Blag

Epson Stylus Office TX300F

Seeing as there aren’t many reviews for the Epson Stylus Office TX300F, I’ll throw my opinion out there. Skip to the end for the summary. *See footnote. These are the only other ones I’ve been able to find on the internet:

• http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/printers_scanners/epson/stylus_office_tx300f/263373 ; http://www.news.com.au/technology/reviews/epson-printer-affordable-but-slow/story-e6frfrpi-1111117973160 ; http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/printers_scanners/epson/stylus_office_tx300f/263373#cb – NOTE – All 3 are the same article by the same author…
• http://www.pcworld.com/article/177825/epson_stylus_tx300f_price_102.html – Isn’t really a review… more of a “buy it if you can find it cheap”. (Part of a top 9 bargain printers for under $125 list).

Then there’s this moron (click to see profile/other reviews) who posted a review on Dick Smith Electronic’s website:

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/XP8303

You’ll notice he gives sparkling 5/5 reviews to EVERY single product, and goes into hardly any relevant detail… he’d be great working in the advertisement industry, the way he writes up products. Sadly enough, people actually get suckered in and purchase products based on his reports. *See footnote

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Scathing comments aside, back to the printer.

Bought the TX300F from Dick Smith on special for $98, normal price was $128. It’s a standard multifunction printer – print, copy, scan but can also send and receive faxes as well. It also has a auto document feeder which is useful for batch copying or scanning documents. I also got a 3 year extended warranty through Dick Smith which sweetened the deal – it even covers wear and tear! Assuming I take the printer back when it breaks, that’s 2 printers for $54.

The printer uses Epson’s DURABrite pigment based ink – 73N series of cartridges (TO731N, TO732N, TO733N, TO734N) or an optional 73HN high capacity tank for black ink. These cost around $16 each, depending on the store of purchase, so it’s $64 for a complete set of ink cartridges. Calidad does offer drop in compatible cartridges – these come in a set of 4 + 2 free magnetic photo frames for $36. Unfortunately, these are the new micro-chipped ink cartridges, so refilling is more complex than drilling a hole and squirting ink in. (Dedicated 3rd party re-fillable cartridges or a CISS will have to be purchased).

In short, the Epson TX300F was disappointing. It takes quite a while to start up and shut down. Print quality and speed were a big let down for an otherwise worthwhile printer. Typical of most Epsons, draft mode is unreadable, but standard and high quality modes take much longer to print documents. While not unbearable slow, it IS noticeable compared to most modern inkjets. Text is crisp, but image quality is fairly average, on par with most $40-60 Canon/HP printers. Photo printing was painfully slow, at over 2 minutes per image. Comparable Canon/HP printers typically take ~45 seconds. Once again, this slow speed doesn’t translate into improved image quality. The TX300F is much better off as a small business workhorse than a home printer.

I cannot comment on scanner image quality, not knowing much about calibration or colour accuracy. Copying however works well, and apart from the speed, have no complaints. The user interface and menu are fairly intuitive, although the “are you sure you want to shut down” question bugs me. I do not have a fax service, and thus unable to test or use the scan function.

Typical of most sub $180 printers, the build quality is fairly mediocre, hence my joy at picking up extended warranty including wear and tear. Printer weight and size is fairly average, so it should fit in the existing space of you already have a multifunction. Being a office printer, it doesn’t have a built in memory card reader, or EXIF based USB printing. This printer comes with a USB cable, RJ11 phone cable and IEC power cord. Disappointingly, there was no sample pack of photo paper.

The software package included with the printer is fairly lightweight compared to other brands. The Epson supports Windows 2000 or higher (including 7) and Mac OS 10.3.9 or later. Apart from the printing drivers, a basic scan utility is also installed and a printer status monitor that sits in the system tray. I’m not a fan of this, but it can be disabled.

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Should you buy this printer? Canon PIXMA All-in-one printers with fax and ADF functionality are available for ~$125-140, can print faster and have higher image quality. At it’s RRP of $149 AUD, it’s not worth it, but on discount, as a document printer, it’s worth considering.

I’ll be fitting a CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) to this printer, something that is MUCH easier to do on this Epson than comparable Canon models – one of the reasons I bought this printer despite it’s drawbacks. I’ll detail the installation process, and list ink/cartridge/CISS suppliers in the next post. (A CISS is a giant external tank for a printer, which supplies ink to the print heads via a series of tubing.)

Pros:

• Good value if on special/you have a discount
• Ideal small business/office printer
• Automatic Document Feeder + Fax functionality
• Includes USB and RJ11 cables
• Can be fitted with a CISS/Re-fillable cartridges/Compatible drop-in replacements

Mediocre:

• Photo printing speed and quality
• Re-filling is slightly more complex than other Canon/HP/Lexmark/Brother printers

Cons:

• Unreadable text and images in draft mode
• Build quality

*I am not affiliated with DSE, Epson, News Limited, PC World, GGG or DaleB545 in any way. Opinions expressed in this article are purely my own and written for my personal amusement. If you incur any losses as a result of comprehending and/or following the advice of this post, you hold the author free of any indemnity or damages claims. Please see the complaints page for more information. If you disagree with any of this, please leave this website immediately and clear your browser’s cache.

Wow. 2 months without a post.

I stumbled across this little gem a few days ago:

Australia Post TELeGRAM

The TELeGRAM combines new age demands with
old world charm to offer you a quick, convenient
way to send a message that matters.

Create your messages on-line, select from a range
of images, and we print and post a hard copy of
your special message to any delivery point within Australia*.

*Terms and conditions apply.
See terms and conditions or call 13 13 18.

When it’s special, send a TELeGRAM.

Ordered on-line, delivered by mail.

Check it out at: http://www.auspost.com.au/telegram/

So, apparently you can choose from 12 templated TELeGRAM card thingies (the usual stock images – candles, bottle of champagne, rose with 2 hands, balloons, artistic spirals, love heart shaped cloud, baby hands, lush green tress, flower, roses, sparkler and plain white.) Not even an option to upload your own image.

You type in your message, agree to some legal waffle, press send and you can send that special message to that special person from the laziness of your chair.

All for the charming price of $4.50.

On the website, one of the images reads:

“Some messages are too important for a phone call, and too special for e-mail.”

THEN GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASS, PICK A CARD YOURSELF AND DELIVER IT IN PERSON.

Hmmm. Been a while since I posted. Been an even longer time since I posted something personal, not an acid laced article on whatever got my goat at the time.

*Yawn* Exams are over, and now I have buttloads of free time until uni starts next year in February/March/whenever it is.

Things to do:

• Finish off that never ending amplifier project
• Finish ripping the 1m high stack of CDs to iTunes
• Repairing, tagging and sorting 40GB of MP3s
• Finally get a much delayed driver’s license -.-
• And also get a boat, gun and heavy machinery license, sometime in the next 2-3 years
• Proper part time job, not yet another under the table, cash-in-hand contract job
• Work on small business
• Rebuild the cupboards and closets
• Renovate the garage

Speaking of garage renovations, gotta start that today. To do list:

1. Set rodent and cockroach baits
2. Fumigate the garage with 1-3 insect control bombs
3. Throw out half the content of the garage
4. Bag/box remaining junk
5. Wearing a respirator, goggles and gloves, sweep out the garage
6. Vacuum up any remaining dust or dirt
7. Spray all surfaces with mould destroyer and clean with sugar soap
8. Re-bomb the garage
9. Air out for 2-3 days
10. Rip out old rotting shelves, and remove collapsed cupboard
11. Trip to Bunnings to buy a new lock, sealant and timber to patch the holes up
12. Rewire the garage with new mains cable, fusebox, fluoro batten, powerpoints and switches.
13. DONE!

And that will take the best part of 2-4 weeks, given the derelict state the garage is currently in. The building framework is structurally sound – the previous owner of our house (20 years ago) just happened to be an incompetent, lazy, un-intelligent handyman with about the same amount of common sense as a lump of dog shit, who consequently decided that he’d try his hand at internal furnishing and managed to make an arse of it.

Anyone else got their holidays planned out? The only other things I have planned is several 18ths/21s, a movie or two and a reunion.

Well, Windows 7 launched today, hopefully ending the embarrassing legacy of Windows Vista.

It’s going to be covered to death by the media, so I really can’t be bothered saying anything much – not like I’ll come up with any shockingly new ideas that several million other journalists and bloggers haven’t already thought of.

Apple didn’t quite manage to steal the limelight of the show, as some people predicted – Snow Leopard was launched quite a while ago, and there’s nothing radical in the new lineup of Mac hardware. Microsoft’s launch this time is meant to be low key, with more effort put into advertising over the coming months.

*awaits end of HSC, before buying a copy of Windows 7, 8GB of RAM and a new GPU*

What can I say? Microsoft managed to turn around their Vista reputation and create a product that everyone was interested in, then they blundered and hired the most clueless ad agency in the world.

*cringes*

*ears bleed and eyes shrivel up like prunes*

Really? OK, so Windows 7 Launch Parties is a kinda lame idea, but there’s enough geeky people around to pull it off, and there will be enough media coverage when Windows 7 is officially launched on October 22nd.

Quotes from Twitter include:

“What would compel someone to have a Windows 7 Launch/House Party?…seriously!”

“Got my life size cut out of a nude Bill Gates ready. Oh, I thought you said Windows 7 Raunch Party. Sorry.”

And joy of joys, there is also a dedicated Windows 7 Launch/House party website, so you can upload snaps of you and your friends nerding out over an install of Windows 7. Hosts also get a signature copy of Windows 7, and a party kit including branded napkins, streamers, posters and balloons.

If it makes you feel better, here is an alternate version of the Launch Party video…

$20 says that the 4 actors in the video have no fucking clue what they’re selling.

Do these look the same to you?

Well, that’s the only conclusion I can draw after Apple’s latest round of lawsuits in Australia.

Apparently Apple doesn’t want Woolworths to use their new fresh food logo any more, as it infringes upon the Apple trademark. So that means re-branding all their stores, staff uniforms, trucks, advertisements, product labels and so on. Apple is pissed as Woolworths filed for a blanket trademark, which could in theory allows it to use its stylised ‘w’ on electrical goods and computers, putting them in competition with each other. Given that Woolworths has already followed their US and UK counterparts in offering mobile phone plans, MP3 download credit and phones, I guess Apple might be worried.

But really – is that what Apple’s legal department comes up with, after 14 months of deliberation? “Uh, your logo is a ripoff of ours.”

*snort*

In other news, Apple is also suing Poison Apple, a music festival promoter who’s trademark is a bitten apple atop crossed bones, and Foxtel, as their new pornography channel’s “Adults Only” logo is an apple with an arrow and devil’s tail.

What else will they come up with next? Banning the Granny Smith Festival? Commission on any fresh produce store that sells apples? The local fruit market manager is quaking in fear…

The box is locked, it is dangerous.

I have to live with it overnight

And I can’t keep away from it.

There are no windows, so I can’t see what is in there.

There is only a little grid, no exit.

Excerpt from “The Arrival of the Bee Box” – Sylvia Plath

It is the end…

…welcome to the dark side, so 5 people told me, all within a few minutes of signing away my life to Facebook.

I have caved in after 17.5 years. 17.5 years of hard work – staying anonymous to the rest of the world, keeping all my personal details out of address books, social networking websites, forums, SPAM and mailing lists – all to be undone in a few clicks of a mouse.

Welcome to Facebook, your account has been created — now it will be easier than ever to share and connect with your friends.

…the e-mail said. I personally think it should read:

Thank you for signing your life away – your business, is our business.

Facebook is such a ginormic waste of time, but a necessary evil to keep in touch with others and for Uni. I’m shocked at how long and how often people spend their free time on Facebook, and the amount of personally identifiable information floating around on there. Good thing profiles are set to private by default too, or I’d be in ICU by now on life support.

…it IS very addictive.

And yes my dear Bergamin, there is finally a picture of me on the internet. I am so not paying you the challenge money. Hmpf.

NB: Facebook is the ONLY social networking website that I will sign up to this year. Or the next. And the year after that. Ok, perhaps Youtube, but otherwise no more social networking! :@

Some moron with a jackhammer managed to cut through 400mm of concrete, straight through fibre optics and copper cables, knocking out internet, telephones, and mobile connectivity for thousands in the CBD. The repair bill is estimated to be $1,000,000 + probable compensation for homeowners and businesses. It will take over a week to pull and re-splice new fibre, and then longer to re-patch 10, 000 copper pairs.

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/318725/thousands_lose_phone_internet_services_sydney_cbd

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/cables-cut-cbd-phone-and-internet-services-lost-20090916-fq4h.html

But that got me thinking – all the western countries are all hyped up over the threat of terrorism. We have extra tight security at airports (or none, in some cases -.- ), anti-terrorism laws, warning speakers installed in the city, ASIO/FBI/M1X bla bla bla.

But what’s to stop a terrorist wreaking havoc just by taking an axe to a few telecommunications and power cables? Last time I checked, the telecomms ducts could be accessed relatively easily by a single person with a screw driver, nor are any of the vital cables physically shielded or hardened in any way.

I could cut internet and phone access to the (North Ryde) Business Park down the road from my house, just from being over-enthusiastic with a backhoe and digging a 50cm hole in my front yard.

Poof! There goes the 10G metro fibre rings. Goodbye, thousands of copper pairs. *Throws rope across street* Sayonara Telstra, Optus and Foxtel HFC networks. There’s so much fibre/hfc/copper running through my street it’s not funny.

If I remember correctly a similar case happened in the US to AT&Ts network. A disgruntled employee came along one night, lifted the hatch to a fibre duct, and went snippety-snip. Half the city lost internet access, phones stopped working and 911 calls disappeared into a black hole.

Sure, I’d get screwed by the AFP because willfully tampering with telecommunications is a federal offense but hey, I get my share of the limelight in the media! Now what was the number for Kennard’s Hire again…

GG to these asstards for making everyone’s lives better: http://www.itnews.com.au/News/155993,parking-rangers-add-to-telstra-outage-woes.aspx

Everyone whinges about it, but I feel like I’m missing out.

SPAM!

I have 13 e-mail accounts, and I get on average a grand total of 1 spam e-mail a month across all of them. So like, what’s up with this??? I want my fair share of penis enlarger, Viagra and Nigerian 419 scam e-mails!

This blog used to get spam comments – 552 of them, gained over a period of 10 months – but even they have dried up.

Perhaps my digital identity paranoia is keeping me from the oh-so-desired offers for $20, 000, 000 USD dollars from Mrs. Doraty Sithole from Zimbabwe, whose husband was brutally murdered Robert Mugabe’s lackeys for supporting white farmers.

*scans passport and e-mails to xxxxxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com*

Somehow or other, this blog (blag) has somehow made it into the indexes of over 15 search engines including Google, Yahoo, Live/Bing, Ask, Alexa & Netcraft. Amazing, considering there weren’t any inbound links to theparanoidtroll.com in the beginning yet somehow Google caught on within days of the domain being registered, and all the other followed suit.

Stats make for interesting reading -

• Average of 6-7 unique visitors per day (excludes RSS feeds, and returning visitors)
• 72.8% of visitors use Internet Explorer, 15.2% use Safari, 8% use Firefox, 0.9% use Chrome and the remainder are all random browsers/feed readers
• 95.9% of visitors are Windows users, Macintosh accoutns for 1.2% and <0.1% use Linux. I have no idea what the remainder is.
• Top 5 keywords were  – “cheap”, “discount”, “billion”, “KFC” and ”pointless”
• Top 10 countries are – Australia, US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Spain, Brazil, Russia and Germany

I actually received 3 offers via e-mail from various dodgy SEO companies offering to ‘promote’ my site to make it to the front page of Google. It already does, thank you very much -.- No thanks to you, J. Walker, H. Ellis, and K. Lampton. All you succeeded in doing is wasting 15 kilobytes of space in my inbox.

In other news, more server changes to come

I’ll wait until I’ve moved all my websites and domains away from host “X”, before I tear into them, lambast their shitty service and name them publicly. The server load of 70.34 and memory usage of 88.20% is atrocious, let alone the support staff who ignore support tickets, or take 4-5 days before replying to those marked as ‘crtical’, or the high packet loss and latency. And that’s before I start complaining about corrupted SSL data, terrible PHP/SQL performance and the intermittent FTP service. -.- *rage*

For those not in the know, a typical server packed with hundreds of websites only has a load of 1 to 4, and memory usage around the 40-60% usage mark under normal conditions.

So, time to shift all my domain names to Layered Networks, and move my other sites to IGXHosting. (Free plug for Layered Networks here actually, they have very cheap domain names which come with free WHOIS privacy, which still beat Australian registrars for price, despite the AUD to USD exchange rate and conversion). This blog shouldn’t be affected as it’s already hosted by Layered Networks and the domain is already pointed towards their nameservers. Still, if something does bugger up, max downtime should be 24-48 hours, while your ISP re-caches DNS lookups.

I can’t say I’m a fan of all the Hitler hates X rip-offs that have flooded the interwebs (notably Youtube), but I’ll give this one by mambo9jambo a plug. It shares a common ideology that unites all (sane) HSC English students, that creative writing (and HSC English for that matter) sucks. You could say, we all… belong?

*ducks fusillade of flak*

It’s good, as far as Downfall (movie) spoofs go – there are a lot of much lamer parodies out there e.g. “Hitler wants ADSL2+ in Tasmania”.

Jaycar /  Electus seems to have stocked up on surplus HDMI cables and are flogging them at dirt cheap prices:

$9.95 for a 1.8m 1.3b compliant HDMI cable – 99.99% pure copper, 24k gold plated with triple shielding. And if you buy 4+, the price drops to $6.25ea, or $5.60 for 10+

Now that’s a bargain, unlike the $129.99 Monster THX bullshit all the retailers seem to flog… like really, unless your running a 50m HDMI cable in the vicinity of a 75W FM radio transmission tower, you don’t need quad shielded, 99.997% purity OFC copper, hand terminated with 99.99% purity silver solder, Teflon dielectric, Kevlar reinforced, 24K gold plated earth first connectors, patent pending strain relief THX certified HDMI cables.

Click here for details.