Computer Add Ons Your Small Business Can Use: Finding the Right Peripherals for Your Company
Add Ons Your Small Business Can Use: Finding the Right for Your Company
In addition to the computer and monitor, you will need to think about peripherals.
The term peripheral is used to describe devices that are optional in nature, as opposed to hardware that is required.
Apart from peripherals that come as standard with the computer, two that you will need to consider are a printer and a scanner.
Ink or Laser? Your Choice
The most important consideration to consider when purchasing a printer is the type of technology the printer uses to print.
Today you will find two major types of technologies available, ink jet and laser. Inkjet printers are an affordable and effective solution for home businesses.
Ink is a very important factor when purchasing a printer. If the printer becomes a frequently used device you may find that the price of the ink can far surpass the price of the printer. Consider:
- How much the ink will cost when it needs to be replaced
- How often the cartridge will have to be replaced
- Whether the printer accepts separate color cartridges. Some manufacturers may include all the cartridges as one cartridge, causing you to have to purchase all the available colors for one color that may be out.
- Whether the cartridges are just ink or ink and nozzles. Cartridges with ink and nozzles will cost more than those that have just ink.
The price range can vary depending upon the quality of the printer and the type of printer. Most Ink Jet printers are between $100 and $400, though many pre-packaged computer systems now come with printers.
With a laser printer, the light source is a laser. Laser printers have a number of advantages over inkjet technology. They:
- Produce better quality documents
- Per page price is cheaper
- Printing envelopes, cards, and other non 8.5 x 11 paper is easier.
Laser printers also cost between $100 and $400.
Turning Paper Into Digital
Most companies need scanners, mainly to be able to store hard copy documents on your computer. This is especially useful for information related to quarterly taxes, such as receipts and utility bills.
Many businesses choose a flatbed scanner. A flatbed scanner scans materials and three-dimensional objects in addition to paper. You can lay a book on a flatbed scanner to scan and save or print a page.
Another type of scanner is the sheet-fed scanner. One good reason to consider a sheet-fed scanner is that it takes up less space.
In fact, many sheet-fed models are portable enough to be used on the road with your laptop computer.
The more dots per inch (dpi) you can scan, the better. For most users, a 1200x2400 DPI scanner is sufficient.
Only if you are doing design and graphic art applications will you need anything higher. You will also want to look at bit depth.
Again, the higher the bit depth, the better the scanner; if you're buying a new scanner, stick with a scanner that offers at least 36-bit color. Anything more than 36-bit is usually overkill for a typical small business owner.
Both inkjet and sheet fed scanners start around $75 and can go as high as several thousand dollars. Most likely, one in the lower ranges will be just fine for your business.
Having both a scanner and a printer will help you in your business.
It is much easier than taking all your printing and scanning needs to a copy shop and, in the end, will be far less expensive.
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