs both your right limbs to keep running, has made you late for school, a meeting, whatever? Well, apparently you’re not alone. One or two people around the Internet have recorded the mayhem they’ve inflicted on their printer, and left it as a warning for all other disobedient printers.
Oddly, it hasn’t stopped printers everywhere from malfunctioning. Idiots. Anyway, if your rage isn’t sufficed with shouting at that piece of grayish plastic, you might try some of these more satisfying tactics to get your point across.
#10 Good Old Fashioned Butt-Kicking
Sometimes you gotta just haul that waste of office space outside and have it out. Good solid way to get the job done, with a little spice of creativity with the Jeep.
#9 Office Space Posse Beat Down
No printer-destruction compilation would be complete without the Office Space clip, so get the homies together and let’s pound some plastic. The only reason it didn’t rank higher is because it’s a wee little bit overplayed. And over-parodied; children give your father back the camcorder!
#8 Redneck Response
Yep, sometime you gotta just go out to the back 40 an let ‘er rip! This is just simple gun-totin’ American goodness. And yes, it does carry a redneck warning.
#7 Hire the Mob
Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. And make it quiet at a boat dock somewhere.
#6 Connect with the Neanderthal Inside
When that primal rage sets in you don’t WANT a tool. Zog! Give me rock! HP printer jammed again!
#5 ‘Splode it. Like big time.
Who needs firecrackers? I love those printer explosions where the printer door flies open upon detonation and the three year-olds shriek with delight…yeah. Um excuse me, do you have anything with concussive force?
#4 Quick Hatchet Discipline
Ok, how many times would you love to do this: printer breaks, bang! hatchet through the toner cartridge. It’s kind of like living in the People’s Republic of China, only you know, funny.
#3Dragged Through the Streets
Total pwnage + public humiliation; revenge doesn’t get much sweeter than this.
#2 Acrophobia Anyone?
Possibly one of the most satisfying videos simply because of that repeat sequence. You have to say Die! Die! Die! with every repeat, though, or it’s not as fun.
#1 Ride It into the Ground
This one wins for originality and total gleeful randomness. I think this kid can say he’s got the fastest printer ANYWHERE.
Next up is the Okidata C5510 MFP Laser Printer, which is a bigger better printer than the other Oki printers we’ve looked at thus far. It is also, obviously, a multi-function printer capable of not only printing, but also copying and scanning (no fax, sorry). Check out some reviews on the C5510 MFP:
ITP Review of the Oki C5510 MFP
As is often a gripe with other Oki products, sometimes the OEM toner products can become expensive, so consider trying compatible if you find that is the case. We supply you with both OEM and compatible toner options at the Supplies Guys; if you’re interested, check out our Oki C5510 MFP page for more prices and other information.
So here we go, back with out latest printer highlight, the Oki C3200N Laser Printer. This printer is the predecessor to the Oki C3400N, which we touched on in a previous post, but they’re basically the same printer. The C3400N has some updates to the Oki C3200N, but suffice it to say that owners of the C3200 will be used to the performance and operation of the C3400N should they choose to upgrade.
On the fence about getting a Oki C3400? Need to review the performance specs of your C3200N? That’s what I’m here for; take a look at a couple of these reviews to refresh your memory:
PC World also had a pretty comprehensive C3200 review
The Oki C3200 isn’t the newest printer around, that much is apparent just from reading the above reviews. Still, if you don’t deem it necessary to upgrade to a newer printer and you’ve lost your driver or owner’s manual, click on one of links below:
The C3200N owner’s manual is available through the left navigation link on this page.
Have a problem with your trusty little C3200? Here’s a great site compiling Oki C3200 repair info that you might find useful.
If you happened to read the PCWorld review above, you’ll recall that they dinged the printer points for having high printing costs per page. Keep in mind that while color printing is more expensive than monochrome, you can keep color costs down by buying compatible ink. Check out what the Supplies Guys offers in the way of costs savings for your C3200N by visiting our C3200N toner page.