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HomeRun Homes is a centralized marketplace which helps people Find or Sell a Rent to Own Home, both Nationwide and Globally to the thriving Rent to Own Market. http://www.lease2buy.com

October 4, 2016

Epson WF-M5694 Reinvents Efficiency and Revitalizes Your Budget

Hi Friends,
   I welcome you back to another of these (fortunately) well-received Blog Posts on Technology, as I am always on the hunt-down for new technology and new gadgets that will make your business run more efficiently, and make you happy, if you like that sort of stuff. I have been asked (not badgered, really...just asked) by a number of clients that make up my readership to continue focusing on technology, as it is helping them immensely. I have also exchanged E-mails with many of you requesting more on-topic items such as the Rent to Own Market, so everyone will be glad to know they are all being granted their wish, and we have some cool Real Estate posts forthcoming.

   With that being said, today we are going to take a journey from the past into the present, with a very sophisticated twist on how we to use a printing feature that most overlook, and wind up paying more for that ambivalence in the long run.

   If I told you I was reviewing a Monochrome (Black and White Printer), you might think I was crazy. However, if you told me you print everything from your to-do list and your own personal notes in color, every day, I might turn around and say that you, my friend, might be the crazy one.

   Well, the cat is out of the bag, and the printer I present to you today is like no other one you have seen before. Sure, in your past, you might remember those old workhorse Black and White Printers that were scattered among offices, which could produce large output. But looking back, do you remember the smudging? The low-quality look of the characters that usually came out in Arial or Times New Roman, and you knew there had to be better than this. Then came Color Printers, and everyone got hooked on them, since they could also print black and white, as well as color. But color was shiny and new, and you got hooked.

   Back to the present day, and I present to you the Epson WF-M5694, a sleek new offering from Epson that captures the spirit of the work-horse printers of the past, while putting an edge and a spin on this printer that you never would have imagined possible. From a person with a technical background spanning a little over 20 years, I, personally, was quite impressed! Let's examine the Set-up, Speed, Quality, features, and how this printer can save you money from multiple angles. Then we'll wrap it all up with the full Technical Specifications at the end.

   Setting this baby up was easy as can be, and I had a non-technical friend run through the set up to keep things honest here by verifying that I didn't just geek my way through it. Instantly connected it to my Wi-Fi and loaded up the paper, checked out the ink to get a good look at it and installed it. Locked and loaded and ready to print.

   That was an understatement. I half-expected the print job to come out section by section and quite slow, as that as what I was conditioned for from years back. Was I ever wrong! The pages came out blazing fast, and apparently, the speed of pages of text can approach 20 pages per minute, which comes out to about 3 seconds per page. I had a stopwatch and I was close to if not eclipsing that speed. Nice! That will let you knock down some hefty print jobs while making some big savings (I will explain shortly).

   Printing using the Auto Document Feeder (ADF) makes life so much easier than doing page by page copying, and it does a step further, as it also Auto-duplexes, saving you from having to flip the pages over for the other side to get it's share of the print job. What I also found very cool with the printer was how they are paying attention to the ability to print from specific devices, for example, Amazon Kindle Printing, Google Cloud, Apple, and Android Printing. These are also is a snap to get working.

   How about the quality? I tried all of the functions, and wound up with high-quality printed output of scanned items and general printing items and copies. I was happy to find everything had crisp lettering, that, I might add, will not smudge even when shaking the paper back and forth violently like a lunatic! As another test, I sprinkled a few drops of H20 on it, and sure enough, it is water resistant as well!

   Now, the ink that is used is DURABrite (Ultra Pigment ink), and they say you can get about 10,000 printed copies before ever having to change the cartridge. Please read that line again. I'm not kidding. Additionally, the efficiency of this printer is guided by the leap-years ahead PrecisionCore Printing Technology. The Printer is so efficient that it uses up to 70% less power than laser printers. Did you just hear a big "BOOM!" in the Accounting department? The Controller just fell of their chair after hearing that. This is some serious technology here, folks. Did I mention it can handle 45,000 pages per month?

   The real benefit I see here is from my own personal experience visiting with clients, where they print absolutely everything in colored ink, and in actuality, at least 50% of their jobs could be done in Monochrome.

   However, one could argue, with validity, that it does not make sense to overburden those current color printers with massive Monochrome and Color Print Jobs. The current alternative points to their in-place hardware; but the Monochrome printers that plenty of offices do have in many of their locations are dated often by 10 years or more. This brings us into a whole new category of costs currently being incurred, as these decade-old printers are terribly inefficient in terms of Power Usage (if this printer can approach a 70% more efficient level than a Laser Printer, than compared to the 1990's Monochrome printers, the level would probably approach triple digits in terms of increased efficiency/less power usage, from what I am calculating here). Just as important is the replacement cost of old hard-to-find probably refurbished/refilled ink cartridges vs. brand new easy-install cartridges for the WF-M5694. Then there is the obvious remaining factor; the smudgy dated output vs. the crisp and clean, sharp output that you upgrade to with this printer.

   So, in closing, I end with a question; If you could potentially lower power usage/costs by replacing the older monochrome printer(s) with the WF-M5694, taking a load off your current central hub color printer(s), and start producing the monochrome copies you really need with super-efficient ink usage, along with one more benefit (that nobody needs to wear the ink that rubbed off onto their hands and clothes from Mr. Jones' inter-office Memo), then would it all be worth the change?

Technical Specs:
The lowest cost multifunction monochrome printer in its class.
The WorkForce Pro WF-M5694 multifunction monochrome printer provides the lowest-cost monochrome printing in its class. Designed for small workgroups, it requires little intervention, with a 10,000-page cartridge yield, 580-sheet maximum paper capacity and 45,000 page monthly duty cycle. Professional-quality documents can be printed at fast speeds — 20 ISO ppm (black). The device supports auto 2-sided printing, copying, scanning and faxing. Network setup and security features provide seamless integration and administration into wired and wireless environments, via Universal drivers, PCL5 and PostScript. Powered by PrecisionCore printing technology, the WF-M5694 delivers Performance Beyond Laser.

Model: C11CE37201
MFP with WiFi & Ethernet: Print | Copy | Scan | Fax | PCL/PS
Ink: DURABrite Ultra pigment ink
Print Speed: Up to 20 ppm
View Specifications

Product Guides & Additional Information:

WorkForce Pro WF-M5694 Monochrome Multifunction Printer Brochure (PDF)
User Reviews
Key Features
ISO Print Speeds
ISO Print Speeds
Prints at speeds of 20 ISO ppm (black)
Wireless and Ethernet Network Ready
Wireless and Ethernet Network Ready
Share one printer with multiple computers in your home or office, using a wireless or wired network.
High-capacity Cartridges Available
High-capacity Cartridges Available
Extra large, easy to install ink cartridges with high print yields.
Automatic Two-Sided Printing
Automatic Two-Sided Printing
Save up to 50% on paper with automatic two-sided printing .
Epson Connect - Print and Share from Anywhere
Epson Connect; - Print and Share from Anywhere
Easily print from iPad, iPhone, tablets, smartphones and more.
Automatic Document Feeder
Automatic Document Feeder
Easily copy, scan and fax stacks of documents with the built-in automatic document feeder.
Cost savings — the lowest-cost monochrome printing in its class
Low intervention — print up to 10,000 black pages without changing the cartridge; up to 580 sheets maximum paper capacity with optional second paper tray
Do more — 35-page duplex Auto Document Feeder; auto 2-sided print, copy, scan and fax; Document Capture Pro scanning software included
Fast output — prints at speeds of 20 ISO ppm (black)
Heavy-duty networked workgroup printing — 45,000-page monthly duty cycle; up to 2500 pages recommended monthly for high-volume printing
Security features — secure PIN printing, user access control, Web Config and more
Professional-quality results — laser-sharp text on a wide variety of media with DURABrite Ultra Ink
Built-in networking — wired and wireless connectivity plus Wi-Fi Direct; also print from smartphones, tablets and the cloud
Included drivers and utilities — Universal driver, PCL5 and Adobe® PostScript® 3™
Get Performance Beyond Laser — the WorkForce Pro WF-M5694, powered by PrecisionCore
Designed for use exclusively with Epson cartridges.
Eco Features
Uses up to 70% less power than laser printers
Save up to 50% of your paper supply with automatic 2-sided printing/copying
ENERGY STAR qualified
RoHS compliant
Recyclable product
Epson America, Inc. is a SmartWay Transport Partner

Better Products for a Better Future
For more information on Epson's environmental programs, go to www.epson.com/environment

What's in the Box
Epson WorkForce Pro WF-M5694 printer
Manual
Power cord
DURABrite Ultra Ink cartridge – One 792 ink cartridge: Black
Warranty
One-year limited warranty in the U.S. and Canada

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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


April 4, 2016

The Epson EX9200 Projector Redefines Classy


Hi Folks,
    Over the past weekend, I've had the pleasure of testing out one of Epson's top-of-the-line Projection units, the EX9200 Pro Wireless WUXGA 3LCD Projector. I can hear a whole segment of you saying, "finally". I know who you are, and the functionality you desire, along with that of many other folks out there, was the focus of this very review. We're going to take baby steps, as there is a lot to cover here, but I thank many of you for your E-mails, telling me you prefer how I did the last review, by adding in the relevant specs as we go, so we'll stick with that. Our journey will take us through Compatibility and Set-Up, Ease of Use, Quality, Portability, and then we'll go over some additional cool factors and wrap it all together for you.

  With these times the way they are, everything starts with the mobile phone, so after unboxing the projector, I got my mobile connected to the projector. All I needed to do was scan one of those little  QR codes and I was connected. The setup was pretty straightforward I got it up and running fast, with a fast coffee break in-between. Seriously, within a few minutes, everything was connected up. Now, all of the connectors are on the back panel of the projector, which keeps up with the need to manipulate the device during the presentation. A very important and quite handy feature is that it does support HDMI ports, which should be standard for most Projection units now, but a quick scan online does not show not all Manufacturers are at that point yet. Odd. Additionally, it will connect to your laptop, PC, or if you have a Mac to connect directly. If you have a standard USB port in your system, it will connect to them. Cables such as the USB cable is included in the box. It's basically USB plug and play compatible with your PC or your Mac (as long as it has the interfaces on it, as mine did, for testing),Overall, there's plenty of compatibility built into the EX9200,and it shows Epson really did their homework on this one. This unit also has a VGA port, RCA and Composite video ports, some of these name you may be familiar with from having an older television or an older VCR unit, however, they still come in quite handy for folks that may have equipment not 100% up to today's standards, and this can prevent an "Oops" moment when a visiting client wants to attach a vintage laptop to the projector! Additionally, the system has built-in Wi-Fi for wireless connections to your tablet, etc. As far as from the Compatibility and Set-up, this gets an A-Plus...Straight Out of the Box,  no mess no fuss, simple as pie. Here are some related setup and compatibility specs:

Compatibility:
USB Plug 'n Play:

Projects audio and video
PC and Mac® compatible

Display Performance:
NTSC: 480 lines
PAL: 576 line
(Depends on observation of the multi-burst pattern)
Input Signal: NTSC / NTSC4.43 / PAL / M-PAL / N-PAL / PAL60 / SECAM

Interfaces:
HDMI x 2 (1 supports MHL connectivity)
Computer/component video: D-sub 15 pin x 1
Composite video: RCA (Yellow) x 1
Audio in: RCA x 1 (White/Red)
USB connector Type A x 1: PC-free USB and other
USB connector Type B x 1: USB Plug 'n Play

Speaker: 2 W (mono)
Operating Temperature: 41° to 95° F (5° to 35° C)
Power Supply Voltage: 100 – 240 V ±10%, 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption:
ECO mode: 214 W
Normal mode: 291 W

Fan Noise:
ECO mode: 29 dB
Normal mode: 37 dB

Security:
Kensington®-style lock provision
Password protect function

   As for ease-of-use, anything that gets you up and about it doesn't keep you strapped down is a good thing nowadays. This particular projector is no exception to that. The ability of the EX9200 to utilize Wireless Technology allows you the ease and freedom to move around anywhere within your conference room, for example. Additionally, another great feature that makes your day that much easier is the fact that you can take videos and share them directly from your phone or tablet or laptop, because the EX9200 supports MHL enabled devices (including Chromecast, which is very useful, since a lot of folks use that in today's world. There is also a Remote Control, to further enhance your experience,  and which allows you to move freely about your conference room. The control is intuitive, and is in-line with Epson's Straight-forward End-User facing dialogue/language. Here are some specs related to usage/ease of usage:

Remote Control
Features: Source search selection, power, volume, e-zoom, A/V Mute, freeze, menu, page up and down, help, auto, mouse functions
Operating Angle:
Right / Left: ±30 degrees
Upper / Lower: ±15 degrees
Operating Distance: 19.7 ft (6 m)

   Now, before I jump into the quality, I'm almost positive that many of you do not have friends with light meters. But I'm the head geek here, so I do, and I contacted my friend who has one and we were able to verify the amount of lumens, or the brightness of the projector, as we came within a 3% range of the quantity of lumens stated in the documentation. Very impressive! So, basically the quality of any projector is really based around the brightness and the balance between the light, white light and the color light. This unique balance is what helps bring high resolution images. Interesting story; I'm an avid collector of coins and baseball cards, as many of you know my CardboardandCoins.com website. So basically, I spent quite some time using the different connections and settings while looking over coins. One coin I had up was really a mess (you cannot clean them...it's taboo in coin collecting). That particular coin was always impossible to read, even at 60x power, however, once projected as an image I took of the coin, I was able to make out all features of the coin that I never saw before. Albeit a small image I used, the projector really went to work on it, because the writing on the coin was equivalent at that point to 3 or 4 point printing. Not normally visible across a room, but this shows a tight system with incredible eye for detail.

   As for video quality, Aces all-around. The best part was streaming and not seeing the quality compromised by any means, as I switched Mode -to -Mode. I also experienced the joy of new eye-sight once again in being able to read small print on the projection at small sizes.  Once again, I'm still pretty shocked as I was able to see such small detail with just black and white in earlier testing with whitish background. Basically, the winning Factor here for Epson is D3 LCD3 technology that they used in their projection system that makes it so robust and so incredible and brings everything to life right in front of your very eyes. Now, some pretty detailed specs for you regarding the quality of this protector:
HD 1080p content; plus enhanced connectivity
Projection System: 3LCD, 3-chip technology
Projection Method: Front / rear / ceiling mount
Driving Method: Epson Poly-silicon TFT Active Matrix
Pixel Number: 2,304,000 dots (1920 x 1200) x 3
Color Brightness (Color Light Output): 3200 lumens1
White Brightness (White Light Output): 3200 lumens1
Aspect Ratio: 16:10 native, supports 4:3 and 16:9
Native Resolution: 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Resize: 800 x 600 (SVGA), 1024 x 768 (XGA), 1152 x 864 (SXGA), 1280 x 800 (WXGA), 1280 x 960 (SXGA2), 1280 x 1024 (SXGA3), 1440 x 900 (WXGA+), 1400 x 1050 (SXGA+), 1600 x 900 (WXGA++), 1680 x 1050 (WSXGA+)
Lamp Type: 200 W UHE
Lamp Life:ECO mode: Up to 10000 hours2
Normal mode: Up to 5000 hours2
Throw Ratio Range: 1.38 (Zoom:Wide), 1.68 (Zoom:Tele)
Size (projected distance): 30" – 300" (0.9 – 9.0 m)
Keystone Correction:
Automatic: Vertical: ±30 degrees
Manual: Horizontal: ±30 degrees (Easy-Slide Horizontal Image Correction)
Contrast Ratio: Up to 15,000:1
Color Reproduction: Up to 1.07 billion colors
Projection Lens
Type: Optical zoom Manual zoom / Manual focus
F-number: 1.50 – 1.71
Focal Length: 20.42 – 24.50 mm
Zoom Ratio: Optical zoom 1.0 – 1.2

   Some folks need to travel to client sites for their work, and quite often, then need to give a presentation when on site. If the client does not have a projector, your presentation could turn into something evil, but when you have a projector that weighs under 6 lbs, and also comes with its own carrying case, all options are on the table for a successful presentation. Should you decide to mount the unit in your office, the unit is not going to bend brackets and require special braces or hinges, as it just does not weigh that much. Also, in terms of the Unit's exterior, it's a space-saver and a very sleek-looking unit.
Some related Specs:
Including feet: 11.7" x 9.6" x 3.2" (W x D x H)
Excluding feet: 11.7" x 9.6" x 3.0" (W x D x H)
Weight: 5.7 lb (2.4 kg)

   I wanted to share with you something very cool that I noticed about the projector, which was the ability to create a split screen, allowing you to see images from two different sources, and you can jump back and forth between the images with one button. It's pretty cool if you're trying to demonstrate two different perspectives or two different items at the same time to a room. I think that just the fact that it's so lightweight and versatile, and the resolution is so high, and it's extremely bright are all wonderful factors, and I won't mention to you again how impressed I was seeing the detail on that coin, but I have to say that was really the selling point for me! Now, if you run a Sports Card Shop, for example, and let's say you were looking to have a protection unit going and images or video streaming in high resolution, this should certainly be a projector for you. If you are a Realtor, for example, if you are the host in the targeted client seminar, you may want to jump back and forth between a couple of properties to have a high-resolution image cast for them.

   In summary, I'd just like to say that it was a pleasure testing with all of you. I, personally, was not aware of the true high-resolution, high level of brightness, the easy compatibility, and all the wonderful features that would be available. The EX9200 projector is certainly a unit that you would be proud of in an office to own and use in front of clients and it shows that you are Cutting Edge and ahead of the Curve and it is also efficient, in that it does not require too much in the form of user intervention, aside from the person operating the projector. With the benefits you derive from using the EX9200, I can only hope that it brings you scores of new business and clients.

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
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3. Check Your E-mail and Confirm Your Subscription...it's That Simple !

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #projector






March 28, 2016

The Epson Workforce DS-510 Scanner; A Space-Saving Powerhouse

Hi Folks,

   Today, I'd like to share with you my review of the new Epson WorkForce DS-510 Color Document Scanner. I've tested a wide range of Scanners, so I have a pretty good base of what to look for and what not to look for when running an evaluation. The main things we're going to look at today are the size of the scanner, the setup process, output speeds, output quality, and finally, some additional features and benefits where we'll break it all down for you. I'll add in the relevant specs to each section as we go forward.


   The first thing we'll look at here today is going to be the size of this baby, and let me tell you something; do not let the size fool you! This is one tough machine and it is quite sturdy. The only way to really capture what I'm describing is to say that it's small and powerful and the best part is where I have my electronic devices is a very limited space and the Epson DS-510 fit perfectly in that area and left me additional room, as well. Just leave ample height above it so when you expand it out when using it you will have plenty of clearance. This gets an A-Plus for space-saving.


   As far as Set-up, I found it very easy to accomplish. Now, I am a technician by heart, so I had an associate here who's a little less technically geeked-out than I am, and I had them take a quick run through the setup as a test and they made it through with flying colors. It was very easy connecting it to my laptop and my desktop and the instructions were easy and very straightforward for all levels of technical ability. A+ on the Set-up process!

SPECS:
Software:
Epson® Scan
EMC Captiva ISIS (Windows only, via web download)
ABBYY® FineReader® OCR
Document Capture Pro
NewSoft™ Presto!® BizCard OCR (Windows on CD, Mac via web download)
TWAIN and ISIS drivers
Connectivity
Scanner Interface:
Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Optional Network Interface Unit (RJ-45, 10BaseT/100Base TX)
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista ® (32/64-bit), Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home Edition
Mac OS® 10.8.x, 10.7.x, 10.6.x, 10.5.x
USB 2.0


   Now when it comes to speed, this is quite a fast little machine. Along with its automatic document feeder that holds 50 sheets of paper, this machine blazes along at 26 PPM for black and white, color, and gray. This is a pretty impressive speed, and you'll notice the speed difference between this and a lot of other models that claim to have such a high speed there's a difference because it appears Epson is actually living up to the specs that it's including with its documentation. I tested this with a stack of documents and scanning was incredibly quick and I was very impressed and it really saved me a lot of time because the other device that I was using is really slow and this sped things along quickly. Definitely an A+ on the speed of this scanner.

SPECS:
Scanning Speed:
26 ppm/52 ipm: 200 dpi Black-and-White, Color, Gray
26 ppm/52 ipm: 300 dpi Black-and-White, Color, Gray
18 ppm/36 ipm: 400 dpi Black-and-White, Gray
5 ppm/10 ipm: 400 dpi Color
18 ppm/36 ipm: 600 dpi Black-and-White, Gray
5 ppm/10 ipm: 600 dpi Color
Automatic Document Feeder
Capacity: 50 sheets


   Next let's look at the quality of the scanned output. What is produced by this scanner are quality, clear, picture-perfect scan results. Whether you're scanning a single-page document, using the duplex function of the scanner, or any of the other great features, the experience is incredible with fantastic text recognition and great document management all across the board. There is nothing but quality output to be had by all. Once again it may sound repetitive, but it's an A+ for quality.

SPECS:
Scanner Type: Sheet-fed, one-pass duplex color scanner
Optical Resolution: 600 dpi
Effective Pixels: 5,100 x 21,600 pixels
Color Bit Depth: 48-bits per pixel internal / 24-bit external
Grayscale Bit Depth: 16-bits per pixel internal / 8-bit external
Monochrome Bit Depth: 1-bit
Light Source: Three Color RGB LED


   Let's take a look at a few more notes about the DS-510 that will prove helpful in your daily routine. The Epson works extremely well for both two-sided document and multiple page documents, and one of the key factors that I found very helpful here was that you can create PDF files and you have an option where to save the files to once the document is scanned. The PDF feature helps you decide where you can save documents in PDF format. and is excellent for document storage and retrieval at later times and especially if you have a document library in your network. This provides you an excellent value for your money and can pay you back a thousand times over when you need to find that critical document, for example, the signed Real Estate contract, and you just don't know where that piece of paper is or where you saved that critical  file.

SPECS:
Document Sizes:
Paper size Minimum: 2.1" x 2.9"
Paper size Maximum: 8.5" x 36"
Paper Weight: 50 to 209 g/m
Daily Duty Cycle: 3000 sheets
Consumables: Roller assembly kit — 100,000 cycles

Features
Security Lock: Kensington® type

General
Operating Temperature: 41° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Operating Humidity: 10 – 80% (no condensation)
Rated Voltage: 100 – 240 VAC
Frequency: 50 – 60 Hz

Power Consumption:
Normal mode: 18 W
Ready mode: 7 W
Sleep mode: 1.6 W
Off: 0.4 W
Dimensions: 11.7" x 6" x 6.1" (W x D x H)
Weight: 5.5 lb


   In summary, the Epson DS-510 has exceeded all of my preconceived expectations for the scanner, not only due to it's easy setup, the compact size, the speed, the quality, and all the extra little features like the PDF and document storage feature, but also the price being so competitive for such a diverse product that can bring you such a dramatic change in the efficiency of your office that can translate into the bottom line. When you take all of these features into account, you begin to wonder how you were able to get along without it for so long. Overall kudos to Epson for another quality product. The quick quality output coupled with the price that is a bargain for this type of device, you're looking at a home run. Whether it's for your home office or small to medium-sized office, it's a great device that will help you scan all your files and documents and get them all  centralized.

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
1. Locate the "Subscribe by E-mail" box on the Right Side of your Screen.
2. Type your E-mail address in the box, and click "Submit"
3. Check Your E-mail and Confirm Your Subscription...it's That Simple !

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #scanner #documentscanner #scan #ds510

December 1, 2015

Epson Supertank Printer is the Wave of the Future

Hi Folks,

  Welcome back!

   As you might already know from my previous Blog Posts, I have tested a wide variety of Epson WorkForce printers, so I believe that my vast experience in reviewing these has now granted me the honor of reviewing the most advanced printer Epson has produced, in my opinion, the Epson ET-4550.

   The full title of the printer is the Epson WorkForce ET-4550 EcoTank, which is a 4-in-1 Supertank with Wireless & Ethernet, serving as a Color Printer, Scanner, Copier, and Fax. It is affectionately referred to as "Supertank", and you'll soon see why. I'll have to warn you in advance to watch out for any goofy references to Thanksgiving, as this review is being done the later portion of the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

   So, in order to give you an idea what angle Epson is coming from with this printer, I ask you to think back and remember what a hassle it is/was buying new ink cartridges, right? Remembering the model #, pricing it out, and ultimately, paying a fortune. Then we thought we found a shortcut with those refill kits, which were great, saved us money, and the ink was perfect. Sshhh! Epson was on to us the whole time, because the Supertank comes equipped with what's akin to fill-able cartridges in it. It starts with a large bay on the right side of the printer, where you load each bottle of ink into the corresponding "sub" bay. The ink is then automatically fed through tubes as needed. Very cool concept and very cutting edge. OK, let's get dirty. It's time for the ink!

   I opened the multiple bottles of ink provided, and I realized that this thing will be ready for battle with this amount of ink straight out of the box! I then put on the rubber gloves that were provided and began filling the tanks. This gave me sort of a "mad scientist" gleam. I felt evil for a while, but that feeling subsided fast when I realized I spilled some ink and got some on my arm. Note: No white shirts when refilling, and nothing near the carpet. So, with the tanks loaded up, I now felt confident and excited about testing out such a unique piece of technology.

   When this baby was locked and loaded with ink and paper, that's when the fun began. Faster than you can say, "Turkey leftovers" (don't say I didn't warn you!), this machine was humming along.
They claim 13 ppm for black ink, but when the clock hit 60 seconds, I had a 14th page out and a 15th page mid-stream. These were full, black single-spaced text pages (letter-sized paper) with no images, so I took this printer to task.

   Printing in Color was a snap and vibrant. I printed a Team Photo of my favorite baseball team and there was no smudging or running. It was truly at or above laser-printer quality.

Now, this Supertank comes with enough ink to print 11,000 Black ink pages or about 8500 color pages. You may wind up waiting 1-2 years to buy new ink, based on your printing capacity/requirements. That is a lot of ink capacity, thus the "Super-tank" name.

In my mad scientist mode, I skipped some important facts you should know about the setup
  * Setting up Wi-Fi direct was quite easy and was as simple as the set up on the other WorkForce printers I have tested.

  * I set up the print quality settings, which was a snap, and very easy using the screen on the printer.

  Now, we begin testing some of the most important features that are required by folks nowadays:
  *  Email Printing: Printing 101, very simple and easy to do, and very important to many folks, including myself. Intuitive and straightforward.

  * Remote Printing: From out and about I sent a Print job, and when arriving back, the print job was waiting right there for me!

  * Scan to the Cloud: Very easy to follow the instructions and scan documents to save in your online storage (Dropbox, etc). Very handy, as well.

  * Android Printing: Used my Android on Wifi and Remotely to properly and easily print a document.

  * Apple AirPrint: I'm not too Apple savvy, however, I did get this to work, with a few steps in between.

FULL SPECS:
Print
Printing Technology: Powered by PrecisionCore™ 4-color (CMYK) drop-on-demand inkjet technology
Minimum Ink Droplet Size: 3 droplet sizes, as small as 3.3 picoliters
Maximum Print Resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi

ISO Print Speed:
Black: 13 ISO ppm†
Color: 7.3 ISO ppm†
2-Sided ISO Print Speed:
Black: 6.5 ISO ppm†
Color: 4.5 ISO ppm†

Copy
ISO Copy Speed:
Black: 11 ISO cpm‡
Color: 5.5 ISO cpm‡
Copy Quality: Color/Black-and-White: Standard/Best
Copy Quantity: 1 – 99 (PC-free)
Maximum Copy Size: 8.5" x 14"
Copy Features:
Auto 1-sided to 2-sided
Fit to page
Automatic reduction and enlargement (25 - 400%)
ID Copy
Collate
Adjustable Copy Density

Scan
Scanner Type: Color flatbed / ADF
Photoelectric Device: Color CIS line sensor
Optical Resolution: 2400 dpi
Hardware Resolution: 1200 x 2400 dpi
Maximum Resolution: 9600 dpi interpolated
Scanner Bit Depth: 48-bit color input / 24-bit color output
Features: Scan to: PC, Cloud including Email1

Fax
Fax Settings: Black & White and Color
Fax Speed: Up to 33.6 Kbps – as fast as 3 sec per page
Memory: Up to 100 pages
Speed Dials: 60 (max.)
PC Fax: Supported

Paper Handling
PC-Free Paper Support:
Plain (letter, 8.5" x 14", A4)
Photo (4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", letter, A4)
Paper Sizes: 3.5" x 5", 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", letter, A4, A6, half letter, executive, user definable (3.5" #8211; 47.2" in length)

Maximum Paper Size: 8.5 x 47.2 inch
Paper Types:
Plain paper
Epson Bright White Paper
Epson Presentation Paper Matte
Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte
Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte Double-sided
Epson Premium Photo Paper Glossy
Epson Ultra Premium Photo Paper Glossy
Envelope Types:
No. 10
Plain paper
Bond paper
Air mail
Input Paper Capacity:

150 sheets plain paper
10 envelopes
20 sheets photo paper
Output Paper Tray Capacity: 30 sheets

Ink
Ink Type: EcoTank Ink Bottles
Ink Palette: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Ink Configuration: 4 individual ink bottles
Replacement Ink: 774 Black, 664 Color: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
(ISO Yield, Epson Methodology - Black: 6,000, Color: 6,500)

Connectivity
Standard Connectivity:
Hi-Speed USB (compatible with USB 2.0 specification)
Wireless LAN (802.11 b/g/n)2
Wired Ethernet (10/100/100 Mbps)
Wi-Fi Direct2
Mobile Printing

Epson Connect™: Epson® Email Print, Epson iPrint™ Mobile App, Epson Remote Print3
Other: Apple® AirPrint™, Google Cloud Print™, Kindle Fire™, Mopria

General
Operating Systems:
Windows® 10
Windows® 8, 8.1 (32 bits, 64 bits)
Windows 7 (32 bits, 64 bits)
Windows Vista® (32 bits, 64 bits)
Windows XP® SP3 (32 bits)
Windows XP Professional x64
Mac OS® X 10.6 – 10.10.x4
Server Systems:
Windows Server 20125
Windows Server 2008 R25
Windows Server 20085
Windows Server 2003 R25
Windows Server 20035

Display: 2.2" Mono graphics display

Printer Language: ESC/P-R

Temperature:
Operating
50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Storage
-4° to 104° F (-20° to 40° C)
Humidity:
Operating
20 – 80% RH
Storage
5 – 85% RH (no condensation)

Sound Level:
Power: 6.4 B(A)
Pressure: 50 dB(A)

Rated Voltage: AC 100 – 240V Universal (Automatic)
Rated Frequency: 50 – 60 Hz
Rated Current: 0.5A – 0.3A

Power Consumption:
Approx. 11 W ISO 24712 (Standalone copy printing)
Approx. 4.4 W (Ready)
Approx. 1.5 W (Sleep)
Approx. 0.3 W (Power off) ENERGY STAR® qualified

Monthly Duty Cycle: Up to 3,000 pages (Recommended monthly page volume: up to 800 pages6)

Safety Approvals: Safety standards UL60950, CSA C22.2 No. 60950 EMI FCC Part 15 subpart B class B, CAN/CSA-CEI/IEC CISPR 22 class B

Telecom Regulations: FCC Part 68 (USA), IC/CS03 (Canada)

Dimensions:
Printing: 20.3" x 22.0" x 9.5" (W x D x H)
Storage: 20.3" x 14.2" x 9.5" (W x D x H)
Weight: 16.3 lb

Software Included: EPSON printer driver, EPSON Scan, PC-Fax : Internet access is required to install OS X drivers and software.

Country of Origin: Indonesia


   All of the key factors that you want or are promised to you are right at you fingertips. I was very impressed by this printer, and still in awe over the foresight of Epson to ride the wave of the refillable ink world. Now that is smart technology folks. That's what you want standing in your corner if you run a business or it's what you want in your home. Something to be proud of and save money with at the same time. Kudos, Epson, nice work !!
   I'd love to hear your comments and questions!

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #scanner #documentscanner #scan #supertank



June 18, 2015

Epson's DS-520 Document Scanner is Intuitive and Versatile!

Hi Folks,
   I consider myself a geek among geeks, as I absolutely love testing out new technology, and I enjoy it thoroughly. Add to this the factor that this technology might be the solution my readers and clients are looking for, and that enjoyment turns to bliss.

   So, on that note, I am feeling blissful today, as I've just tested a great new document scanner by Epson, their model DS-520. In last weeks Blog Post, we discussed the DS-560 model, so I will reference that review if necessary here.

   In a linear fashion, we'll look at the Set Up and Basic Usage, some Cool Features, and then I'll give you the Technical Specifications.

Set Up and Basic Usage:

   The DS-520 was just as easy to set up as the DS-560. Very straightforward. Easy to connect to the network, boom, done in an instant. I call that true Plug N Play!

   To help out in the speed and ease-of-usage department, there's a 50 sheet automatic document feeder that's built in which helps you just blow through scanning jobs. It's literally constructed perfectly for this device, and I am drawing upon my past experiences and tests on non-Epson products.

   OK, this scanner is fast, with speeds of 30 pages per minute (ppm) or 60 images per minute (ipm). It's one of those situations where you turn around and the job is already done scanning, which is a great feature to have in a busy office. I am a very big fan of speedy technology! I even ran a few scans in duplex (passing both sides simultaneously in just one pass), and the speed and quality were perfect. I've seen bleed-through before on Duplex copies from other machines (not Epson machines), so this was a relief.

Cool Features:

   One of the coolest features about the DS-520 is that you can scan in documents which you can then save as searchable. It is very cool and a big time saver when you're looking for just the right documents and you just don't know where to find it!

   Another super-helpful feature that I found with this device was the advanced image adjustments that you are able to do, including color enhancement and color dropout. I was scanning in some documents with images and playing around with a couple of different colors and changing them out. Intuitive and Versatile!

   Sharing is caring, and with the DS-520, it's very easy to share your documents. Just as easily, you can send your document to the cloud, all with the push of a button.

   Finally, I love that you have the option of scanning  ID Cards and Hard Plastic cards, just as easily as any other ddocuments!

   In summary, I got knee-deep in this, and in all honesty, I'm a huge fan of this scanner. It seems to be an extremely reliable device and one that would withstand the forces of a busy office, and will get the job done in a relatively quick time! If you choose this scanner, I'd say you'd be making a sound investment in the current and future productivity of your office.

   As promised, here are the full specs for the DS-520 we've just tested together:

Scan Specifications

Scanner Type: Sheet-fed, one-pass duplex color scanner
Photoelectric Device: 1 line CMOS Contact Image Sensor (CIS)
Optical Resolution: 600 dpi
Output Resolution: 75 to 1200 dpi
Effective Pixels: 5,100 x 21,600 pixels
Color Bit Depth: 48-bits per pixel internal / 24-bit external
Grayscale Bit Depth: 16-bits per pixel internal / 8-bit external
Monochrome Bit Depth: 1-bit
Light Source: Three-color RGB LED
Automatic Document Feeder

Capacity: 50 sheets
Document Sizes:
Paper size Minimum: 2.1" x 2.9"
Paper size Maximum: 8.5" x 36"1
Paper Weight: 50 to 209 g/m
Daily Duty Cycle: 3000 sheets
Consumables: Roller assembly kit — 100,000 cycles
Features

Buttons: 3 push buttons: Power, Start and Stop
Security Lock: Kensington® type
Software:
Epson® Scan
EMC Captiva ISIS (Windows only, via web download)
Document Capture Pro with OCR
NewSoft™ Presto!® BizCard OCR (Windows on CD, Mac via web download)
TWAIN and ISIS drivers

Other:
Rigid plastic ID card scanning (including embossed cards)
Business card scanning
Oversized folded document scanning without carrier sheet 30 user-definable scan job settings
Optional Network Interface
Connectivity

Scanner Interface:
Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Optional Network Interface Unit (RJ-45, 10BaseT/100Base TX)
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista ® (32/64-bit), Windows XP Professional x64, Windows XP Home Edition
Mac OS® 10.6.x-10.10.x
USB 2.0

General
Operating Temperature: 41° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Operating Humidity: 10 – 80% (no condensation)
Rated Voltage: 100 – 240 VAC
Frequency: 50 – 60 Hz
Power Consumption:
Operation mode: 18 W
Standby mode: 7 W
Sleep mode: 1.6 W
Off: 0.4 W
Dimensions: 11.7" x 6" x 6.1" (W x D x H)
Weight: 5.7 lb

I'd love to hear your comments and questions!

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #scanner #documentscanner #scan




June 7, 2015

Document Scanning is a Breeze with the New Epson DS-560

Hi Folks,
   I am the bringer of some more great technical news, since the good people over at Epson have asked me to review their Document Scanners, the DS-560 and the DS-520. Today, we will be discussing the powerhouse DS-560, and I hope this will assist you in your decision-making process.

   Let me start out here by being totally honest: I've set up document scanners before, but I've never used a document scanner before, specifically, however I've used the scan functionality on different printers and all-in-one-units. I am a tech at heart, so this was destined to be a fun review!

   OK, so, in setting up the new Epson DS-560, for starters and for tech geeks like me, we like to see the tech specs, or technical specifications. For the sake of flowing forward, however, I will save the details section for the very end.

   Right out of the box, this machine is ready for action, with a 50-page automatic document feeder that is built with strength and flexibility. In the past, with other manufacturers, I've had issues connecting the document feeder and getting that set up from the start, but Epson makes it pretty simple and everything connects perfectly well with no margin of error nor second-guessing the steps.

   Now, one of the coolest features for me, personally, because I'm always on the road is that you can remotely scan by attaching to the printers address, and you need to download a simple Epson App. I did a little research in advance just to see what I was going to be facing, and I heard a few people saying they had some small difficulties in attaching the scanner to the network. However, in terms of my experience with the DS-560, it was seamless and I had no issues whatsoever I had everything up and running within a few moments.

   I mean it's really quite simple, the whole concept of what this machine does and the fact that Epson has it down to a science now. You literally press a button on your device, whether it's an Apple iPad or your Android, whatever it may be, they broke it down so it is so simple.

   Simply testing the device, you can see how powerful it is, and you can do the math and realize that it will satisfy an office of multiple people working within that office and will certainly meet their document scanning needs.

   I think the most important concept here is that they isolated the scan functionality into one device vs. having it included in an all-in-one device, when some offices may only require having a high speed scanner, such as the DS-560. This scanner should help you to solidify their decision of which device to buy, as it will easily help you meet your productivity requirements.

   In the coming days, I will also be reviewing the Epson DS-520, and I look forward to just as seamless and just as an amazing experience testing and reviewing that model as I did with the DS-560.

As promised, here are the specifications of the DS-560 model:

Scanner Type: Sheet-fed, one-pass duplex color scanner
Photoelectric Device: 1 line CMOS Contact Image Sensor (CIS)
Optical Resolution: 600 dpi   Output Resolution: 75 to 1200 dpi
Effective Pixels: 5,100 x 21,600 pixels
Color Bit Depth: 48-bits per pixel internal / 24-bit external
Grayscale Bit Depth: 16-bits per pixel internal / 8-bit external
Monochrome Bit Depth: 1-bit
Light Source: Three Color RGB LED
Automatic Document Feeder
Capacity: 50 sheets
Speed:
26 ppm/52 ipm: 200 dpi Black & White, Color, Gray1
26 ppm/52 ipm: 300 dpi Black & White, Color, Gray1
18 ppm/36 ipm: 400 dpi Black & White, Gray1
5 ppm/10 ipm: 400 dpi Color1
18 ppm/36 ipm: 600 dpi Black & White, Gray1
5 ppm/10 ipm: 600 dpi Color1
Document Sizes:
Paper size Minimum: 2.1" x 2.9"
Paper size Maximum: 8.5" x 16.5" (Mac), 8.5" x 36" (Windows)
Paper Weight: 50 to 209 g/m
Daily Duty Cycle: 3000 sheets
Consumables: Roller assembly kit — 100,000 cycles
Wi-Fi Interface
Type: 802.11 b/g/n
Security: WEP (64/128 bit), WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES), WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES)
Setup: WPS
Mode:
Wi-Fi Mode — Infrastructure mode
AP Mode — Scanner is used as a virtual access point for up to four devices
Mobile Scanning
Requirements:
Epson Document Scan
iOS® 5.x or later
Android TM 4.x or later
Features
Buttons: 3 push buttons: Power, Start and Stop
Security Lock: Kensington® type
Software:
Epson® Scan
Document Capture Pro
ABBYY® FineReader® OCR
NewSoft™ Presto!® BizCard OCR (Windows on CD, Mac via web download)
EMC Captiva ISIS (Windows only via web download)
TWAIN and ISIS driver support
Other:
Rigid plastic ID card scanning (including embossed cards)
Business card scanning
Oversized folded document scanning without carrier sheet
30 user-definable scan job settings
Optional Network Interface

   I'd love to hear your comments and questions!


Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #scanner #documentscanner #scan



April 1, 2015

Epson's New WorkForce WF-7610 Tackles Large Paper

Hi Folks,
   It was great seeing many of you this past week at the Expo in Cleveland. I've heard many kind words about my speech, and I thank you for listening to my take on where we are headed in and beyond 2015. We should be breaking records established back in our "Hey-Day" of 2006/2007. Coming along for the ride?

   On to our topic today, which is an unofficial part 2 from our previous Blog Post. Recently, I had the pleasure of testing out the newest Epson WorkForce Printer (the WF-4630), and the results from that were super-impressive. Check out my write up here "Epson's Workforce Printer Raises the Bar and Cuts Costs"

   As a follow up, we also had the opportunity to test another of Epson's high-powered printers, the Epson WorkForce WF-7610. I'm excited to report back on this printer after stress-testing it the past few days, and I have a few offices in mind who, by having this printer, they would be blessed with abundant free time to review their newest accolades! I will explain, but first....

Tech-Time Stats

   Folks, this printer is blazing fast! It prints at a speed of 18 ISO ppm for black, and 10 ISO ppm for color. It just shoots the pages right out. The new PrecisionCore Technology blasts out colors at about 50,000 droplets per second. Such a highly-caffeinated printer for such a reasonable price!

   Speaking of money, when taking into account factors such as ink replacement and capacities of the printer and the cartridges, printing with the Epson Workforce WF-7610 results in a lower cost than printing with a laser printer. How much lower? I did some digging online and found the estimates are close to 40%. That's a golden goose right there!

   As you go about using the functions of this multi-function printer, the screen on the printer is full-color, and has appealing tones that are soft on the eyes. The menus are easy to navigate, and the screen keeps you engaged as you are intuitively making your way towards your end goal.

   Based on the requirements of many of you and the types of contracts you print out, I know that quite often you need to print duplex. It sounds easy, but most printers make it so complicated and so difficult to print on both sides of the same paper. Not this time: I tested the duplex printing with this machine and it was an absolute snap and it will be a huge time saver for those of you who utilize this feature.

   Now, to my many business associates working as Engineers and Architects (Lord knows the Real Estate Industry is full of you guys!), this printer will serve you best as it can provide you with wide format borderless pictures of up to 13" by 19" inches and it has a large scan bed of 11" x 17". This paper size is particular to your group, so take heed of this feature. For everyone else, the printer is at the top of it's game for printing deep and rich tones on 8 1/2" x 11" paper, so you most certainly be able to enjoy the benefits of the machine, as well.

Time is money!

   Enjoy some free time from quicker printing, and enjoy the comments of clients and business partners on the sharp, crisp, professional look of your documents, photos, and more, courtesy of the Epson WorkForce WF-7610.

   I'd love to hear your questions and comments.


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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #printer #multifunction #precisioncore #inkjet #iso #ppm #ink #print #copy #scan #fax

March 9, 2015

Epson's Workforce Printer Raises the Bar and Cuts Costs

Hi folks,
   I hope everyone is keeping warm out there and driving carefully. Winter has been insane here in the Northeast, and March and April can still get crazy out there.

   I'm pretty psyched today, because I had the opportunity to test out and review another great printer from the good folks at Epson. I've had a lot of requests for technology tips and office equipment upgrade tips for your Sales Team Offices and Satellite Offices, and I heard you all loud and clear. I am in talks with the Epson PR team with the goal of testing out more of their powerhouse equipment so that I may provide you with such reviews like the one today. The Customer asks, I smile and provide. That's my one simple rule that has allowed me to grow HomeRun Homes over the past 13 years.

Tech-time, and then we'll get human:

Printer: Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4630
Product Code: C11CD10201

Out of the Box Info:
 Multi-Funtion: Print, Copy, Scan, Fax
 30,000 Page-per-month Duty Cycle
 20 ppm ISO Black and 20 ppm ISO Color
 330-sheet paper capacity (in the trays)
 Uses PrecisionCore technology (Amazing! It shoots out about 40 million precisely accurate dots every second).

First Impression...

   This printer, just based on aesthetics alone, looks very "Cool". This machine is dressed for success! If you have clients coming in-house, this machine really paints the picture of a professional, cutting-edge office that is just buzzing with a team taking charge and helping their clients efficiently.

   Most importantly, it works exactly as you would expect from an Epson Printer. Immediately and hassle-free, it picked up and was connected via our WiFi. No sweat, and believe me, many "other" printers hassle folks right from the start and play hard-to-get with your Wifi, and that's just bad for everyone.

   The wide color screen is a very nice feature, and extremely intuitive. As a matter of fact, I tested it over a period that spanned over a weekend, so on that weekend, my son (who is 8 years old) came into the office with me and tested the steps to scan, fax, and also copy a document after I ran through them myself. So, yes, it's real easy, folks!

Quality performance at affordable pricing.

   Earlier, I mentioned the 40 million dots this shoots per second, so the fact that this thing is lightning fast should not come as a surprise. It is seriously fast. Don't step away to grab your coffee, because your print-job has already printed! Further, it's whisper quiet, which helps in a world already surrounded by rings and beeps and all other noise clutter.

   Print Quality is also important, and for me, I tend to grab the paper right in the middle, as bad as that habit is, and then it smudges. I did the same thing multiple times during my tests, and there was not a single smudge or smear.

   I was curious and I compared the printout from the 4630 to a print job I sent simultaneously to my fairly new laser printer. It's important for me to mention this; you cannot tell the difference. The quality is pretty much identical to the laser printer, and a few other folks commented on how the printout that came from the 4630 had such "Deep and rich colors that make the photos jump right off the page". That's some excellent feedback right there, folks!

This is the clincher

   OK, Money, Money, Money. I can tell you this: If you begin using the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4630, your color-printing budget expenditures will drop. This printer will cut down on your color-printing costs. The "How" is no secret when you look at the page-output of the ink cartridges. The ink that comes in the box with the printer can top out at approximately 1000 black print pages and also 1000 color print pages. If you are the type who tends to worry over ink usage, there is some great news everyone will love. The replacement cartridges for the black ink and the 3 colored inks have the capacity to push out 2600 pages per black ink cartridge and 2000 pages per color ink cartridge. When I tell you that these cartridges cost about $42-$45 each (on Epson.com), and when you do the math with those types of high-output quantities, it makes the cost of these cartridges seem almost trivial. It's what I would call "power-user page-output" at a rock-bottom per-page cost.

   I really liked how I was able to print from my mobile, and it's compatible w/Google Cloud Print. and you are also able to seamlessly print from your Apple devices. This printer seems like the features and bells and whistles included were endless!

   Overall, I was very pleased with the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4630 printer. I will continue to discuss my goals with Epson, which is to bring more of their printers and other technology to your attention. This might even make Epson your default choice when upgrading or expanding to new offices.


Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"

Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #printer #multifunction #precisioncore #inkjet #iso #ppm #ink #print #copy #scan #fax

November 16, 2014

New Epson Workforce 5690 Printer "WOWs" an IT Veteran.


Hi folks,
   I'm glad to be back with all of you here and I'm ecstatic about discussing the new Epson Workforce 5690 printer, along with all of it's new functionality that will make your life easier and your days more productive.

   The good folks at Epson, a long-term provider of our network peripherals (i.e. printers, faxes), has provided us with an excellent opportunity to test their newest Multifunction printer. Right out of the box, the Workforce 5690 is a sturdy machine, with a slick aero-dynamic design, as well as many goodies that even includes a QR Code Scanner, so let's examine this new printer's functionality, performance, and some cool new attributes.

   The Functionality: I must break the news to you!

   I need to let you know that if you like changing out inkjet printer carridges, the party ends here for you! For the rest of you, this behemoth uses huge ink bays that support ink cartridges that can print over 4,000 pages...Great job, guys!

   The Performance: Fast. How Fast? Very Fast!

   In using a standard ISO document, I ran tests vs. two new powerful laser-jet printers that I recently acquired, and in comparison, and the quality of the Workforce 5690 printouts far super-ceded the printouts of both of the laser-jet printers, regardless of whether I used standard paper or photo-quality paper. Printing speed was blindingly fast. With Epson's measurement of One-sided ISO print speeds of 20 ISO ppm (black) and 20 ISO ppm (color), along with Two-sided ISO print speeds of 11 ISO ppm (black) and 11 ISO ppm (color), this printer is a force to be reckoned with.

   New Technology: Good for your health?

   PrecisionCore chips are the new buzz-word, since Epson is moving away from the "old" thermal ink process towards a new process that is being driven by these new chips. These incredible chips can shoot over 40 million drops of ink per second. Epson claims the 5690 will consume substantially less energy vs competitive color laser jet printers, and that overall, its printers consume less power and produce fewer hazardous air particles. Yes, you heard that right: a printer that can be good for your health.

   I was very impressed by the new Workforce 5690 printer from Epson, and I feel that it is really a shot in the arm for the ink jet segment of the printer market. I was honored to evaluate this printer and I wish Epson much success with this sleek print-master!


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Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"

Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com

HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #epson #printer #multifunction #precisioncore #inkjet

October 29, 2013

Sandy Hits Howard Beach, and We Stand Strong

Hi Folks,
   In honor of friends and loved ones that have been severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy and continue to struggle, I am dedicating this post in their honor.

   In 2005, I was glued to the TV watching images of people on their roofs awaiting rescue. It seemed like they were stranded on Mars. I wanted to reach through my TV and pluck them off their homes myself. I had never seen anything like it, and living in New York, I foolishly thought it could never happen hear.

   Fast Forward to 2012: On this day just one year ago, I was home with my 6 year old son and joking about the possibility of losing power. He gathered all of his little flashlights and prepared them with fresh batteries. Yes, he knows the routine, because a year earlier, we faced Irene, and had no power for 3 days. We were veterans. So with the storm dumping some hit and miss rain and just winds blowing, my junior storm veteran kept asking me when the storm is going to hit. I told him I think this was it.

   About 8pm, the lights went out. We calmly got our flashlights ready and headed to the front door. There were sparks in the air and booming, with transformers blowing out on the poles (from the wind, I had thought). I turned on my portable radio and no sooner did I do that, I heard a loud twirling sound outside. It sounded like a freight train. Initial convincing thought: Tornado! No sooner did that thought cross my mind, my Emergency Alert went off on my cell phone and it warned the Howard Beach area to "take cover" for life and death conditions imminent. Yep, a tornado for sure I figured. To the basement we went! We put our Spongebob headlamps on our foreheads (silly, but I had to do whatever it took to keep him calm when the twister hit!!). I said we need to wait a little while and I was going to attempt reading to him by headlamp to keep things calm.

   Suddenly, I started hearing sounds like "Glop Glop Glop", or what you hear when a train is backed up. It turns out that we have a drain in the basement floor to drain out any seepage/leaks from big rainstorms, which never amounted to anything more than a damp floor in some spots. But this was different. I walked over with a big flashlight, and it was gushing up from the drain. I told my son that reading has to be moved back upstairs, since the water was coming fast and furious. He waited on the stairs and I grabbed anything I needed to bring up with us.

   When we got upstairs, I opened the front door, and our home became an island. Water up 2 of the 4 front steps, cars stuck in the water. Armageddon within less than 30 minutes, Images of Katrina flashed through my head. How can I get him to the roof? What is the best way? Strap him to my back? As I felt myself panic, I realized I needed to shelve the emotions, and focus on keeping him calm. I told my son that the streets were being washed by Sandy. Inside, I felt fear, but I knew that as long as that water did not hit the 3rd and 4th step, we'd be OK where we were.

   Then it hit the 3rd step, and I made a plan B in case it started coming into the main floor; we would camp out on the Dining Room table. I came down to peer at the basement with a flashlight, and it sounded like Niagara Falls. Water was shooting up from the floor! I saw the next high tide was coming at 8:20am, so I got him to take some rest, and I sat up with my radio listening to the news. There was no chance I was taking a snooze with this unprecedented catastrophe in progress and my little guy needing me to be the wall between him and the storm, both mentally and physically.

   To make a very long story short, the waters receded over night, and 12 days later, power returned !! My basement was gutted and made brand new, thanks to quick action by FEMA. I lost a lot of treasured items stored in my basement, however, I was given something in return that is more valuable than any of it: life.

   Many people lost lives in Sandy, and many people have still not recovered, even though their lives were spared. I was able to recover and move forward. I am thankful, and always pray for those who lost family and are still in dire straits.

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Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #sandy #howardbeach #newyork #queens #hurricane #superstorm

October 18, 2013

Buying a Home? Read This First

Hi Folks,
   I hope all of you have been well, and thanks for all of your correspondence.

   The reason we are all meeting here together in this Blog is for one purpose; Real Estate. Albeit a broad industry composed of multiple niche subdivisions, it all comes down to buying and selling properties. Today, we will turn our attention to buying properties, and we'll focus on some essential things that homebuyers should be aware of before making a purchase.

   Let's step back for a moment and look at all of the moving parts here in the most common of scenarios: A buyer will utilize the services of a Real Estate agent to find a home, make an offer, and if the offer is accepted, the buyer will then utilize the services of a mortgage broker/banker to gain access to funds. Are you with me so far?

   From another angle, you are buying a house, and borrowing money (paying interest, points, etc). To be more specific, as John Maxfield of the Motley Fool wrote in a recent article, when you buy a home, you're making two purchases, and says that, "the loan itself may be the most significant piece of the transaction".

   Some other points that Maxfield touched upon was that you should look at your Real Estate agent as a partner, and additionally, that you need to keep resale in mind from the beginning. A good suggestion is to start doing your homework on agents and ask around. Check their reviews online, if you can do so locally. Speak with neighbors in the area you are looking to buy a home, and start gathering names and suggestions for you to investigate further. Once you have narrowed down your options and decided on an agent, start building a relationship with them. Only then will you be able to confidently discuss the eventual or possible re-sale of your home while looking to purchase it in the first place.

   Maxfield says that most of us "delude ourselves into thinking that we actually know something about real estate", but says that the truth is that "few of us have any idea what we're talking about". I think this statement is especially true for those that are won over by a home and fall in love before the inspection. Maxfield says that, "Homes are like people -- they all have problems", and that the "shock generally comes when prospective buyers get their inspection reports back". That's when some tough decisions need to be made and some negotiations have to take place (regarding who makes repairs, who pays for them, and so forth). Not the most exciting time of the homebuying process...take my word for it!

   Look, the truth is that the right home is out there for you. If you educate yourself, learn the market, know what you will be facing as far as home price, mortgage "price", possible resale value, and whatever else might be necessary in your state, you will prevail.

   Remember, if you want to take a softer approach to buying a home, the answer is quite simple; look into Rent to Own. You're certainly on the right website for that option !


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Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com

HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #buyhome #realestate #agent #broker #mortgage #inspection #renttoown



September 5, 2013

Big Market Players Focus on Filling Homes with Renters

Hi folks,
   I like to consider my readers as quite familiar with the way the Real Estate market works, namely, the ebb-and-flow of buying properties and selling properties. With that being said, you know that Investors make up an important chunk of overall home purchases. However, per data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in early 2009, 25% of homebuyers were investors. Earlier this year (in February), they made up 22% of home buyers, but then, in July, that figured dropped to 16% Nationally.

   "Housing has morphed from a form of shelter to one of the most popular tradable assets, thanks to a huge influx of institutional investors in a mammoth, albeit decreasing, supply of distressed properties", writes CNBC Real Estate Reporter Diana Olick. Olick adds that this is why, "...it should come as no surprise the housing market is now nearly as volatile as the stock market". Indeed, it is volatile, but what happened to all of these investors?

   Not too long ago, large investors like funds Blackstone and Waypoint were buying properties by the bushel, and pushing up home prices. But now? Well, with all of the homes under management, they are working on filling the homes with renters, as Olick wrote in her article, "As investors shift, housing is the new stock market", now investors are focusing on filling those houses with renters.

   With the slowdown in investor purchases, Olick say that there could be a consolidation of investor firms (larger firms buying up smaller players). But the volatility remains. A contributor for Olick's story was Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin (an online real estate sales company), who said that, "We've seen more volatility in real estate in the past five years than we have in the past 500".

   Stay strong and Stay tuned!



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Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com

HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com



TAGS: #RealEstateinvestor #buyingproperties #sellingproperties #homepurchase #Realtor #NAR #distressed #housingmarket #sales



August 31, 2013

What's Up? Home Prices and Sales of Existing Homes

Hi Folks,
   It's great to report this, but guess what's up? The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) just released their figures for the June 2012-June 2013 time period, and there was a 7.7% increase in home prices. The big winner was the West Coast, which checked in with a 17% gain, followed by the Mountain Region, at 11%. The slacker was the Mid-Atlantic, including New York, which was only up 2.5%. Additionally, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released figures for the July 2012 - July 2013 time period, and the median price of a previously owned home popped up close to 14%. As for sales, the sales of previously owned homes jumped by 6.5% last month.

   Know what else? Even with these increases, homes are reasonably valued, and they still have room to increase further. Additionally, it's still cheaper to buy than rent, which also bolsters the opinion that housing prices are still undervalued.

   What's going down? Not mortgage rates. That makes buyers nervous and makes them scramble to take action before the rates increase. A perfect example that John W. Schoen points out in his article on CNBC.com, titled, "Home prices across the US defy gravity, despite rising rates", Mortgage applications for both home purchases and refinancings dropped for a second straight week as rates rose, and he cites the Mortgage Bankers Association. "Demand fell 4.6 percent in the week ended Aug. 16 as the rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 4.68 percent, matching this year's high mark.". In order for people to keep buying homes, credit needs to stay available, and the post-bubble vice-grip needs to be eased further in order to allow folks to get approved.

   So overall, this is some pretty good news !! What are your thoughts?

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Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #homeprices #existinghomessales #rates #mortgage applications #refinance #fixed mortgage #credit #bubble

August 14, 2013

Printing Power, Redefined !

Hi Folks,
   I hope all is well, and I'm glad to be back here with you.

   The good people at Epson have provided me a wonderful opportunity to test out their Epson Workforce Pro WP-4533, which has truly made an impact in my chaotic office.

THE PRINTER:
   This is a solid multifunction machine! The Epson Work Force Pro WP-4533 has some pretty slick features, such as the ability to Network it or print from devices over the Apple or Google Cloud-Print types. It tops out at a maximum printing resolution of 4800x1200 dpi, but in work-horse mode, it also acts as a two-sided printer, plus it functions as a Copier, Fax machine, and a Scanner. Scanned images can be saved to a PC or a flash drive, saved to PDF file format, or sent as E-mail.

PROs:
   Let's start out with the positives; I'm a tech-guy, and I have unboxed some messy equipment before, but this was a snap. Great instructions and very easy to assemble, with the installation of the four ink cartridges, and no need to toss everything when it's gone. Real quality machine, and great value!

CONs:
   The printing speed is 16 black pages per minute, a little slow, but just fine for my team. Additionally, the printer sleeps in a power save mode, but it wakes up fast! The LCD control panel is a little small, for those of us with imperfect eyesight.


THE BOTTOM LINE:
   This is a turn-key printer that provides you with not only a printer, but also, a copier, scanner, & a fax. Additionally, it is quite a bit less to use that a laser printer.



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Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com

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TAGS: #Printer #Epson #review #renttoown




November 21, 2012

Crucial Parts of a Rent to Own Deal

Hi Folks,
   Thanksgiving week is upon us as quickly as I think I've ever experienced it before. Does anyone else feel the same way?

   "Rent to Own Homes" are an excellent vehicle for both buyers and sellers, however, some folks throw around those 4 words in a haphazard manner with no thought behind it. When that happens, it opens the door to bad things, and some bad folks trying to profit on the backs of innocent people.

   With our 10-year anniversary celebration ongoing, by now, you should be fully convinced that we take the phrase, "Rent to Own Homes", quite seriously, and we cannot stress enough just how important it is to sort out  all of the facts and responsibilities of all parties, just as in any other business contract.

   There are certain things that the Seller/Homeowner must do, as well as certain things that the Prospective Tenant/Buyer must do, but most importantly, these things must be coordinated between both of the parties. Ignoring these things are the sure sign of legal repercussions down the road, for both parties.

   In an aptly-named article, "Questions to consider if looking to rent-to-own", Joanna Jackson, a sales manager/associate broker with Jackson Realty, wrote up a concise breakdown of these specific items.

   Basically, as you might imagine, these run the gammut between Who fixes the toilet bowl, who pays for the handyman, if needed, and plenty of "What If?" scenarios.

   Jackson list the following items the seller will need to consider; Who will tend to the property, pay for routine maintenance, and pay for major repairs? Will you be managing the property, and if not, will you hire a real estate agent (and what are the costs of those two routes)? How much does it cost to set up and manage an escrow account for the portion of rent allotted to the down payment? What if the renters bail on you? Who keeps the money in the escrow account? If the buyers change their minds, what will be required to put the property back on the market for sale?

   Jackson also lists some of the items that need to be thought out by the buyers; How much, if any, of the rent is going to the down payment? What if you change your mind (How locked in are you if you change your mind?), What will it cost you to get out of the deal, if needed?, How long will it take to accumulate enough of a down payment to help you towards qualifying for a mortgage?, Who is responsible for paying the property taxes (and other local taxes) and insurance on the property?

   These are all very open-ended questions with no Right or Wrong answer, however, there are certain local "traditions" or procedures that vary from state to state and sometimes even county to county. I fully concur with Jackson, who states that when "considering a rent-to-own deal, seek legal advice from a real estate attorney". I go one step further and suggest an attorney that is local to the property, and thus, the local laws.

   Although these above-mentioned items can seem a thorn in your side, remember one thing; these are what make a Rent to Own Deal an actual "Rent to Own Deal", vs. a shady open-ended agreement with many gray areas, which can stop you from selling your home, or, can stop you from obtaining your dream home. Nail it down the first time so everyone walks away happy!

   Have you had any good or bad experiences with a Rent to Own deal? We'd love to hear which of these suggestions came into play during the process.

   From your team at HomeRun Homes, we wish you a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday!

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Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #RenttoOwn #Homes #buyer #seller #contract #homeowner #tenant #property #maintenance #repairs #escrow #rent #sale #downpayment #qualify #mortgage #propertytax #realestate #attorney