The Info Examiner

Getting a new PC is exciting and a pain. It’s exciting because you get a faster processor, more storage and all the latest stuff even though it’s outdated as soon as it hits your desk. The pain comes with re-installing all of your programs, re-customizing your preferences for programs, applications, and Windows, and transferring data to the new PC.

It can be simplified by using a bootable external drive or something similar and letting it load everything on the new PC. However, if you are like me, you probably had a few problems here and there that couldn’t be found and fixed. So it’s better to start with a clean slate.

I am getting a new PC at the office and my hard drive crashed on my laptop. There’s nothing I can do about the laptop, but I kept it simple since it’s a supporting computer rather than the main PC. I often used a remote application to connect to my desktop from the laptop. Therefore, the laptop had few loaded programs and data. I did try to make a backup of my user profile before the crash, but it was having too many problems and the backup didn’t happen.

As for the work PC, here are the steps I took to prepare for moving to a new computer with the limited resources I had.

• Ensured all my work was on the network server. I kept backups of important files on the hard drive as a safety measure after my past experience.
• Deleted everything that I put on the hard drive.
• Made backups of data files such as the password manager’s file.
• Took a screen shot of my Windows desktop, so I can rearrange things on the new PC to closely match the way I had things on the old PC.
• Used Belarc Advisor to create a print out of what’s loaded on the machine.
• Changed my password to a temporary one that’s nothing like my original so support could get in when I wasn’t at my desk.
• Copied the properties of specially-made shortcuts like the one I use to lock the computer with one click.
• If you use Outlook, make notes of your preferences and options. Mine didn’t get transferred.
• If you use the Office toolbar (typically on the side or top of the screen), add the programs and folders back in based on the screen shot you took earlier. I could not remember how to change the icons in the toolbar, so here’s how: right-click on the icon you wish to change, select Properties, and Change Icon.
• Print the list of fonts loaded on your computer if you’ve added additional fonts.

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl’s notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn’t wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

A couple of the recent Tech Tips from www.geeks.com have made mention of RAID, but the level of detail required in those tips didn’t shed much light on what RAID actually is. The number of e-mail responses and comments in the Readers Digress section was convincing enough that an introduction to the basics of RAID would be an appropriate Tech Tip, so here it is.

Introduction

The word RAID sounds like it might describe something Marines conduct in Fallujah, or a can of what all roaches fear, but it is simply an acronym that stands for Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks. Depending on who you talk to, the letter “I” can stand for either independent or inexpensive, but in my opinion independent is more appropriate, and far less subjective.

RAID generally allows data to be written to multiple hard disk drives so that a failure of any one drive in the array does not result in the loss of any data, as well as increasing the system’s fault tolerance. I say RAID generally does this, as there are several RAID configurations that provide different approaches to redundancy, but some RAID configurations are not redundant at all. Fault tolerance refers to a system’s ability to continue operating when presented with a hardware (or software) failure, as should be experienced when a hard drive fails in one of the redundant configurations of RAID.

The Hardware

The basic hardware required to run RAID includes a set of matched hard drives and a RAID controller.

RAID can be run on any type of hard drive, including SCSI, SATA, and ATA. The number of hard drives required is dependent on the particular RAID configuration chosen, as described later. I mention the need for matched hard drives, and although this is not absolutely necessary, it is recommended. Most arrays will only be able to use the capacity of the smallest drive, so if a 250GB Hitachi drive is added to a RAID configuration with an 80GB Hitachi drive, that extra 170GB would probably go to waste (the only time that this doesn’t apply is in a RAID configuration called JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks); which really “isn’t a RAID configuration” but just a convenient thing that a RAID controller can do - see “Basic RAID Configurations” below for more information). In addition to matching capacities, it is highly recommended that drives match in terms of speed and transfer rate as the performance of the array would be restricted by the weakest drive used. One more area that should be considered while matching is the type of hard drive. RAID controllers are generally for either SCSI, SATA, or ATA exclusively, although some systems allow RAID arrays to be operated across controllers of different formats.

The RAID controller is where the data cables from the hard drives are connected, and conducts all of the processing of the data, like the typical drive connections found on a motherboard. RAID controllers are available as add on cards, such as this Silicon Image PCI ATA RAID controller, or integrated into motherboards, such as the SATA RAID controller found on the Asus K8V SE Deluxe (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=K8VSE-DELUXE). Motherboards that include RAID controllers can be operated without the use of RAID, but the integration is a nice feature to have if RAID is a consideration. Even for systems without onboard RAID, the relatively low cost of add on cards makes this part of the upgrade relatively pain free.

Another piece of hardware that is not required, but may prove useful in a RAID array is a hot swappable drive bay. It allows a failed hard drive to be removed from a live system by simply unlocking the bay and sliding the drive cage out of the case. A new drive can then be slid in, locked into place, and the system won’t skip a beat. This is typically seen on SCSI RAID arrays, but some IDE RAIDS cards will also allow this (such as this product manufactured by Promise Technology: http://www.promise.com/product/product_detail_eng.asp?productId=92&familyId=7).

The Software

RAID can be run on any modern operating system provided that the appropriate drivers are available from the RAID controller’s manufacturer. A computer with the operating system and all of the software already installed on one drive can be easily be cloned to another single drive by using software like Norton Ghost. But it is not as easy when going to RAID, as a user who wants to have their existing system with a single bootable hard drive upgraded to RAID must start from the beginning. This implies that the operating system and all software needs to be re-installed from scratch, and all key data must be backed up to be restored on the new RAID array.

If a RAID array is desired in a system for use as storage, but not as the location for the operating system, things get much easier. The existing hard drive can remain intact, and the necessary configuration can be made to add the RAID array without starting from scratch.

Basic RAID Configurations

There are about a dozen different types of RAID that I know of, and I will describe five of the more typical configurations, and usually offered on RAID controller cards.

RAID 0 is one of the configurations that does not provide redundancy, making it arguably not a true RAID array. Using at least two disks, RAID 0 writes data to the two drives in an alternating fashion, referred to as striping. If you had 8 chunks of data, for example, chunk 1, 3, 5, and 7 would be written to the first drive, and chunk 2, 4, 6, and 8 would be written to the second drive, but all in sequential order. This process of splitting the data across drives allows for a theoretical performance boost of up to double the speed of a single hard drive, but real world results will generally not be nearly that good. Since all data is not written to each disk, the failure of any one drive in the array generally results in a complete loss of data. RAID 0 is good for people who need to access large files quickly, or just demand high performance across the board (i.e. gaming systems). The capacity of a RAID 0 array is equal to the sum of the individual drives. So, if two 160GB Seagate drives were in a RAID 0 array, the total capacity would be 320GB.

RAID 1 is one of the most basic arrays that provides redundancy. Using at least two hard drives, all data is written to both drives in a method referred to as mirroring. Each drive’s contents are identical to each other, so if one drive fails, the system could continue operating on the remaining good drive, making it an ideal choice for those who value their data. There is no performance increase as in RAID 0, and in fact there may be a slight decrease compared to a single drive system as the data is processed and written to both drives. The capacity of a RAID 1 array is equal to half the capacity of the sum of individual drives. Using those same two 160GB Seagate drives from above in RAID 1 would result in a total capacity of 160GB.

RAID 0+1, as the name may imply, is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1. You have the best of both worlds, the performance boost of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1. A minimum of four drives is required to implement RAID 0+1, where all data is written in both a mirrored and striped fashion to the four drives. Using the 8 chunks of data from the example above, the write pattern would be something like this… Chunks 1, 3, 5, and 7 would be written to drives one and three, and chunks 2, 4, 6, and 8 would be written to drives two and four, again in a sequential manner. If one drive should fail, the system and data are still intact. The capacity of a RAID 0+1 array is equal to half the total capacity of the individual drives. So, using four of the 160 GB Seagate drives results in a total capacity of 320GB when configured in RAID 0+1.

RAID 5 may be the most powerful RAID configuration for the typical user, with three (or five) disks required. Data is striped across all drives in the array, and in addition, parity information is striped as well. This parity information is basically a check on the data being written, so even though all data is not being written to all the drives in the array, the parity information can be used to reconstruct a lost drive in case of failure. Perhaps a bit difficult to describe, so let’s go back to the example of the 8 chunks of data now being written to 3 drives in a RAID 5 array. Chunks one and two would be written to drive one and two respectively, with a corresponding parity chunk being written to drive three. Chunks three and four would then be written to drives one and three respectively, with the corresponding parity chunk being written to drive two. Chunks five and six would be written to drives two and three, with the corresponding parity chunk being written to drive one. Chunks seven and eight take us back to the beginning with the data being written to drives one and two, and the parity chunk being written to drive three. It might not sound like it, but due to the parity information being written to the drive not containing that specific bits of information, there is full redundancy. The capacity of a RAID 5 array is equal to the sum of the capacities of all the drives used, minus one drive. So, using three of the 160GB Seagate drives, the total capacity is 320GB when configured in RAID 5.

JBOD is another non-redundant configuration, which does not really offer a true RAID array. JBOD stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks (or Drives), and that is basically all that it is. RAID controllers that support JBOD allow users to ignore the RAID functions available and simply attach drives as they would to a standard drive controller. No redundancy, no performance boost, just additional connections for adding more drives to a system. A smart thing that JBOD does is that it can treat the odd sized drives as if they are a single volume (thus a 10GB drive and a 30GB would be seen as a single 40GB drive), so it is good to use if you have a bunch of odd sized drives sitting around - but otherwise it is better to go with a RAID 0, 1 or 0+1 configuration to get the performance boost, redundancy or both.

Final Words

Implementing RAID may sound daunting to those unfamiliar with the concept, but with some of the more basic configurations it is not much more involved than setting up a computer to use a standard drive controller. But, the benefits of RAID over a single drive system far outweigh the extra consideration required during installation. Losing data once due to hard drive failure may be all that is required to convince anyone that RAID is right for them, but why wait until that happens.

Computer Geeks tech tips and computer advice

Many poor people who experienced lawrence dorr durom used in their hip replacement operations are learning that there are complications that far exceed the average expectations for recuperation. These unfortunate people are experiencing a lot of extra anguish for lengthier periods of time, expecting revision operations and enlarged medical costs, and losing revenue by being taken out of the workplace at their official jobs. Although Zimmer Holdings, Inc. is demanding that that their hip replacement implant is not imperfect and not to blame for the surgical failures, some poor people are filing cases against them and getting settlements.

Sometime in October, 2008 Zimmer declared that it had reserved $47.5 million to pay for claims they had received. Many physicians have some issues that the hip device is not the problem as the company has publicly stated. In Point Of Fact, when Zimmer offered up on-line education to doctors in order to instruct them what was supposedly more precise techniques for executing the implant surgery, roughly 50% of the docs declined to participate. Hence, the entire state of affairs remains to be irritating for all doctors participating, but none more than the hundreds of patients who are needing a revision surgical operation due to the problems with their implant not staying tight in the socket.

These miserable poor people definitely deserve some assistance and restitution which is why product liability lawyers are telling them to initiate the filing of a lawsuit. sulzer hip implants has been paying out of court for some of these claims. Nevertheless, even if the settlement they are being offered sounds like alot to them, in many cases patients are settling too fast and without allowance being made for on-going issues if they happen down the road. If they don’t hold off and wait, to find out what an actual case is worth, people might find themselves incurring alot more expenses out of their own funds when more medical issues exist or surface.

For anyone who realizes they may have a claim against Zimmer needs to start looking into it. If you think you might qualify, you should call a lawyer to find out for sure. Try to find a lawfirm that covers across the nation and focuses on processing litigation against malfunctioning medical devices. This law firm has done the extra work and setup a special division to do the research and process claims against Zimmer and win substantial settlements for their customers.

If your orthopedic doctor updates you with bad news that you will definitely have to undergo a revision surgical operation to resolve your Zimmer Durom hip replacement device, call an lawyer immediately.

Top paying survey sites will guarantee rates ranging from $10 to $45 per survey Getting Mounting A Portable Dvd Player In Vehicle and Victorian Valentine Puzzle Purses is simple. Some firms even do not pay what they commit, read on more about Mounting A Portable Dvd Player In Vehicle. If you want to make top dollar taking survey offers you will need the following info. Also see Victorian Valentine Puzzle Purses. Paying people to provide answers to survey questions is far less expensive than the alternative of releasing a product and then finding there are issues with the design or packaging that could have been prevented.

The search engine does its job of giving you a list of survey sites but most of them are scams. Read on to find out more about Mounting A Portable Dvd Player In Vehicle. Whilst making money online is of course a dream for many people getting paid a few cents per hour just won’t cut it at least not for most people in first world countries. Find out more about Mounting A Portable Dvd Player In Vehicle and Victorian Valentine Puzzle Purses. This is where you need to be because they are absolutely packed with past topics on survey subjects. Making money online by simply answering a few questions is something that a lot of people do and it can be fun and profitable.
Join for Free now Below!

It goes without saying that you should look past these. Get Mounting A Portable Dvd Player In Vehicle and Victorian Valentine Puzzle Purses 100% FREE at our website. Get all the info on Mounting A Portable Dvd Player In Vehicle from our homepage. Now remember that I said “big” forums because they are the ones that always have tons of topics on the subject. Get paid survey network list absolutely FREE from our website! Absolutely no charge for joining the industry’s TOP 7 paying survey networks!

Get FREE >> Omega 7 And Effects On Eyes

Apply To Take Surveys (and Get Paid!)
AND to View 100% of Survey Results of Your Choice From EVERY Industry!

From personal experience, each of these consumer survey networks contains thousands of high paying multinational companies, ready to pay you $10-$300 for every survey done! Absolutely FREE to join.
Good Luck!

Assuming you haven’t caught on to betting saloon wagering, read on —

Casino Splendido

In the name of clarity, a gambling house is a structure that organizes betting. Here, clients will hopefully relax by operating coin operated machines or alternative betting games. Betting hall games for the most part include well calculated percentages included that make sure the gambling organization secures an advantage against the gamesters. A large number gambling house games can get you habituated very rapidly. For example the infamous 1 armed bandit, a coin operated machine with three, occasionally more drums that pivot if a crank connected to it is tugged. This contraption frequently pays out corresponding with predefined patterns of motifs perceptible on the lit panel of the instrument. Regrettably, betting house pastimes furnish a false impression of having the upper hand, thus tricking the gamester — the addressee is endowed alternatives, but in reality these cannot hope to realistically match up the client’s long term disadvantage. That is brought about by the the gambling saloongambling house not repaying the full amount as hoped for. This scheme can generally be seen at work in famous casino games like seven-card stud, dice games, roulette or blackjack.

Five card stud poker is really a highly trendy casino game. The guests, closely guarding their partially covered cards, place bets into a pot in the center which is bestowed onto the winning participant holding the best hand. (Obviously, the bluffer may well prevail as well.) Analogous to seven card stud poker, blackjack too is an immensely fashionable casino game. A great deal of its approval is caused by its particular mix of chance and smarts & choice making, and a practise identified as “counting”. The aforementioned is a tactics by which customers will significantly bend the probabilities of the game for their own good both by betting and fundamental decisions according to the cards shown. “Craps” is a well-known gambling hall game utilizing the roll of 2 dice. Craps buffs place bets on the end result of 1 spin, or on a sequence of spins on 2 dice. In contrast to blackjack, there’s no available winning system you can use to ramp up the chances. Roulette is another extremely popular casino pastime. Here a croupier twirls a roulette wheel featuring a set of exactly 37 (French roulette) or exactly thirty-eight (applies to American or Vegas roulette) distinctively numbered divisions in which a pellet must come to land, thus determining the final winning number If a punter bets on any given number which wins so they’ve got a lucky hand, the guaranteed profit is going to be 35:1, the original bet itself will be paid back. Hence in totality it is increased by 36.

Do make a point of being very much cautious nonetheless because these betting hall games are dependency building. Far too many lives have been wrecked due to reckless gambling + much as it admittedly may be entertaining, please do aspire to balance your gaming.

Telemarking continues to increase in participants, and a lot of the French ski towns, for example Alpe d Huez, Luz Ardiden, Araches-la-Frasse, and Risoul are trying harder than ever before in order to ensure all holiday makers delight in their snowboarding weekend both on and off the mountain. Naturally there are numerous ski towns to pick out, however of late ski towns all over the European Alps and America have been making the necessary improvements to insure that the visitors don’t go through the same snowboarding holiday.

However, it is not only the US where one had better maybe look for your skiing vacations, since skiing Europe also offers a lot of supreme snowboarding destinations - the touristy Alps rarely lets you down. Grand Massif in the Alps is being done up - renowned for constituting the tallest lift in the Alps - a modern restaurant being fabricated that will provide lodging to accommodate keen climbers and skiers. Furthermore Chamonix ski resort has made progress with the construction of a lot of new cable cars.

If it’s Europe or America one decides to venture for snowboarding weekends, considering the travails being made to ameliorate the experience for the snowboarder, it is much more probable the trip shall call for a jam-packed time of entertainment and frivolousness. And so what are you holding off for? Go on and order your snowboarding vacation at once.

Since the beginning of time one aspect of human social experience has stood out as the ‘place to be’ for communication and family bonding: the meal. In contemporary human life the evening dinner is often the only place and time that a family all sits down together. In tribal times (of course there are still tribes today) the cooking of a slaughtered animal or cultivated vegetables brought the group together to share ideas and feelings. Think about it these days; when you want to take someone out for a romantic date, meet business colleagues, get together with old friends and acquaintances, we go out for a bite to eat. What is it about sharing some food that puts us in such a relaxed and communicable state? Could it simply be science, and the fact that if you are tense when you eat, the food doesn’t digest as well? Or, could it have some psychological basis having to do with the idea that you are sharing some life-giving sustenance with your fellow species instead of warring over it? Subconsciously do we recognize the facts that we will be able to live another day as well as sew healthy seeds for future generations?

Think of all the problems in the world today. Maybe if we all got together for a feast we could work out some practical solutions, say while sipping on coconut milk, or chewing on a loaf of bread. The current (14th) Dalai Lama is quoted as having said, “I sometimes think that the act of bringing food is one of the basic roots of all relationships.”

There is also the idea of food as being a medium for the transferal of emotional energy. I am currently living with a friend who is very adept in the kitchen. He uses high quality ingredients and professional techniques, but he also follows the belief that what mood you are in, the amount of effort and awareness you give the cooking process, and the love and gratitude that you feel for the ability to eat is imperative to making a good meal. I have read in a famous Hari Krishna cookbook as well as Taoist teachings how the actual emotions that the cook feels when making a meal is transmitted into the food via chi energy. Feelings and food are both forms of energy. Native Americans believe that all thoughts and emotions are ‘alive’.

You may have seen the recent film, ‘What the bleep do we know?’ Read about it at whatthebleep.com. In this film world-renowned scientists discuss the idea that all thoughts and emotions are actually physically material in the sense that they are produced by chemicals and are transmitted in electrical forms. Therefore, a happy chef truly spreads happiness by enjoying the preparation of a meal.

So, next time you sit down to a meal with friends or family, or cook for guests, remember the significance of this often undervalued experience. For hundreds of thousands of years our distant relatives’ whole way of social life was based around the acquisition and sharing of food. It is often the main time to communicate to the ones you hold most dearly, so please don’t take it for granted or think that just because it is necessary for survival that there aren’t any meaningful and mysterious aspects to the experience. Relating to each other is one of the most important elements in a social creature’s existence; the meal is a time and place for relationships to sprout and grow. That’s just some of the power of the meal.

About the author:

Jesse S. Somer
M6.Net
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer is a creature that eats a little bit too much food at times, and needs to share more meals with other organisms that he loves.

First a little history lesson…..
There was a time, long ago that printers had ribbons and used dot matrix printing to create tiny dots that, when looked at, were readable. Sometimes they were BARELY readable, however. Changing ribbons and printing wheels to change type face was a chore.

Then, in 1984, the first laser printer that used toner cartridges came into being. Quickly, no one wanted a dot matrix printer anymore. The laser printer caused powder from the toner to fuse onto the paper & the output was much clearer and much more professional in appearance. Very soon, dot matrix printers became known as “door stops”.

By 1990, ink printers that used drop-in ink became readily available and very reasonable prices. These ink cartridges were very easy to change without any fuss. The cost to the user, compared to the toner , was significantly reduced though overall cost being more a question of cents per page tended to favour the toners.

So this is where it starts getting pretty cool….
Today, ink printers using inks are so affordable that every computer owner can afford to own their own printer that is capable of using photo quality inks or for less expensive printing, inks that are remanufactured or “generic” or non-original manufacture. These can even be refilled in many cases to save even more in printing costs.

The price of the machines themselves has dropped by buckets and what they can do is way cooler than ever before. Not only can you print but also scan, fax (many do PC-Fax), copy, make your morning coffee, take out the garbage (ok not those last 2). Combining this many tasks obviously reduces the number of different machines in your home/office but in addition there’s only one manual you have to completely ignore instead of many (for the guys reading this).

When using inks that are photo quality, it is sensible to use photo quality paper for your printing. This ensures the best quality print out resulting from your photo quality cartridge. While these inks will print on regular paper, it is a waste to place the more expensive ink cartridge into your printer and then print on plain non-glossy paper.

For every day printing in black and white or even in color, remanufactured or non-original inks work great and save dollars for you in the long run. As a general rule of thumb, you need to purchase twice as many black inks because there is, on average, more black printing needs for the average person.

Nowadays manufacturers are including more and more technology into their products and trying to convince you that their ink has that extra special something. Epson uses DURABrite ink, HP uses Vivera ink and the list goes on. If you ever get bored and feel the need to work yourself into a frenzy just try surfing some of the major sites to compare exactly what one manufacturers ink does compared to the next. If you come away from this sane you’ll definitely know a lot more techie sounds words than you need to know today or in your next lifetime.

Many of the latest inks have cool gizmos in them like small chips designed to monitor the ink levels and tell you when its time to reorder and even little LEDs for those of you who want their printer to light up like a disco. The idea of the chip sounds great but there are cases where the chip is telling the printer to stop working too soon or even to not work at all if the consumables inside are not original (there’s been at least one of the major players recently sued over exactly this). To try and counter this a ‘chip resetter’ can be purchased which basically tells the chip to do as its told and keep on printing regardless of how much ink it thought was left in the tank. As far as the issue with these chips and non originals are concerned its actually illegal for a chip to stop your machine working on this basis but apparently this hasn’t deterred a few of the big boys. Whether a chip resetter will fix this problem is uncertain.

Whether you want to print graphics, brochures, or just letters, there is a printer that uses inks for you. Choose inks that meet your printing needs at affordable prices. Inks have evolved over the years in so many ways that they have in themselves become fairly hi tech let alone the machines that use them. Your average ink printer these days can perform a myriad of functions at prices seemingly getting cheaper by the minute.

Bottom line is yep your inks are getting more high tech and cooler (heck in the old days theres no way your ink or toner cartridge would actually light up with pretty colours for you and tell you when its about to run dry). The future is certainly going to be interesting seeing what comes next…..

Andrew James has owned The Cartridge Specialists (Melbourne) since 2004 selling ink & toner cartridges, and other printing supplies. As a regular author in his industry Andrew can help you save money at home/office & enjoy learning about your high tech toys.

Think you got a great deal on a printer? Like the rest of us, you probably paid $50 to $75 for a decent Epson or Lexmark printer. What’s the catch, you might have asked? Most salesmen would say there is no catch. They’d probably go into a rant about how the printer market has gotten more competitive, driving prices way down. While that’s a true statement, it isn’t the primary reason for such inexpensive printers these days.

So, why are printers so inexpensive? It’s pretty simple - printer manufacturers need you to buy their printer model so you’re forced into buying their outrageously-priced ink cartridges. It’s kind of like the relationship between a gasoline company and car manufacturer, except in this situation the printer company is supplying both the automobile and the fuel. Gas companies wouldn’t make any money if no one owned an automobile. In the case of printer manufacturers, things are a little different. They don’t make any money on selling printers - they make their money by selling you the replacement ink cartridges.

It makes a lot of business sense when you think about it. A consumer buys a printer every few years, but may buy ink as much as once every three months. Printer manufacturers would much rather have this steady stream of income. Consumers don’t factor ink cartridge costs into the equation when they buy a printer. They look at the features and price tag. Sure you’re getting a great printer and not paying a lot. But if you use your printer on a fairly regular basis, the cost of ownership over a year or two (thanks to high priced ink cartridges) may exceed $500.

Before you buy your next printer, remember to do some research on printers, paying particular attention to the cost and longevity of the ink cartridge replacements. A little research ahead of time can save you hundreds of dollars. We don’t recommend Lexmark printers because Lexmark ink cartridges are generally mc more expensive than those of other brands, like Canon or Hewlett Packard. Because Lexmark embeds a special chip right into the cartridge, the cost of buying replacement Lexmark ink is astronomical.

Bill Smith is an expert on printers and printer repair. Check out helpful online printer reviews at http://www.buythebestbuy.com

Cookbook offers easy to use recipes

Previously found only on menus featuring exotic dishes, emu is strolling into the American kitchen, peeking in the oven, lifting a few pot lids and encouraging cooks to try something new in their old recipes. According to Louisiana Chef Dale Emu Bourgeois, emu is a high-protein, low-fat, nutrient-packed, heart-healthy red meat that can be substituted in any recipe calling for lean meat.

The 500 recipe book, Emu - Life Just Got Healthier, contains an introduction by Bourgeois expounding the merits of cooking with this low-cholesterol red meat, along with nutritional information on both emu meat and emu egg. 200 of the easy to prepare recipes feature emu as the main dish. In a delightful twist, recipes calling for egg are given the “emu equivalent” followed by the number of chicken eggs you could substitute. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of emu egg, you may substitute 4 chicken eggs.

The cookbook was compiled of recipes submitted by the people that eat emu every day, members of the American Emu Association. Because emu growers across the country submitted these recipes the cookbook provides a variety of regional favorites that are sure to please. For the chef’s convenience, this cookbook also lists AEA emu meat distributors.

“Emu…. Life Just Got Healthier” cookbooks are available on the AEA Website, at www.aea-emu.org or you can order by calling AEA at 541-332-0675. ######

About the Author

The American Emu Association represents an alternative agriculture industry, dominated by the small farmer, who is devoted to humane and environmentally positive practices that will produce beneficial products for society. Visit http://www.aea-emu.org for more information on emu oil and other emu related products.