Tips From Tony Blog

Any idea how I can find out who manufactures our Dell 3010cn laser printer which we have here at work? We’re trying to buy replacement cartridges without going through Dell, and figure somebody must make them for whoever the manufacturer of the printer is. The label on the back says “manufactured for Dell” so we know someone else is building them.

- Go to Google Maps

- Type in your local mailing-address (example: One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014) and search for it.

- Click on “Find Businesses”

- Search for

toner recycling

- Each business entry will have contact-info, and some of them will even have web-links for their home-pages.

CALL THEM and ask them directly. If the “engine” inside your Dell is a common one, using common cartridges, every toner-recycling shop will be fully aware of it. It’s their business to know.

Toner-recycling (which is what you really, really want) is THE most cost-effective way to pay for toner, and it’s ecologically friendly. It’s also very, very local by nature, which is why I sent you to Google Maps. Many local places will even stop by to pick up the old cartridges to be refilled, and will drop off the fresh ones at the same time.

It’s to your advantage to develop a long-term relationship with one of your local toner-recycling shops.  It’ll save you thousands of dollars!

These people who forward jokes - ARGH!!@!

I’m MERCILESS with people that do that. I say:

“Thank you for expressing love to me by sending me jokes and other
thoughtful items via e-mail. I clearly perceive PLENTY of love
coming through. Now, I’ve reached the point where I simply can’t
handle any more jokes/recipes/political alerts/puppy & kitty pics
from anybody at all, no matter how much I enjoy them. Please remove
me from your e-mail lists, with no hard feelings at all, because I
truly understand how much you care for me!”

Works every time, especially if I keep sending the exact same thing,
over and over.

Sometimes equipment fails, and we need to bring it in for repair.

Nowadays, the repair centers are swamped - Macs and iPods are selling
faster than ever before, and the Apple Stores can be quite crowded.
If you just walk in, expecting to be able to get help, you’re in for
a LONG wait, if you can get helped at all. You can wait as much as
four hours!

Luckily, Apple has come up with a nice system for making an
appointment. At midnight every night, the appointment-making software
resets itself so that all time-slots are open. If you get up in the
morning and immediately make an appointment online, then you are 95%
certain of getting an appointment at the time that you would like,
but only on that same day:

• Apple Store Fashion Valley

• Apple Store University Towne Centre

• Other Apple Stores

Just log in as a guest. Then, make your appointment. Then, bring in
the ailing hardware a few minutes early. They will probably still
make you wait a bit, but it’s a breeze compared to the alternative.

Prepare to be “gobsmacked” (it IS a british article)…

This list is a repository for every keyboard secret in OS X, and should continue to grow exponentially over time. Some of these are well known, some are not. Shortcuts in the Menu category are common rather than universal.

Here’s a way to decipher them:

- The backwards “y” is the Option key

- “^” is the Control key

- The upward-pointing arrow is the Shift key.

Apple JUST posted this, a few moments ago…