The Den of Agnus ；）

Seems a same story...

while both prince and Cinderella seem not so attracting as before...

Maybe Her Majesty is on my side   ;  )

 

Adios to a strong moral traveller       from Agnus Dei  Apr.2005

General

The archeological and traditional Egyptian history of music is much more abundant than in any other country. The wall reliefs of the Ancient Egyptian temples and tombs depict numerous types and forms of musical instruments, the technique in which these instruments were to be played and tuned, the ensemble playing, and much, much more.

These musical scenes visibly show the hands of the harp player striking certain strings, and the wind instrument players playing certain chords.

The distances of the lute frets clearly show that the corresponding intervals and scales can be measured and calculated. The positions of the harpists? hands on the strings clearly indicate ratios such as the Fourth, the Fifth, and the Octave梤evealing an unquestionable knowledge of the laws governing musical harmony. The playing of musical instruments is controlled by the conductors? hand movements, which also help us identify certain tones, intervals and functions of sound.

In addition to the numerous representations of musical scenes pictured in temples and tombs from all periods throughout Egypt抯 dynastic history, we also have access to hundreds of various Ancient Egyptian musical instruments that have been recovered from their tombs. These Egyptian instruments are now spread in museums and private collections throughout the world. Most of these instruments were found to be carefully and individually wrapped in cloth, before they were buried.

All these findings, together with the early historian writings of Egyptian musical heritage, as well as the traditions of modern Nile inhabitants, corroborate to provide the most authentic case of the musical history of Ancient Egypt.

The depicted musical scenes in Ancient Egyptian tombs, as well as instruments found from the Old and Middle Kingdoms, indicate ratios between the open strings of the harp, the densely ordered frets on the long necks of string instruments, as well as the measurements between the fingerholes in wind instruments that reveal/confirm:

1. Several types of musical scales.
   
   
2. Narrow-stepped scales were common from the earliest known Egyptian history (more than 5,000 years ago.
   
   
3. Playing and tuning techniques of string instruments to provide solo and chordal playing of instruments.
   
   
4. Playing techniques of wind instruments that provide small increments and organ effect.
   
   
5. The use of both the cyclic (up-and-down) method, and the divisive method.

The Ancient Egyptians were/are famed worldwide for their mastery of the playing techniques of their musical instruments. The skill of the Egyptians, in the use of these instruments, was affirmed by Athenaeus, who stated (in his texts [iv, 25]) that both the Greeks and 揵arbarians? were taught music by Egyptian natives.

The Musical Orchestras

Musical bands varied in Ancient Egypt. Smaller and larger ensembles were employed for various purposes, as evident from depicted musical scenes in the Ancient Egyptian buildings. It is sufficiently evident, from the sculptures of the Ancient Egyptians, that their musicians were acquainted with the triple symphony梩he harmony of instruments, voices, and of voices and instruments. The playing of musical instruments was controlled by the conductor? movements of hands (chironomids). Their hand signs show a variety of playing: unison, chord, polyphony, ...etc.

The Egyptian orchestra/ensemble consisted generally of the four instrument groups:

String instruments with open strings, like tri-gonon, lyre, harp, ...etc. String instruments with stopped strings on a neck, like the tanboura, guitar, oud/lute, etc. Wind instruments like the flute, pipe, double pipe, trumpet, etc. Percussion instruments like drums, clappers, bells, ...etc.

Ancient Trade Routes

Superficially, Ancient Egypt seems isolated and distinct from the rest of the world, isolated by the deserts that hem in the narrow valley of the Nile. Yet the Egyptians were in constant contact with other countries.

The needs of a civilized society, such as the Ancient Egyptians, are not fully satisfied with the produce of its homeland. Thus, trade routes were developed to faraway places. The Nile was navigable throughout the length of Egypt. The Red Sea gave access to Africa and the Far East. The Mediterranean Sea gave them access to countries in Europe and, dare we say, even to northern Europe and the Americas. Travel in ancient days was much more extensive and common than is generally imagined.

In Africa, caravans of merchants guarded by soldiers introduced Egyptian products and techniques to distant traders. They carried these goods and innovations westward along the savannah, toward Lake Chad and further westward, southward to the highlands of Ethiopia and Equatorial Africa.

The trade routes of this region are the oldest in Africa. Many of them were already in existence at the beginning of the Common Era (CE), and some can be traced back to the third millennium BCE.

Egypt was connected with the lands to the south by three main routes:

1. Darb el-Arbeen

The Forty Days? Road links Asyut in the Nile Valley to El Fasher in the Dar-Fur Province of Sudan, a journey of 1,082 miles (1,721 km). It was the shortest and safest distance to travel into western Africa. The route was strung along several green and lush oases such as El Kharga. Dozens of towns, forts, and way stations spread over the depression floor.

From El Fasher, another route led west through Dar-Fur, toward Lake Chad, ending in the area of Kano (northern Nigeria), at the upper reaches of the Niger River Basin.




2. Sunt (Elephantine) Road

It began at Sunt (Aswan), and went to El Fasher in Dar-Fur, by way of the oases of Selima and Bir Natrum. Sunt (Elephantine) Road also branched off to Semna West, where the caravans and expeditions transferred to ships in order to continue the journey to beyond the trading post established at Kerma, above the Third Cataract. In the same way, protective escorts and merchandise bound for Egypt from the south disembarked at Semna, where the fortress of Semna South was built (during the Middle Kingdom) to protect the travelers.

During the time of the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BCE), this highway was in continuous use all the way throughout the Roman Era, as many inscriptions on the Rock of Offerings at Sunt(Elephantine) testify.




3. Nile Valley to The Red Sea

There were also several trade routes to the Red Sea from the Nile Valley, which allowed trade with Asian countries. Some of these ports along the Red Sea were: Suakin, Massawa, and Zeila.

Other routes led south from the Nile Valley towns of Asyut, Qus, Sunt (Aswan), and Dongola, via the oases of Kharga, Dakhla, and Dunqul, to Kufra, Dar-Fur (western Sudan), and Kordofan.

Another route led from the western oases of Egypt to Bilma and Gao, but this seems to have fallen out of use by the 10th century.

In Sudan, the main transversal route, running from east to west, started from Suakin, to Sennar or Qerri, and continued across Kordofan to Darfur and on to the countries in West and Central Africa.

The whole African continent was known to the people of Egypt, as confirmed by Herodotus, who reported that Necho, King of Egypt, c. 600 BCE, sent an Egyptian ship with Phoenician sailors to circumnavigate Africa, and that they returned safely and reported of their endeavor.

Items of Trade with Interior Africa

The cast of the scene from the temple of Ramesses II at Beit el-Wali in Kush, shows clearly what the Egyptians were accustomed to importing from interior Africa. They brought leopards, leopard-skins, giraffe-tails, giraffes, monkeys, cattle, antelopes, gazelles, lions, ebony, ivory, ostrich-feathers and eggs, fans, bows, and shields made of fine hides.

The other African products that Egypt bought included: wood, gum, incense, carnelian (a stone prized both as jewelry and for arrowheads), haematite (red ochre), amazon stone, perfumes, oils, selected cattle, and dogs.

How deep and far inside Africa did they travel? Many of the names of places, in the Ancient Egyptian records, are not recognizable, but the time it took to travel, along with the list of exports, indicate regions at least as far as the Niger River and the Ethiopian highlands. Prince Herkhuf, one of the greatest of the caravan masters, spent 7-8 months on each of his three recorded trade missions, during the reign of King Merenra (2255-2246 BCE).

      昨天，著名办公用品制造商施乐（Xerox）公司面向中小企业用户推出WorkCentre C2424系列多功能一体机。该系列包含C2424DN、C2424DP和C2424DX三款型号，在内存容量、扫描分辨率以及随机赠送的软件上略有不 同。
WorkCentre C2424DN

　　据分析，C2424系列的打印功能主要基于施乐先前推出的Phaser 8400彩色喷蜡打印机。该系列一体机打印分辨率为600*600DPI，黑白与彩色打印速度均为24ppm，打印语言采用Adobe PostScript 3和PCL 5c，全彩方式下首页输出时间仅为6秒。由于采用喷蜡打印方式，C2424系列彩色输出质量和耐久度均得到提高。

　 　在扫描功能上，C2424系列也颇有竞争力，扫描速率高达20ppm，扫描分辨率达600x600DPI（C2424DN的扫描分辨率为 300x300DPI）。该系列一体机还可以扫描至邮件附件或上传至PC的功能，方便用户使用。更令人赞叹的是，C2424系列还采用了自动双面送纸器 （Duplex Automatic Document Feeder，DADF）和双扫描头设计，这不仅提高了扫描速率也减少了送纸过程中卡纸的次数。
引用地址：http://www.it.com.cn/f/office/054/1/94408.htm

      不论在国际市场还是在中国大陆市场，三星公司涉足办公自动化领域并不晚。其传真机和多功能一体机在市场占有率上一直名列前茅。但是在商用打印设备市场，三星一直没有推出较为成功的产品。一方面，在低端领域三星很难与柯尼卡—美能达的廉价黑白打印机竞争。另一方面，在高端领域三星又不具备与惠普等老牌企业相当的知名度和美誉度。当CLP 500作为三星第一款入门级彩色激光打印机在2004年CeBIT上展出时，似乎就预示了三星在商用打印市场采取一条中间市场策略，即通过入门级彩色激光打印机抢占彩色喷墨打印机和黑白激光打印机的市场份额。CLP 500高达20ppm的黑白打印速度和5ppm的彩色打印速度足以使其在众多入门级彩色激光打印机中脱颖而出。CLP 500还采用了标配的内置双面打印单元，首次把专业及高档产品才具有的自动双面打印功能提供给普通用户。而更难得的是，这款机器现在市场实际售价已经逼近三千元，有着极高的性价比。

IT.com.cn评测评价 优势：标配双面打印，售价低 不足：彩打速度相对偏慢 综合评价：超大容量进纸盒，性价比非常突出

 产品结构分析

　　CLP 500外观呈立方体，线条简洁，外观尺寸为482（宽）X452（厚）X385（高）mm，比许多入门级彩色激光打印机都要庞大。这样的庞然大物，自然重量不轻，算上4色墨盒和一个感光单元，CLP 500重达37千克。与同级别HP Color LaserJet 2550L彩色激光打印机21.8千克的重量相比较，就显出CLP 500的大块头了。


查看产品详细配置请点击

侧视图

顶视图

揭开上盖后的CLP500
　　CLP 500也采用了廉价激光打印机普遍使用的直通式送纸设备。该送纸设备位于机体侧面，可以容纳100张纸、30张透明胶片或者10张信封。这一送纸设备可以通过手动调节适应各种不同尺寸的打印纸张，虽然更换纸张的工作颇显麻烦。此外，CLP 500的标配送纸机构还包括250页容量的纸盒，安放在打印机下方。用户还可选择安装500页的第二纸盒，不过价格不菲。需要提醒用户的是，这两个纸盒仅可容纳A4和Letter尺寸纸张，且两种尺寸纸张不可混合放置。CLP 500的出纸机构则位于机体上方。


侧面的直通式送纸设备和底部的250页容量纸盒

　　引人注目的是CLP 500的标配中还包括内置双面打印单元，可以实现自动双面打印，有效地节省了用户的打印成本。这配置在入门级打印机中较为罕见，可算是CLP 500的一大亮点。不过，CLP 500的双面打印并不十分"智能"。打印奇数页时，打印过程进行到最后一页（仅占据纸张的一面）仍然两次将纸张卷入，只不过另一面不进行打印而已。

     CLP 500采用USB 2.0接口与IEEE-1284B并行接口，可以满足普通打印任务。用户可以通过购买网卡或者已配置了网卡的CLP 500N实现网络打印。值得一提的是，CLP 500和CLP 500N还可选配兼容IEEE 802.11b协议的无线网卡，方便了不便进行网络铺设的用户。

背部的USB2.0接口与IEEE-1284B并行接口

　　CLP 500虽然仍算作一款廉价激光打印机，但却采用了液晶显示屏显示打印状态并进行控制。控制面板最左边的"Online/Continue"按钮可以指示打印机状态。该按钮呈绿色常亮时，表明打印机处于在线状态，可以从电脑中接收数据；呈绿色慢闪时，表明打印机正接收数据；绿色快闪则表明正在打印中；该按钮呈橙色时表明打印机由于错误而停止打印。控制面板中间位置为液晶显示屏，从而可以显示当前状态或出错误信息。用户更可通过控制面板右边的数个按钮在菜单模式中进行选定和滚动，菜单条则显示在中间的液晶显示屏。菜单模式的出现极大地方便了用户的操作。值得一提的是，CLP 500能够自动诊断错误，并将详细信息（如出纸区卡纸、纸盘内卡纸或定影器温度过高）显示在控制面板中间的液晶显示屏上，方便用户快速找出故障所在。这一点远比等价位彩色激光打印机使用的LED指示系统更为人性化。

CLP 500的控制面板

　　CLP 500采用了分立式墨盒设计，但其打印过程与其它型号打印机却迥然相异。大多数彩色激光打印机工作时粉盒处于运动状态。而CLP 500四个呈平行分布的黑、黄、青、洋红粉盒在打印过程中始终处于静止状态，凭借硒鼓的滚动、图像传送单元（ITB）以及定影加压等设备的协调配合完成打印作业。

CLP 500打印原理

　　这一创新技术有利于减少机器内部各零件的摩擦， 增强了打印机性能的稳定性，从而达到降低噪音的效果，使CLP 500的噪音等级仅为49dba。此外还有利于在使用过程中墨盒的充分利用及减少不必要的浪费，更方便地让用户独立更换墨盒。传统产品往往需要多达十几步更换一套墨盒，而CLP 500仅需三步就可以更换全部四个墨盒。

 

CLP 500的感光鼓

 

CLP 500的影像传送器

 

CLP 500的墨盒（I）

 

CLP 500的墨盒（II）

 

CLP 500的墨盒（III）

　　CLP 500使用的墨盒寿命较高，黑色墨盒寿命约为7000页（随机附送的黑色墨盒寿命约为2000页），彩色墨盒的寿命也有5000页之多（随机附送的彩色墨盒寿命约为1500页）。此外，感光鼓寿命约为50000页（随机附送的感光鼓寿命约为12500页），影像传送器寿命约为50000页（随机附送的影像传送器寿命约为12500页），前面板后的废粉盒寿命约为3000页。若采用原装耗材，黑白打印成本尚不及人民币0.2元，彩色打印成本不及人民币1元。这样的打印成本对于企业用户来说略显昂贵，但从替代彩色喷墨打印机的角度来考虑，还是相当有竞争力的。墨粉即将耗尽或部件寿命快要结束，在控制面板中间的液晶显示屏上会显示相应告警信息，方便用户检查耗材状态。

产品性能测试

　　CLP 500的打印分辨率高达600X600dpi，有效输出可达到1200X1200dpi等级。CLP 500还随机附送了ICC软件包，能提供专业的颜色调配，从而获得较为逼真的色彩。用户也可以手动调节颜色和对比度来修正打印件中存在的瑕疵，从而达到打印质量和色彩的完美统一。

　　总体来说，CLP 500在输出质量方面乏善可陈。实际上，用户不应期望入门级彩色激光打印机在进行大幅面彩色输出时能够有惊人的表现。入门级彩色激光打印机的最佳用途在于提供带有彩色插图的文稿。这样不仅能够在细节之处体现激光打印的优势，又在文稿可读性和生动性方面体现了彩色打印的长处。

CLP 500 IT8色表输出效果

 

CLP 500 彩色输出效果（I）

 

CLP 500 彩色输出效果（II）

 

CLP 500 文稿输出效果

　　作为一款廉价的激光打印机，CLP 500没有使用GDI语言，而是采用了三星独有的SPL-C（Samsung Printer Language- Color）打印语言，从这一点上说其打印质量自然也远超过使用GDI的其它廉价激光打印机。

　　以5%覆盖率测算，CLP 500彩色打印速度为每分钟6页，而黑白打印速度则高达每分钟25/24页（Letter/A4幅面）。与我们先前评测的HP Color LaserJet 2550L 4ppm的黑白打印速度和20/19ppm（Letter/A4幅面）的打印速度相比较，CLP 500占有明显的速度优势。这一方面得益于CLP 500采用的Samsung SPGPm处理器和64M的内存（可扩充至192M），更得益于SPL-C打印语言，该打印语言生成的打印文件相当小，非常有利于提高打印速度。此外， CLP 500的打印负荷也相当高，可达35000页每月，较之其它入门级彩色激光打印机也略胜一筹。

     著名办公产品制造商理光公司日前推出Aficio AP410/AP410N两款桌面黑白激光打印机。这两款打印机性能强劲、方便管理且外形较小，实为小型工作组的上佳选择。

　　在小型工作组级打印市场，运行成本和可管理性是用户的主要关注点。对于激光打印机来说，提高耗材寿命、纸盒容量并提供完备的管理软件就是最好的选择。Aficio AP410/AP410N硒鼓（鼓粉一体设计）寿命高达15000页。除一个可容纳100页的直通式送纸器外，标准配置还包括一个500页容量的纸盒，用户还可选择添加两个500页容量的纸盒，从而使总容量到1600页。随机提供的软件也方便了用户进行管理和诊断。

　　理光公司负责市场的副总裁Hede Nonaka称："小型企业用户一直希望提高办公效率并减少成本，而Aficio AP410/AP410N系列打印机正切合了这种需要，在不牺牲打印质量的前提下极大地降低了总体拥有成本（TCO，Total Cost of Ownership）。"

　　Aficio AP410/AP410N的打印性能确实有竞争力，打印分辨率可达1200X1200DPI，A4幅面持续输出速率高达27PPM，热机时间19秒，首页输出时间7.5秒，月打印负荷甚至高达150000页。

　　在连接方面，Aficio AP410/AP410N基本上可以支持所有主流的连接方式。标准配置包括IEEE 1284 ECP、USB 2.0和Ethernet 10 base-T/100 base-TX（AP410上为选配），还支持IEEE 1394、IEEE 802.11b无线连接和蓝牙协议。也正因为支持IEEE 802.11b无线连接和10 base-T/100 base-TX以太网连接，Aficio AP410/AP410N的网络接入方式也相当灵活，适应各种办公环境。

　　Aficio AP410和AP410N在配置上略有不同，AP410采用TMPR4955 300 MHz 处理器，标配内存为64MB；AP410N为支持网络打印，处理器频率和内存容量略有提高，采用TMPR4955 372 MHz 处理器，标配内存为128MB。为支持繁重的网络打印任务，用户还可选配6GB的硬盘。

　　目前，Aficio AP410的售价为599美元，AP410N的售价为799美元。

引用地址：http://www.it.com.cn/f/office/053/30/93419.htm

     日前，著名办公用品生产商兄弟公司推出了一款入门级激光传真机—IntelliFAX 2820。该机型主要面向SOHO用户和小型工作组用户，4月初将正式投放市场，预计零售价格约为199美元。

　　兄弟公司分管传真、打印和多功能一体机市场的副总裁Don Cummins对IntelliFAX 2820充满信心："有了IntelliFAX 2820，中小用户毋须再忍受低价激光传真机的落后性能。这款传真机能够以低廉的价格提供接近专业级的文稿输出效果。其每页输出成本甚至比许多基于非激光技术（主要指喷墨技术）的传真机还要低。"

　　IntelliFAX 2820可以说是兄弟公司广受欢迎的IntelliFAX 2800传真机的换代产品，性能有所加强。最大的改进莫过于将IntelliFAX 2800的250页顶部馈纸方式替换为250页前端馈纸方式。这一改进使得纸张处理更为方便，也保证了传真机内部的清洁，在入门级产品中较为少见。

　　IntelliFAX 2820的内存容量也从2MB提高到8MB，可以临时存储约500页传真内容。复印速率也从10CPM提高到15CPM。此外，其自动拨号和广播功能均得到增强，粉盒寿命也有延长。

引用地址：http://www.it.com.cn/f/office/053/23/90465.htm

 

     日前，东芝公司推出一款小型A6幅面平板扫描仪fi-60F。该机型专为处理小型文档较多的医院、旅行社和政府机关而设计，非常适合扫描护照、身份证、处方和驾照等小幅面文件。

　　fi-60F外形小巧，仅为40 x 234 x145mm，自重不到1千克，非常适合不大宽裕的办公环境。该机采用CMOS CIS技术，扫描分辨率介于50DPI至600DPI间，灰度扫描色深8-bit，彩色扫描色深24-bit，支持TWAIN和ISIS驱动。这些参数指标与入门级的平板A4幅面扫描仪相比也并不逊色。

　　fi-60F虽然貌不惊人，但扫描速度却令人称道。200DPI分辨率下，灰度扫描仅需1秒，彩色扫描也只需1.7秒。该机扫描结果可以输出为 PDF、BMP、JPEG和TIFF格式文件，也可以自动输出为电子邮件的附件或者自动上传至用户设定的FTP站点。此外，fi-60F还可自动调整文件的角度，即使文件没有与扫描台面边缘对齐也可以得到周周正正的图像。

　　fi-60F采用USB2.0接口与电脑连接，上传扫描结果更为迅速。值得注意的是，该机并没有配备交流电源开关，用户可以用连接fi-60F 的电脑主机控制电源开关。此外，由于该机体积有限，其声称的600DPI分辨率很可能由计算机进行插值处理完成。因此，在进行600DPI分辨率扫描时，需要电脑主机处理器至少为Pentium 933MHz，内存容量至少256M。目前该机售价约为390美元。

引用地址：http://www.it.com.cn/f/office/053/29/92736.htm

 

    夏普公司日前推出6款多功能一体机。这次推出的产品为DM-3551和DM-4551系列，每一系列均包括三款不同配置的衍生型号。DM- 3551N和DM-4551N为基本打印复印型，DM-3551S和DM-4551S增加了网络扫描功能，而DM-3551F和DM-4551F则在此基础上又增加了网络传真功能。

夏普 DM-3551多功能一体机

　　据报道，这也是夏普公司历史上第一次通过分销渠道推出办公新品，业内人士纷纷预测此举意味着夏普在营销战略上有所转变。这次推出的六款新品均具有鲜明的特色，如高级网络打印、Scan2双面扫描、网络传真，其文件和网络安全也得到加强。此外，还简化了用户更换耗材的操作程序。

　　夏普北美地区的市场副总裁Mike Marusic特地强调了这几款新品可以轻松更换耗材的特性，这样用户就毋需打电话请求技术人员上门进行更换。他指出："无须现场技术人员就能轻松更换耗材这一特性相当吸引人"。

　　Marusic还指出，这次推出的一体机可以称为真正意义上的一体机。通常意义上的一体机仅将打印、复印、扫描和传真堆砌在一起，并不能在进行某种处理的时候进行实现其它功能。而夏普这次推出的一体机，则可完成多功能的同时处理。譬如，使用这几款夏普新品，用户在打印的同时还可以扫描文件或发送传真。从某种意义上说，这一突破具有深远的意义，从概念上就超越了传统一体机的顺序工作模型，将并行操作的模型（虽然还有待完善）引入一体机领域。

　　由于这几款新品实现了并行操作和并增强了网络处理功能，因此在内存之上又增设了硬盘存储任务。为此安全问题也提高到一个重要的地步。夏普特地提供了数据安全工具包，保护一体机中的文件内容，通过网络访问文件的安全性也得到相应增强。这几款一体机新品均已预装此工具包。

　　Marusic也指出这几款一体机新品的另一优势在于网络优势："在网络的使用上，这几款产品比传统的一体机更为深入。用户对于夏普DM系列产品的文件和网络安全大可放心，这些产品完全有能力与惠普的相关产品媲美，为广大用户提供更为丰富的应用选择。"

引用地址：http://www.it.com.cn/f/office/053/18/88351.htm