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Just as with TVs and monitors, the office projector has undergone a revolution over the past few years. What once cost $1500 or more is now only $500. At the same time, the quality and features have expanded radically.

Projectors have benefited from the same advances as monitors and TVs. While, unlike monitors and TVs, CRTs are often still the highest quality possible, LCD projectors are now an outstanding option. When considering one, look for many of the same features as you would in a monitor.

Higher resolution is generally better. A standard SVGA projector that is capable of only 800 x 600 pixels may do for some presentations. But good graphics and especially dynamic video demand better. XGA (1024 by 768) may be acceptable, but WXGA (1280 x 800) is better especially if your presentations integrate moving video with still images and PowerPoint slides. Truly high end projectors are essentially HDTV sets in miniature and offer full 1080p digital output.

Like HDTV, projectors can now show 16:9 aspect ratio images. That’s the widescreen look once limited to theaters but now a standard feature of every digital TV. The older ratio of 4:3 (the common TV picture for decades) is still around, but fading. You might have to pay a little more for this feature, though, and whether the extra cost is justified is a personal decision.

But the most exciting difference in projectors today is their newly-gained ability to integrate image types. For decades, projecting a slide, whether physical or digital from a laptop, was the only option. Now, projectors can show PowerPoint slides, streaming video and text from an Internet website. In short, they’re much more like laptops themselves.

Naturally, those features come at a price. But with prices dropping all the time, that ability will soon be standard. Also, studies show that this style of presentation leads to better recall by viewers. Give them text backed by images and video with sound and you’ve got a winner.

Also, look for models that have short-throw technology. They allow you to set the projector much closer to the screen and still have no image distortion. That can be very useful for presentations in small rooms. The machine can sit at distances as short as three feet and still project a quality 80-inch image. Older technology requires six to eight feet.

Some standard criteria still apply, though.

All projectors are rated in terms of brightness. Manufacturers have standardized and will report the figure in lumens. A higher number is better.

A rating of 1000-1500 lumens will be adequate for small offices that are projecting images in a moderately dark room. Higher numbers are better for both image quality and to allow presentations in larger or lighter rooms. A figure of 2000-3000 lumens is needed for those where you can’t draw the shades but still want to see the images clearly.

That can be really important when you want the audience to be able to take notes. It also helps in a situation in which people might be tempted to start conversations or become distracted when the lights are turned down.

Don’t forget about other common convenience features, either, such as weight. An ultra-portable projector might weigh in at under 3 lbs. One that could still be used on a road trip might be as much as 7 lbs, but could deliver a better picture.

It’s a whole new world in office projectors. Explore it.

There are several first-rate monitor vendors. But the selection process has changed over the past few years. Today, the first task is to choose the desired monitor type - CRT, LCD or plasma.

Until recently, all but those with a lot of spare cash were limited to CRT monitors. This type has a tube similar to TVs that are also now going out of style. They are still available and if your overriding goal is to get a monitor for the absolute lowest price, this is the way to go. But keep in mind the obvious: they are heavier and take up more desk space. What is not so obvious is that they no longer tend to be the highest picture quality available.

CRTs stayed around for a while because LCD and plasma monitors were much more expensive and often lower quality. Prices have changed dramatically over the past three years and the quality of a flat panel is now unmatched by all but esoteric CRTs.

Flat panel monitors divide into two types, just as they do for TVs: LCD or plasma. Just as with the TV technology that they closely resemble (in fact, they are sometimes interchangeable), each has its pros and cons, depending on the application.

Prices shift among LCD and plasma, but the latter still tend to be a little more expensive for the highest quality monitor. That will change as time goes on, but it’s impossible to predict in which direction. For a while, LCDs were rising and plasma prices decreasing.

Fortunately, plasma monitors (and TVs) no longer suffer from burn-in as they did for the first few years of production. They can now safely display the same image for months on end without retaining any permanent image on the screen.

They offer very sharp images with outstanding blacks and well-saturated colors. That’s important for those who do a lot of graphics work where the highest possible image quality is critical. They can also display rapidly moving scenes with a little more accuracy than the average LCD monitor. That’s not so important for document handling, but for those who create or manipulate a lot of video it can be worth a little extra money.

LCDs are usually a little better in a bright room, which is one reason they tend to be the more popular choice in offices. They, too, can produce ultra-sharp images. Dollar for dollar they typically offer higher resolution than plasma.

Like plasma monitors, LCD monitors have evolved over the past few years. If you haven’t looked lately, you’ll find that for the same price as those of a few years back the contrast ratio is better. Figures of 1000:1 or better are now common. The higher the better. Also, they rarely have a problem today displaying fast moving video. A good LCD will now play rapid sports video without noticeable blur. Still, some less expensive models (like their TV counterparts) are prone to drop a pixel here and there after a year or two. Exercise caution by looking on forums and at reviews for a particular one you’re considering.

Both types will offer the same light weight and slim outline, but each model differs in extras that can be nice to have. That may include such things as tilt angle, the ease with which controls are used and other factors. To some who may have to adjust them often, having good extras can definitely be worth a little extra money. At minimum, you want a monitor that is fast, displays high contrast and saturated colors, and capable of high resolution.

Today, few choices are more important than the personal computers you select for the office. Whether you favor Apple or Dell or some other hardware vendor, whether your preference is for the Mac OS, Windows or Linux there are some common elements that run across any good system.

Cost is clearly the first thing that anyone will consider. We’d all like to have $10,000 to spend on every computer in the office. With that kind of money you could buy the absolute best around. But rarely is that justified for even a single personal machine, much less every computer in the office.

The specific amount is less the idea here, though, than the principle: get what you pay for, but pay for what you need. We’re all tempted to cut corners. Saving money is critical in any business, especially when starting out. But trimming the computer budget too tightly will cost you productivity all day, every day for the useful life of the machine.

It is possible to spend too much on a machine even when you think you’re getting something for that money. ‘Too much’, doesn’t mean here not getting a good deal from a vendor. It means spending money for aspects that don’t give you any value.

One current Intel processor that runs at 3.16 GHz clock speed, for example, sells for several hundred dollars more than the 3.0 GHz model. The other aspects of the two processors are almost identical. The higher number does not, in fact, mean the machine will be 5% faster. Even if the price were only 1% higher you would still be spending money unwisely. You will rarely notice the difference. There are many aspects to computer performance and this small extra speed will go unnoticed.

So, lesson one is that if you learn a little bit about what makes for good computer performance then you can avoid spending money to get essentially nothing in return. No need to be an expert yourself though it never hurts. But be sure to ask some probing questions or get someone to advise you.

Post-sales support can be equally important. No major hardware manufacturer today gives stellar post-sales support. They simply have too many customers to make it feasible to answer all the questions that come up. Most will send replacements parts or a repair person in a reasonable amount of time for machines that actually break down within the warranty period. But you should not expect much more.

That means it can be worthwhile (depending on your personal comfort level with computers and other circumstances) to purchase indirectly. Many resellers offer a great value by providing increased phone and email support, rapid on-site repair services and other value-adds if you purchase from them instead. They can do this because they have a smaller customer base, often are closer to the customer and are usually much better trained than the customer service staffs at major corporations.

Lesson two, then, is to consider how important for you is it to have rapid, reliable, knowledgeable help when something goes wrong. Hardware (and even, to a large extent, software) is very solid these days. If, when you need help you need it now and need it badly, it can easily be worth the extra 10-15% you might pay for a system.

The old saying ‘penny wise and pound foolish’ is an enduring truth, never more so than when it comes to choosing a desktop computer. For most offices today, it forms the core of a person’s productivity. It’s worthwhile to put a little extra thought into choosing one.

The two basic choices for an office printer today are the inkjet type or the laser printer. Both, in turn, are available in either color or black and white printing styles. Which is best for you?

Just as with computer monitors, the office printer has changed dramatically over the past few years. Lasers, once very expensive, have seen a sharp decline in price. Inkjets are now often given away with other purchases. But the stated purchase price isn’t the only figure you want to consider. Running cost and usable lifetime are equally important, for they determine the true cost over the long run.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers function by shooting a small jet of fast-drying ink from a cartridge onto paper. They can produce stellar output, sometimes almost indistinguishable from a photograph made from a film negative printed on special paper. Today, they’re low cost to purchase (often less than $50) and may last as long as several years.

But, they do have some drawbacks.

Inkjet printers are cheap, but - as the marketing adage goes, give away the razor and sell the blades - the cartridges can add up. A basic four-color inkjet cartridge (black and 3-primary colors that combine to make a range of tones) runs anywhere from $20-$40 or more. If you only print a few pages per day, the cost per sheet may be as low as 10 cents. But it will generally range between 25-50 cents per page. Still, that’s not a huge expense at small volumes.

But, for large volumes, the cost of cartridges can balloon into something substantial before you know it. Since they only last a few hundred pages, you may have to replace one often. Even a black-only inkjet cartridge, which might be as low as $10-$15, can last only as long as 400 pages for average documents with no graphics.

A color inkjet cartridge will often last less than half that and the cartridges are double or more the price of just black. Full color documents with complex graphics can consume a color cartridge in a few dozen pages.

The most serious drawback, though, comes in at ultra-low volumes. If you print a document only occasionally, the cartridge may not work at all after a while. The ink at the nozzles has a tendency to dry out, making printing impossible if the printer sits unused for a few weeks.

Laser Printers

The initial purchase price of laser printers is typically higher. But sometimes the total cost difference is minimal depending on your use.

A quality black and white laser printer can be purchased for under $100. Desktop color laser printers may go anywhere from $200 or higher. A high output laser printer can be as high as a few thousand dollars.

Cartridges are more expensive, too. A black and white toner cartridge starts at about $40 and may be as much as $100. Color cartridges are $150-$200. However, they may print as much as 3,000 pages before running out, so the cost per page is typically much less than with inkjets.

Depending on the type of document (and the cartridge cost) 2 cents per page is achievable. The average for printing a page is in the 10-25 cent range for a color laser printer. In part, the higher price is due to the increased amount of graphics that tend to appear on a color page.

A good laser printer can reliably print many thousands of pages, producing several hundred to a thousand or more per day for years before wearing out. They also don’t suffer the same low-volume problem as inkjets. Laser toner can sit unused for months and still print a clean, crisp page on demand.

Choose according to your personal circumstances, but keep in mind the longer-term costs.