Laser Printers

Users pay a price for the crisp output of a laser printer, and not just the cost of the printer itself.Instead of an inexpensive inked ribbon to produce images, laser printers use a black powder called toner to create the printed page, in a process nearly identical to that used in a photocopier.Sooner or later, you'll have to add more toner to the printer, usually in the form of a replaceable cartridge.You can expect to pay $60 to $100 per cartridge, depending on what other replacement parts come with cartridges for a given printer model.

Buying a printer for your home - whether for work, school or recreation - begins with a basic choice: inkjet or laser. A decade ago, the choice for most home users was an inkjet, which hit the market in 1992. Laser printers existed back then - a desktop model was introduced in 1984 - but were so expensive that they were far outside the grasp of most home users. Then about five years back, black-and-white laser printers plunged in price, becoming affordable for those who wanted fast, professional-looking documents at home.

Have you ever been in a room and had the lights dim when some major appliance or electric space heater is turned on? People frequently wonder why this happens and what to do about it. Usually, it means that the appliance and the lights are drawing from the same circuit. Appliances with large motors, such as compressors in air conditioners and refrigerators, draw a large amount of current while the motor is starting. This current surge causes a corresponding voltage drop on the circuit, which will cause lights connected to the circuit to dim. To avoid the effects of these voltage drops on other electrical devices in the house, major appliances should be connected to dedicated circuits, serving only the appliance.

Adobe SystemsAdobe Systems (OTC, ADBE, $40.25) is one of Shearson Lehman Brothers' midyear list of "Ten Uncommon Values.""Adobe Systems produces graphics software for printers and computers. Its growth has been fueled by the rapid growth of laser printers and the fact that graphics is the fastest-growing area in personal computer software. Adobe is creating an impregnable franchise that deserves a premium valuation. The company generates strong cash flow, and has a debt-free balance sheet.

Computers are donated to Vantage HouseJeanne Miles, owner and founder of ElderComp, and Frank Funderburk, a health research consultant, have donated computers to Vantage House for residents' use and will provide basic instruction to computer novices and answers to technical questions for those more familiar with the technology.Three computers with color and laser printers will be available, as well as instruction videos and books.Future expansion includes a possible hookup to the Internet.

Midsize successes"They do all sorts of things 'wrong,' and yet measured by any yardstick you care to name, they nevertheless run laps around the competition," say management researchers Donald Clifford Jr. and Richard Cavanagh, in their book, "The Winning Performance."In their research on more than 6,000 midsize companies, Mr. Clifford and Mr. Cavanagh unearth key success strategies.Size or niche? During the 1980s, niche clearly won over size. More than 90 percent of the successful companies studied were niche players.

Call it ExamScam.Mercantile Safe Deposit & Trust Co. customers are finding notices in their checking account statement this month warning them that telephone con men have found one of the most creative ways yet of reaching out and touching your wallet -- by claiming to be federal bank examiners.The irony of con men pretending to be the very people who are supposed to keep banks honest is lost on few. These fine "public servants" just need a little help from you or your business -- in the form of your checking account number -- to conduct a very, very important investigation.

If you think resume-writing is a chore or feel intimidated by the process, you might be interested in computer software designed specifically for the purpose.At first I wasn't keen on the idea, because of the risk that all resumes would come out looking mass-produced. But after trying out three resume packages, I'm convinced of their potential.Design is the chief virtue of the packages I examined, all of which operate on IBM-based Windows systems. They are PFS:Resume by Softkey International, WinWay Resume from WinWay Corp.

Police say stores sold tobacco to minors Two Harford County businesses were recently found in violation of the state law against selling tobacco to minors. Harford County Health Department's tobacco enforcement manager, a Harford county officer, and a 16-year-old volunteer conducted unannounced tobacco compliance checks at 13 county businesses to determine whether merchants are complying with the Maryland Youth Access Law. At Meller Food Marts, 2403 Rocks Road, the 16-year-old was asked for identification and still was sold cigarettes.

IN THE past, when people have asked me whether they should buy a laser printer or an ink jet, I've always told them that true business-quality correspondence required a laser.There are good reasons. While ink jet technology has improved by orders of magnitude over the past few years -- even low-end models can produce startling color photographs -- many ink jets still can't produce text with the crispness and clarity that say "I'm a professional." When you find an ink jet that can produce laser-quality text, chances are good that you'll grow old waiting for a letter to emerge.