Kodak EasyShare 5500 All-in-One Printer Print, Copy, Scan, and Fax (1600105) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I WAS in the market for a replacement for my aging Lexmark X6100 All-In-One so I was very up beat when I found out that Kodak has come up with "cheap ink" AiO printer line.
I got the 5500 at Best Buy for what I though was a decent price of $199.
I set it up, printed a demo page, calibrated the printer and printed a diagnostic page. Printer was pretty slow and noisy but worked fine so far. Then I sent to it a 4x6 photograph and got the familiar and popular error saying that "the print head is missing or needs to be replaced". After reinstalling the print head over and over as suggested by the diagnostic message, I gave up after loosing 4 hrs of my life. Next day, I called the Customer Support at Kodak. The person with a very high level of certainty diagnosed my issue as a 'faulty print head' - seemingly a very popular cause with this printer. The print head was to arrive overnight - It arrived 3 days later. Replacing the head did not help. So, I went to the Kodak website and learned that there is a new firmware for this printer. After uploading the new firmware to the printer it went dumb. It was spitting out two sheets and then wrinkling up and spitting out more pages. No way to stop it except pulling the plug. So, I did. Next day, convinced that it must be an isolated issue, I went to Best Buy to replace the printer. I went through the exact same initial steps again and even got further this time. I was able to print 8 4x6 color photos in the "Best" mode, which looked pretty good as far as color saturation, but were a bit skewed. They also used up close to 50% of my color ink cartridge! So, I estimate that I can get probably only about 20-25 such prints out of a full color ink cartridge, which is much much less than the advertised 35. Then I tried the double sided print from a network computer and found out that the duplex option is disabled on every computer except the one to which the printer is physically connected. This is of course not advertised anywhere. So, I decided to test the double sided printing on the host. It was sloooooooooooow and not printing out a large part of the top of the page. So, I said to my self - Ok, there must surely be a good reason for the new firmware to be offered on Kodak's website. So, I uploaded it again and...the printer went dumb again...
I actually read the reviews on Amazon and still decided to give this printer a try "because it looked sooo nice and offered sooo much". I said to myself, what the heck - I am a pretty savvy techie - I can certainly do better than these "Amazon amateurs". Well, now I am joining what actually turned out to be a pretty wise Amazon crowd with my tail and ears curled all the way down in my disappointment.
Next day, I returned the second printer and am sticking to my old Lexmark for time being.
Kodak 5500 and especially its software and firmware are of poor quality. Endless errors, less than ideal prints, DON'T BUY. Consider yourself warned.
And...please read more interesting reviews of its sibling - the 5300 series.
One more thing - "friendly Kodak guy". Please spare me your comment...


Click Here to see more reviews about: Kodak EasyShare 5500 All-in-One Printer Print, Copy, Scan, and Fax (1600105)

Print Copy Scan. 32ppm text print speed.28 second best quality photo speed. Best in class print speed in most common print modes for both documents and photos. 20 sheet 4x 6photo tray. 100 sheet main tray. High performance 3840 nozzle dual drop print head. High quality CCD scanner.Make up to 99 copieswithout need of a PC. 2.4 LCD display, memory card slots. Pictbridge and USB drive for singleclick stand alone photo printing. Optional Bluetooth. Fast Black and color faxing at 33.6kbps with one touch speed dials and 100 page memory buffer. Crop photos or copiesto the imagesize and brightness you want from the front panel(No Pc required). Two sided document printing.

Click here for more information about Kodak EasyShare 5500 All-in-One Printer Print, Copy, Scan, and Fax (1600105)

Read More...

HP Photosmart 2710 All-in-One Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was leery of buying HP because in the past they just haven't seemed to have it together as much as Canon and others. But, I was so impressed by the features of this HP 2710, and I couldn't find anything just like it by Canon, so I bought this. The good news is, the hardware part of this works like a dream and is very impressive. The bad news is, the software package that goes with this is a mess and IS bloated. I have WIN ME, and what a disaster...the HP software installation blew up the first time I tried to install it and gave me registry errors. I have installed and uninstalled the software probably 15 times. About half the time you try to install, it blows up without totally installing. Leaving you to once again uninstall and install. And the fix to everything according to HP is to uninstall and install again, which takes about an hour round trip. I never did get the software to totally work with an ethernet (no scanning or file transfer capability), so I ditched that and did USB. After several uninstalls and installs again (which finally corrupted explorer.exe and I had to reload WIN ME), I still cannot scan and HP DIRECTOR is giving me script errors (and no - not any script errors listed on HP support - and I already did what they said to do to fix script errors). DIRECTOR runs the whole show and without it I am without useful ways to use and change parameters on my printer. I'll give really, really high marks to HP support, they were easy to get ahold of and they will sit on the phone for hours with you trying to fix things, but it doesn't do much good, because they cannot fix these problems at this time. I would think long and hard before buying until they update the software, unless you want to spend HOURS working on it and be left with a partially working application. Especially around Christmas...
12/06/04 - I want to add that I did a lot of research on this software installation problem, and at this time it boils down to this: It will either install with very few hitches and run flawlessly, or you will have several problems with installation and be left with an AIO system that doesn't totally work. For example, I cannot scan or change any of my scan resolution settings (or use anything with HP DIRECTOR - not because all the icons are missing - but because of script errors), or use the one button scan or file transfer features of the hardware because it doesn't recognize my computer. And mind you, this is with an installation that at the end said it installed successfully (it went through fax set-up, registration, and everything). I have seen posts of problems very similiar to mine in Windows XP (even SP2 - one guy had one computer it would work on, and one it would not) so it doesn't appear to matter if you have ME or XP. And nobody, including TECH support, seems to have a reason for the problems or a fix for this at this time. The software version I have is 4.2.0 (Photosmart 2600/2700 series) for WIN 98, ME, 2000, and XP. Again, if you want everything to work correctly, I would check the HP web site and make sure they upgraded this software or they have a fix for the problems I described (which they do not at this time) before buying, otherwise from my experience and research, you are playing Russian Roulette as to whether the software installs correctly on your system.
12/07/04 - AND...one more follow up and then I'm done...do yourself a favor and read ALL the reviews for the HP 7410 (which should be using the same software), or the HP PSC 2410, which is a forerunner to the 2710...you'll find plenty of references to the "bloated software" and installation problems. In fact the more I read reviews about all-in-ones in general, the more I read about problems and the "bloated" HP software. My favorite line was "it infects your registry like cancer". Boy, that is the truth, you can see that when installing. I swear it makes 300-400 registry entries. The software is way too complicated and puts junk everywhere in your system. That's why it gets into trouble. I have changed my chipset driver, downloaded VBSCRIPT 5.6 (even though I think I had it already), downloaded WIN Installer 2.0 and MDACS 2.8 (even though both I think come on the software disk), done this and that, and I am completely convinced I am never going to get the software to run right unless by great fortune they update the software and do it right. I've spent a whole weekend and several nights on this, and it's crazy, just to install a printer. And I'm not an idiot, I'm in IT. If you don't need fax, and can hook up USB, I'd look at the EPSON RX600. From reviews their software is simple and excellent. I know this HP 2710 has on paper a lot of cool features, but the other guys will match those soon. HP has proven both to me and via reviews on forerunner products that they write really terrible software. If you buy, I hope you're one of the lucky ones it works for, but if not, don't say you weren't warned...

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Photosmart 2710 All-in-One Printer

Photosmart Network-Ready 2710 Color InkJet All-in-One Printer, Copier, Scanner, FaxHigh quality printing and high speed wireless networking for home and business. View, print and edit photos without a PC. Front panel editing buttons: rotate, crop, zoom and remove red eye before printing. Scan, fax and print simultaneously. Speed:30 ppm black and 20ppm color. Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi.Scanner: 2400 x 4800 dpi optical resolution. Bit Depth:48-bit. Copier Speed: 30 cpm black and 20 cpm color. Reduce/Enlarge:25% to 400%. Fax: 33.6 Kbps. Page Memory:Up to 60 pages.

Click here for more information about HP Photosmart 2710 All-in-One Printer

Read More...

Canon PIXMA MP640 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (3748B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Disclaimer: I do not own this printer but have worked with and installed tons of them at my school and I use them all the time. Anyway we have about 4 of these units and all work perfectly fine.
Quality: The image quality of this printer is stunning the detail level and color reproduction is great! When compared to the Canon iP6600 the color and detail reproduction seem to be slightly better.
Speed: It is fairly fast for photo printing its not a speed demon or anything but it is faster then most printers I have used.
Features : This printer has a ton of features too many to discuss but it can scan images it has a card reader and can be hooked up to the network via ethernet or via wifi.
Ink Consumption : This printer is also very easy on the ink and the wallet. Ink seems to last a fairly long time even when doing a lot of photo prints.
Setup: Setup was painless I installed all 4 of these units in about 40 mins just run the disc connect the printer install the print head and then the ink cartridges. ( I do however wish they used less packaging )
All in all I woud definitely recommend this to a friend. I have yet to have a single problem with any of the 4 and they are being used by tons of people each day for photo printing.
Edit; I forgot to mention that I have only tried this on Windows XP can't comment on the problem the other user spoke of with Macintosh Snow leopard 10.6.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA MP640 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (3748B002)

Premium Wireless Photo All-In-One with 3.0-Inch LCD and Built-In Ethernet Connectivity.

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA MP640 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (3748B002)

Read More...

Canon Pixma MP830 Office All-In-One Inkjet Printer (0583B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been waiting for this printer to come out for quite some time. I previously used Canon's MP730 and completely loved it. This new version adds several great features, and after a few days of playing around with it, it has lived up to my high expectations.
The MP830 is a bit shorter and wider than Canon's previous all-in-ones, and it looks a bit more "classy" with a black-on-black keypad and a color LCD screen. There are two paper trays: the main tray is an upright tray in the rear, and a pull-out tray is located on the bottom of the machine. My old 730 had a plastic cover that protected the paper in the vertical tray from dust, and that cover is no longer included. I live is a dusty area, and if the paper gets a layer of dust on it, that dust can collect on and clog the print head. To remedy this, I've decided to use the smaller pull out tray as my primary paper tray (you can select the primary paper tray with a button on the keypad).
This printer uses Canon's new "8" series inks. While these are top-of-the-line inks (UV resistant, pigment/dye system), they are considerably more expensive than the 3 or 6 series inks used my many of Canons previous printers. Also, each ink cartridge has a small computer chip attached to it which makes obtaining remanufactured or generic cartridges difficult. At the moment you cannot find generic ink for this printer, and various websites advise against refilling these cartridges as they ink density is different from the previous inks, and doing so might wreck your printhead. So if you were used to paying $3/cartridge for generic canon cartridges, you might have to raise your ink budget for a while (currently, cartridges are about $14 each, and there are five of them in this printer).
This printer has duplex printing and scanning, meaning that it can scan/print both sides of a sheet. At some point, I was led to believe that the scanner was able to scan both sides *at the same time*, but that is actually not the case. After a piece of paper is scanned through the auto document feeder, it is sucked back in, flipped around and re-scanned. This adds considerable time to your scanning tasks. If you are pressed for time, it is actually faster to scan in "manual duplex" where you scan the front sides of pages, then manually the pages over and re-scan the back sides. However, if you want to hit the scan button and walk away, the auto-duplex does its job well. The same issue exists for duplex printing--it works, but it takes more time than if you had manually duplexed the pages.
The fax is a fax. It works fine, and some test color-faxes I sent came out well.
The copier also works well, and the duplexers allow you to make two-sided to two-sided copies, but as I said before, this takes some time.
The scanner does a great job with photos and documents. It is considerably faster than earlier models, thanks in part to the USB 2.0 interface and new scan sensor. Also, the updated scanning software is a significant improvment over previous versions.
I've printed out some photos and they are of amazing quality, which is what I expect from Canon printers. However, because of the cost of the inks, I will not be printing photos very often. The text is a bit light for my taste (the black is more like a very dark grey).
All in all, this is a great printer/scanner/fax/copier and I am very happy with it.
---
Note: Unfortunately, the memory card slots on the printer do not allow for USB2.0 transfer to the comptuer. If you need to move lots of data from a memory card to your desktop, use a dedicated card-reader; using the slots on this printer takes way too long.
---
ADDED 5/9/06: After having this machine for just over a month, I have to say it runs through ink way too fast. My ink status lists several cartridges as only 25% full, and is warning me that two of my colors are "almost empty." I print 90% black text, 9% color documents (web pages, rebate forms, etc), and only about 1% photos (I have only printed 2 4x6 photos since I purchased the printer). My previous Canon printers sipped ink, this machine chugs it, and at $14/cartridge, that is unacceptable. (Especially becuase the print quality isn't much better than previous printers.)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon Pixma MP830 Office All-In-One Inkjet Printer (0583B002)

Premium All-In-One Performance for Small & Home Office Productivity

Click here for more information about Canon Pixma MP830 Office All-In-One Inkjet Printer (0583B002)

Read More...

Canon PIXMA iP6700D Photo Printer (1441B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a very loyal consumer and will generally stay with the specific brands I buy. This was true with Epson printers that I have purchased for many years. Common sense finally took hold after the last tank change and subsequent 6 head cleanings before a good print could be made, not to mention almost 1/4 of the tank depleted. (at least by their monitoring system) Tired of wasted ink and paper, nozzle cleans, tank changes for 1 low color, etc., I decieded to make the change to Canon and purchased the ip6700D. Setup on my Intel driven Imac was a breeze! Talk about instant gratification! My very first print came out flawless with better resolution and sharpness than any Epson I have owned. I even had to look to see if it was doing anything during printing, unlike the Epson that was only rivaled by the dishwasher for making noise! Individual print setup was also a snap. The quality, paper and other parameters were simple utilizing the supplied software. I found the "trimming" capabilities were better and easier than some of my high dollar graphic programs I have. I printed out a box (100) of 4" x 6" prints, one after the other and didn't lose 1 sheet from a malfunction of the printer. No head cleaning. no alignments, no getting ready to do a tank change! Nothing but high quality prints. At least the remaining Epson borderless premium glossy paper worked well.
I guess I will pass this along as getting wiser with age and not putting up with poor performance again with using an Epson. Why did I wait so long? You won't be dissapointed with the ip6700D.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA iP6700D Photo Printer (1441B002)

The Canon PIXMA iP6700D Photo Printer is a versatile photo-printing powerhouse. Its patented print head technology and six ink tanks produce beautiful, long-lasting prints with startling color and detail. The extra-large, 3.5-inch color LCD viewer lets you enhance images before printing, and advanced paper handling increases your productivity. Plus, you can print from your computer, compatible memory cards, cameras, Bluetooth devices, and even camera phones. Ideal for home use, this economic, high-performance unit looks sleek and stylish on a desktop.About the iP6700D The iP6700D is an extremely user friendly, efficient machine designed to meet all your printing needs in one compact, stylish unit. Want to print out photos taken over the weekend, or fill an album with baby pictures right after your child takes his or her first steps? Need a hard copy of directions to a friends house or information from a web page? The single function iP6700D gives you more choices, more features and a better value, no matter what your needs. It also works fast, offering print speeds of 47 seconds for 4 x 6 inch borderless photos and 76 seconds for 8 x 10 inch photos. And the built-in two sided printing feature and second paper tray drastically reduce wait times. In addition, the iP6700D utilizes Canon Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology and the ChromaLife100 ink system to produce high-quality, long-lasting photos. With smart LED equipped ink tanks and the Canon Advanced Paper Handling System, the iP6700D has the capabilities of a photo kiosk built right in.Easy Operation and Exceptional Resolution The iP6700D features 3,072 precision nozzles that create exceptional resolution of up to 9600 by 2400 color dots per inch (dpi). You'll also enjoy amazing, eye-catching detail in every print, thanks to microscopic one-picoliter sized ink droplets. Two high-intensity photo inks plus four conventional inks equals precise, life-like color. You get all this with simple, convenient operation. First, the iP6700D gives you the option to preview before you print. This way, you can fine-tune your images before you commit to printing them out. When you're ready, just connect your PictBridge ready digital camera, DV camcorder, or compatible memory card and print. It's truly that simple. For added convenience, the iP6700 also lets you print wirelessly right from your infrared-enabled mobile camera phone, or a compatible Bluetooth device, (using the optional USB Bluetooth adapter). You can do all this quickly and easily thanks to the USB 2.0 interface, which enables the fastest possible image transfers.Canon ChromaLife100 System For Image Permanence The iP6700D uses Canon's ChromaLife100 system, including FINE print head technology for vivid photo printing. When using select genuine Canon photo papers and inks, prints can resist fading for up to 100 years when stored in an archival quality photo album. The 100-year-lifespan rivals that of many traditional film based photos, long considered by consumers to be the benchmark for image permanence. Prints produced on Canon Photo Paper Pro with ChromaLife100 inks have an up to 10-year gas fastness when exposed to open air. Additionally, ChromaLife100 prints, when created using Canon Photo Paper Pro or Photo Paper Plus Glossy, have up to 30-year lightfastness when displayed under glass.Canon FINE Engineering Launched globally by Canon in 1999, the Canon Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) advanced print head technology is one of the keys to the impressive speed and high photo quality in PIXMA photo printers. FINE technology uses a ground-breaking high-performance, multi-nozzle print engine that ejects consistent and microscopic ink droplets. The results are high-resolution photos with great detail and clarity in less time.What's in the Box Pixma iP6700D photo printer, print head, ink tanks (CLI-8 black, CLI-8 cyan, CLI-8 magenta, CLI-8 yellow, CLI-8 photo cyan, CLI-8 photo magenta), power cord, easy setup instructions, document kit (setup software and user's guide CD-ROM, quick start guide, direct printing guide, registration card, and cross sell sheet.)

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA iP6700D Photo Printer (1441B002)

Read More...

Canon PIXMA iP90 Photo Inkjet Printer (9466A001) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I read the previous reviews and I did some research on the net about this printer. I was skeptical when I received it in the mail from Amazon about how it would be. Let me start off by saying that I am happy with it! But it is not perfect! It fits easily in my Targus backpack laptop bag with all the other gadgets I carry around with me. I saw one review that stated that the text printing was fuzzy but it seems very crisp to me and very fast for such a small printer. The photos are good quality but of course could be better from a 6 or 7-color printer, but since I have this in my bag along with a box of 4x6 photo paper I can print off a picture at any time if someone wanted a copy (and that happens a lot and sometimes I get paid for it! LOL). Convenience is King.
Here are a few specs that I figured out.
Number of photos from a single color cartridge: ~30
Approx price per photo: $.52 (With Epson glossy photo paper which I found for $16.99 for a 100 sheet box)
So, here is the deal, you are definitely paying for the convenience of printing your photos any where AND having the ability to print to letter or legal size paper. My fiancé and I have a lot of hobbies and we tend to be on the go a LOT. When we need to print out a map to somewhere or print out instructions for some kind of project while we are in the parking lot of Lowe's we count on this printer big time!
Bottom line... Is it the best and cheapest printer out there? Nope! Is the best printer for my on the go lifestyle and convenience? Totally!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA iP90 Photo Inkjet Printer (9466A001)

Item #: CNMPIXMAIP90. Rugged, powerful and portable, the photo printer delivers exceptional performance at home or on the road. Produces up to 16 pages per minute in black and up to 12 pages per minute in color with a resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 color dpi. Offers 12K memory. Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) uses a high-performance 1,088-nozzle print head that ejects precise and consistent droplets as small as 2 picoliters with remarkable accuracy. Results in impressive resolution and dramatic detail on graphics and photos. With Easy-WebPrint software, Web pages are automatically formatted, so they'll print properly with full color and without trimming off the right-hand margin. Produce 4" x "6, 5" x 7" and 8 1/2" x 11" borderless prints, with stunning edge-to-edge quality and razor-sharp detail. No PC required. Direct printing from compatible PictBridge digital cameras and DV camcorders. Customers also search for: 600x600 dpi BK/4800x1200 dpi Color;Portable;Canon USA,Printers,iP90,Inkjet,Ink Jet Photo Portable,USB

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA iP90 Photo Inkjet Printer (9466A001)

Read More...

Canon SELPHY CP770 Compact Photo Printer (3058B001) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a professional wedding & portrait photographer...specializing in quality artistic imagery. I did A TON of research online looking for an affordable, quick, and quality printer to allow me to print 4"x6" souvenir prints for wedding reception guests. I purchased this little yellow bucket Canon printer about 3 weeks before I had a big Bridal Expo and was excited to try it out on shopping Brides...giving each Bride who stopped by my booth a chance to get photographed and take home a souvenir print. I was a little nervous...since I'd never EVER done on-location printing, let alone on a new product and experimenting on 3000+ potential new clients. ...I was amazing at that little printer...it ran, pretty much non-stop, for 6 hours...printing back to back. I ended up printing about 200 prints that day.
I used a Canon 5D mark II camera, wirelessly triggering a strobe studio light, hooked up by cord to the Canon Selphy printer...and would just the direct printing option via the playback on LCD screen.
Pros: Small & portable, SUPER easy use (print directly by Canon camera, or plug in memory card), good quality prints
Cons: It took a little longer than I expected each print would take. I was printing directly from my camera and didn't realize until beginning that I wasn't able to take another picture until the current image was done printing. That was a big draw back when I had a very long line of Brides waiting for their turn to be photographed. I didn't time it exactly, but I think it look a minute or over to produce each print.
Considering the other products in the price range, this was the perfect printer for the job...I just need to order a second one and have two cameras going the next time I have such a large event.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon SELPHY CP770 Compact Photo Printer (3058B001)

Birthday parties. Vacations. And yes, family picnics. With the go-anywhere Selphy CP770, you can print amazing photos right on the spot and hand them out to your kids, friends and family No computer needed! Just insert your cameras memory card1 into one of the built-in card slots, preview images in high resolution on the 2.5" TFT display, then print! You can also print directly from your digital camera, camera phone, or Bluetooth device via the optional BU-30 Bluetooth interface2.

Get 3% OFF

Click here for more information about Canon SELPHY CP770 Compact Photo Printer (3058B001)

Read More...

Canon PIXMA MP600 All-in-One Photo Printer with Easy Scroll Wheel (1451B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had this printer for about a month, and so far found it excellent at everything. I had been using an Epson printer and scanner and both turned into nightmares, I find this machine to be light years ahead, especially in speed and ease of use.
It's easy to setup, the software is easy to use, it's quiet and it prints fast!
Text is nice and crisp, it gives you 3 different settings to choose from, even the fast mode is good quality for most uses if you want to save ink.
Copies are quick and easy and very good quality.
Photos are very sharp, have good contrast, colors are rich overall. Comparing a portrait type shot to the same one I had printed at a lab, It was tough to tell any difference, except this one was a bit lighter. This was on Epson paper, have not tried Canon paper yet which is supposed to work best.
Scanner is easy to use, relatively fast, and quality seems very good.
Overall this machine is a pleasure to use with impressive quality.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA MP600 All-in-One Photo Printer with Easy Scroll Wheel (1451B002)

Outstanding All-In-One Photo Printer with 2.5" TFT Display and Easy Scroll Wheel

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA MP600 All-in-One Photo Printer with Easy Scroll Wheel (1451B002)

Read More...

Epson Stylus Photo RX620 All-in-One Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Before I start, I just want to emphasize that I have been in the IT industry for about 15 years and consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable about PC and PC peripherals. This DOESNT mean that I'm infallible, just simply that I know what to look for in a device. Now onto the review...
It was time to replace my tired HP Photosmart 7260, although still working and doing a great job, I may add, I wanted something, well.... different. So, I decided to delve into the AIO(All In One) category. I initally started with an open box HP 2355 from Sears and was initally pleased as punch. Decent print speeds, wonderful photo and text output and an awe-inspiring design. However my happiness was short-lived. Apparently there was a reason it was an "open box" and priced so cheap. It was defective. Continuous banding, horrible color output after sitting a few hours, etc. So, much to my dismay I took it back and decided to stick with my PS 7260 until I could afford a high-end AIO. Well the time came to purchase and I shopped around, read numerous reviews and finally picked up an Epson AIO cx6600. For those of you who havent tried this printer, its MORE than worth the money!!! Excellent speed, nice look and good print quality. All out of a 4 ink tank system! However, I just could not settle with this device(Nothing really wrong with this AIO except that I could not settle for the 4 color pigmanet-based print engine) and decided to return the 6600 in favor of the 6 color, dye-based RX620. I'm glad I did. Heres why:
1.) Print speeds seem to be on par with the cx6600 (Which has decently high ratings for speed).
2.) Photo quality is among the best I have EVER seen. This AIO is on par with the high dollar, 8 color dedicated photo printers. With Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper and a high-resolution image(i.e 4-5 MP high-end camera), you almost have to have a microscope to detect ANY dithering or banding. I have printed everything from 4x6 prints up to 8.5x11 and continue to be blown away by the quality. And I have a VERY keen eye for imperfections!!!
3.) Contrary to some reviews, text DOES appear sharp and crisp. Print speeds arent super-fast, but will suffice for most applications.
4.) Copy and scan quality are among the best Ive seen from an AIO. This is probably attributed to the excellent print engine and over the top scanner. I copied an older film photo on the photo setting(NOT best photo) and could not believe my eyes. The printer has the ability to restore old photos and I'm here to tell you...IT WORKS!! An adapter is included to scan negatives and slides as well, which I have not had a chance to play with as of yet.
5.) Setup and operation are a breeze! Even printing sans computer could not be easier. The full-color LCD is very informative and easy to use!
6.) Bonus features! You can even scan directly to a memory card, or backup to a Jump Drive/CD-RW directly connected to the printer!!
7.) Its relatively quiet! Much quieter than most of the HP's that I have used.
Everyone complains about the lack of a fax, but I do NOT see this as a fault! It is designed to be a home-based photo center. You CAN scan to fax with the included software, however and I found it to work as advertised.
CONS:
All in all, I have a hard time finding faults in this AIO and I'm REALLY looking. But there are a few irritations(Not really faults)
1.) The USB cable is attached to the machine from INSIDE the lid. You have to raise the lid to install the cable, which is fed to the back via a path notched out. Kind of crazy, but not a big problem.
2.) Epson thought it to be a good idea to put a product sticker on the top, which almost covers the entire lid. This includes the shiny black oval/oblong area that gives the RX620 a handsome look. When the sticker is removed, residue is left on the shiny part and is ridiculously difficult to remove. Solvents that are effective in removing the residue, cause swirl marks on the surface. Again an irritation, but does not take away from the operation.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Epson Stylus Photo RX620 All-in-One

Click here for more information about Epson Stylus Photo RX620 All-in-One

Read More...

HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I wanted to like this, but I just do not think that the Web feature really justifies doubling the price of the prior Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier and Fax. (Model C309a)HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One Inkjet Printer (CC335A#ABA). Since the C309a is the model I am replacing this review is really a comparison of this new model over the old one. The old one is still readily available for about half the price of this - which is a really big difference. Also, the C309a - at half the price - has one feature missing here - an automatic document feeder. Why is that important? It is important if you want to be able to easily scan multi-page PDF documents. I can put a stack of papers on the C309a and they automatically run through the feeder (never once had a jam) and a multi-page PDF appears on my desktop. This new model is missing that. The lack of the document feeder also renders the fax absolutely useless. To send a fax you have to stand there and "scan" each page of the fax on the glass. It is hardly honest to call this a fax machine.
The specs between the two printers are exactly the same, except the C309a has the automatic document feeder and this one has the web interface. Also, the old model holds 125 pages of regular paper, but this one is down to 100 - a move totally in the wrong direction. Why can't they just design a printer tray (for a non-commercial printer) that holds a ream of paper (500 pages)? Also, this one is missing the special holder for printing CDs, but I never used that anyway.
The new model is smaller (good) and black (instead of a creamy white). The new model also has better drivers - which were (and still are) a MAJOR drawback of the old model. You can finally install a basic set of drivers that don't cripple functions, and don't add a bunch of junk software. This is a MAJOR improvement.
Print quality on both is absolutely amazing. Prints look just like they came from the photomat. Yes. They are that good. (although, unless you use the little flimsy retainer arm, they will drop on the floor once complete.)
I have mine hooked up through wi-fi and that works great. It is easily seen on all computers on my network that run Win7 and XP.
One negative (on this and the old version) is that you still need a computer to be on to do scanning - even to a network drive. The scanning software runs on a computer, not locally on the printer. Copying, faxing and printing can be done without a computer.
OK. What about the web interface? Well, my personal take is that it is a huge gimmic intended to get you to print more and use more ink. Things take forever to find on the touch interface and it would really be about a thousand times faster just to use a computer. Of course, if you - for whatever reason - only have your computer in a far-off room, this might proove handy if the printer is in a more high-traffic area of the house. But is that really a problem? And would you really put your printer far away from your computer? Not likely. I found the touchscreen slow to respond and - although beautiful to look at - I just didn't get the need for the web interface. The only conclusion I can make is that HP wants you to print more stuff and use more ink.
The ink, by the way, goes VERY quickly. I printed a dozen or so 4x6 photos and a couple of 8x10 and the ink light warning started to go off. Of course, I really think the light goes off WAY too early. It does that on almost every printer I have ever used. I continue printing until I notice a problem with the output. I am guessing that the low ink warning is set to go off when you have used 40% of the ink. I was able to print another dozen photos (after the ink warning) before I noticed any ink deficiency. I could probably print another dozen before it wouldn't let me print anymore.
Overall, I really like the printer quality and the interface, but I can't get past the elephant in the room - the old model is half the price and has an automatic document feeder that this is missing.
The printer comes with a standard set of ink cartridges (not just starter inks), every cable you could need (including a massive power brick), and sample photo papers. It is all packaged in an eco-friendly cloth bag.
Overall, I can only give this three stars. If the old model never existed, I would probably give this four or five stars. The fact that they left off the automatic document feeder is a HUGE drawback for me. The "Touchsmart Web" is fun to play with, but really amounts to nothing more than a flashy gimmic. It fixes a problem that doesn't really exist - everything you would do through that interface is easier and faster on a real computer. Of course, I am also a person who would never just plug a memory stick into a printer and start printing - if you are, this might be a good printer for you.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer

HP Photosmart Premium C309N Multifunction Printer CD734A#ABA 74

Get 55% OFF

Click here for more information about HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer

Read More...

HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:
**** Recommended with warm fuzzies.
This printer joins my home office in addition to a Canon Pixma Pro9000 Professional Large Format Inkjet Printer (9995A001) large format photo printer and an older Epson RX500 All-in-One printer/scanner/copier. I tend to mainly use the Epson for low-color non-photo printing since it seems to be the most wasteful with ink usage (replacing its 6 ink cartridges is not cheap and the printer annoyingly always uses some of the 5 non-black color inks even if you are printing a black-and-white text-only page), with the HP B8550 and Canon Pro9000 being used exclusively for photo printing. I am a serious amateur photographer with way more DSLR cameras, lenses, and gear than can be justified given that I have never earned any income from my photography, but I enjoy printing everything from 4x6 photos to 13x19 enlargements. I frame the 13x19 photos and circulate displays of photos on walls around my house, as well as print photos for friends, so I suppose that is my "payback" for this hobby. My photography interests include people and pets, travel and vacation photos, nature photography and macro close-ups, and John Fielder-inspired wide-angle shots of landscapes and wilderness.
The B8550 printer's size is typical for a large format printer. At 23 inches wide, it is overall smaller than my Canon Pro9000 since the Pro9000 also has a top-feed paper tray whereas the B8550 input and output trays both are in front of the printer. In fact, it is probably one of the smallest and lightest photo printers available that can print on 13x19 paper. But if you place this printer on your desk next to your computer, the footprint of this printer will likely occupy a large portion of your desk. My home office consists of one desk, one computer workstation table, four 2-drawer file cabinets, and several bookshelves. Both the Canon Pro9000 and HP B8550 printers now sit on separate 2-drawer file cabinets.
Like many printers, the B8550 does not include a USB cable (my Canon Pro9000 also did not include the USB cable, even though I think that it is lame for manufacturers to not include the cable with their printers). I actually had to combine a 10-foot A/B plug USB cable with another USB extension cable in order to place this printer on another 2-drawer file cabinet that was farther away from the USB hub sitting on my desk. When used with the optional HP bt500 - Network adapter - USB - Bluetooth 2.0 EDR , you can connect this printer via Bluetooth. But I have not always been happy with the consistency of Bluetooth connections, and so I decided to use an extension USB cable instead. Another connectivity option that I considered was to use the HP Wireless Printing Upgrade Kit (Q6236A) , but judging from the widely varying opinions about that product, I also stayed away from that option.
I found that the top of the 23-inch-wide printer made for a convenient place to put 13x19 photos right after they are printed to ensure the inks are fully dry for a short period before further handling. And one nice aspect of 13x19-inch photo printouts is that they are very similar in size to the full-screen image that I preview on my 22-inch widescreen monitor. I also have to admit that after looking at my digital photos both on a 22-inch widescreen monitor and by selectively printing out 13x19 photos, I rarely print 4x6 or 5x7 photos anymore; 8x10 photos are now the smallest size that I print out.***** Excellent 5-fuzzies feature ratings:
***** The HP B8550 is a quality printer with a variety of thoughtful features built into it that accentuate its usability for those looking for a mid-range large format photo printer. If your main interest is in printing lots of 4x6 photos or if you are just using a low-resolution digital camera with a tendency to take blurry photos, you may be just as happy using a less expensive photo printer since a 13x19 photo will accentuate the imperfections that were caused by a bad camera shot. Also, if you print more documents than photos, a photo printer like this should not be your only primary printer.
***** Unlike the Canon Pro9000, the B8550's control panel includes a 2.4-inch color LCD display. It has a surprising variety of built-in functions. You can insert various memory cards into the printer and, just using the control panel without needing to access the computer, perform functions such as:
o Perform "Red Eye Removal" editing on your photos.
o Print out ruled notebook paper, graph paper, music paper, a task checklist, and even a fairly challenging maze.
o Clean and align the printhead.
o Print a "Printer Status Report" that shows the printer's model and serial number, how many pages you have printed so far, and the date when you installed each of the 5 ink cartridges.
o Set language and country/region preferences for the displays.
o Create and assemble photo album pages, create panorama prints, create wallet and passport photos.
o View and edit photos that are on your memory card. Rotate, crop, resize, perform a "Photo Fix" adjustment (which I did not really ever find to be useful), adjust brightness on the photo, add a "Color Effect" of Black&White, Sepia, or Antique, perform a Print Preview, add a date stamp to the photo being printed.
While the basic photo-editing functions suffice for printing 4x6 photos without needing to use the computer, if you are printing larger photos (especially 13x19 photo paper), you really should be editing your photos from your computer where you can see a much larger screen since the 2.4-inch LCD display only allows rudimentary previews of photos similar to the 2.5-inch LCD on digital cameras. But it is nice to at least give the user the option to insert memory cards or a USB storage device into the printer and immediately start printing after performing some basic photo editing. You can also connect a PictBridge camera to the USB port on the front of the printer.
***** Installation and set-up of the B8550 printer hardware went smoothly. In addition to the included "Start Here" set-up instructions, when you first turn on the printer, the LCD screen also guides you, using short animated videos, through the installation of the printhead and ink cartridges, and the loading of the paper into the two trays, the "photo tray" that holds 4x6 and 5x7 photo paper and the "main tray" that holds the larger paper sizes on up to the 13x19 paper.**** Good 4-fuzzies feature ratings:
**** Taking into account the mid-range price of this printer and the fact that it is one of the most inexpensive 13x19 photo printers, I would rate the print quality quite good. I selected various scenery and nature photographs that were taken using a Canon EOS 40D 10MP DSLR. On 4x6 photos, the B8550 output is pretty much identical to my Canon Pro9000. When comparing 13x19 photos using the best quality settings for both printers, however, my Canon Pro9000 does have better color quality, better color accuracy, and clarity than the B8550. But the differences are usually very subtle... which is a very pleasant surprise since I was comparing the output from the 4-ink-color (cyan-magenta-yellow-black) B8550 to the output from the 8-ink-color Pro9000. During these 13x19 photo comparisons, I was printing photos on the B8550 using both HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper and HP Premium Plus Photo and Proofing Gloss paper. And the Pro9000 was printed using Canon papers. The Pro9000 is also about 40% more expensive than the HP B8550. Canon's Pro9000 is also packaged with far better software (aimed at the pro or serious amateur photographer) compared with what is included with the B8550.
Even though HP advertises that their "Vivera inks offer instant-dry, smudge-resistant photos", I left one slight thumbprint on the very edge of one of my first 13x19 printouts using their recommended HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper when I immediately picked up the sheet the moment it fully came out of the printer. But if I carefully lifted the just-printed photo from the bottom and let it sit by itself for a few minutes, the photo ink did admirably live up to the smudge-resistant claim as I was able to vigorously rub my thumb over dark areas of the photo without creating smudges.*** Not-so-good 3-fuzzies feature ratings:
*** The one aspect of the printer that I consider to be a mechanical design flaw is in the way the output tray and paper extender lock into place when raised up to a 45-degree angle. The output tray and paper extender are housed in one unit that sits above and covers the main paper input tray below it. To access the main paper input tray, you pivot the output tray up and it clicks into place at a raised 45-degree angle, allowing you access to place paper onto the main paper input tray. But the output tray is held at this 45-degree angle with such a loose grip that a slight bump of the printer can cause the output tray to slam back down hard to its horizontal position. This happened twice on my printer and, both times, the output tray swung back downward with such force that I had to check that the plastic hinge on the output tray did not break or crack. Luckily, the tray remained intact, but I learned the lesson not to leave the output tray propped up at its 45-degree angle for too long and to carefully lower it back down with my hand underneath it whenever I load new paper into the main paper input tray...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer

The HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer makes it easy to produce lab-quality photos as large as 13 x 19-inches at home. Enjoy the versatility of printing from your computer, from a supported memory card, or directly from your PictBridge enabled camera. And because this Photosmart printer also produces laser-quality text, you can rely on it for all your printing needs.
Easy-to-access ports let you print directly from memory cards. Print Directly From Cameras and Memory Cards Printing photos and enlargements at home is convenient and cost-effective. The HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer offers several printing options. With a 2.4-inch color LCD display, you can review, select, and enhance photos without the use of your computer. It features 15 convenient buttons that let you zoom-in to check out details before you print and perform quick editing tasks. With special HP technology, red eye reduction is as easy as pushing a single button, and the printer's four LED indicators let you know if anything needs your attention before you start printing.
Dedicated slots let you print directly from a variety of common memory cards, including Compact Flash, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Secure Digital/MultiMediaCards, and xD-Picture Cards. You can also print right from any PictBridge enabled camera or computer using one of the printer's high-speed USB connections. This printer also supports wireless operation with the use of HP Blue tooth adapters (not included).
Print Almost Anything, Fast The 125-sheet main tray holds paper from 4 x 6-inches to 13 x 19-inches, including envelopes, standard letter paper, and legal-sized paper. A specialized tray makes it easy to load paper in three common photo sizes--3.5 x 5-inches, 4 x 6-inches, and 5 x 7-inches. Additionally, borderless printing is supported for prints up to 13 x 44-inches.
Document printing is fast, at up to 32 pages per minute for black-and-white draft-quality letters and 31 pages per minute for color draft-quality letters. Unlike with some multi-use printers, photo printing is quick, too. A 13 x 19-inch color photo may be finished printing in as little as 95 seconds.
Innovative Technology for Quality and Reliability Four HP 564 dye-ink cartridges in cyan, magenta, yellow, and photo black provide vivid color images and high-quality black-and-white photos. For laser-quality black text on paper, a fifth cartridge contains black pigment ink. Combined with Advanced Photo Paper, these Vivera inks offer instant-dry, smudge-resistant photos. Plus, with the five-ink system, you only have to replace the cartridges you need, saving you money.
There's plenty of innovative technology behind HP's photo printers. Unique Auto Sense technology uses optical sensors to optimize settings based on what type of paper you are using. And when printing begins, dual-drop volume technology means the specialized print head delivers extremely small drops, allowing detailed images to contain smooth transitions.
When you select the "best" print quality option for color or black and white, this Photosmart printer prints up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. For photographs, it can render images with up to 9600 x 2400-optimized dpi color (when printing from a computer on selected HP photo papers and with 1200-input dpi).
This HP Photosmart printer is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty and one-year of technical phone support.
What's in the Box HP Photosmart B8550, Printhead Assembly, HP 564 Black Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Photo Black Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Cyan Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Magenta Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Yellow Ink Cartridge, power cord, Software CD, Photo media sample pack, Start Here Poster, User Guide, and Creative Projects Guide.

Click here for more information about HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer

Read More...

Canon PIXMA MG8120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (4504B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I waited to try all four features of this printer before reviewing it - document printing, scanning, photo printing, and photocopying. Generally, this printer is a beauty, both looks-wise and operationally. There is a pop up screen with a very bright menu that also displays photos. You are supposed to be able to edit them right there, but I didn't actually try that feature of this printer. The sleek, shiny, black rounded body has very cool back-lit buttons for all the functions right on the top. You can also control them from the computer. I found myself going back and forth between both, for both everyday functionality and the set up.
I have to say a REALLY great feature about this printer, which I didn't expect to love as much as I do, is the wireless printing capability. You don't have to keep this printer anywhere near your computer, just an outlet. If you have a laptop and like to use it in front of the TV, you will absolutely love the freedom it provides.
I would rate all of the individual features rate highly except the document printing. Here's my review of the features from best to relatively worst:
1. Photo printing - prints either directly from your card (no computer needed technically). You can print up to 600 dpi with this. The photos are crisp and clear, and color is accurate. The only thing I didn't like was the extremely rudimentary photo editing software. It is easy to use, yes, but it doesn't do much. If you want to retouch your photos, use either Photoshop or one of the free pieces of software. I like Picasa even. That may be simple, but it's better than this. Smaller printer paper loads from the back of the machine. Regular paper goes in a drawer in the front, which I really liked.
2. Photocopying - I find it's a relief to have a photocopier for the occasional document that needs photocopying. Here you'll have a color copier too. The colors also rendered accurately here.
3. Scanning - I tried a document and photos (you can scan your signature and then cut and paste it into letters, btw, which is a nice touch if you're sending out cover letters online). It did a great job on all kinds of documents, as well as my signature. Remember though that you can only print at 600 dpi with this machine, which may be a deal killer for a handful of people. The photo scanning wasn't quite up to the quality of the photo printing however. I scanned in a photo of my mom, and boosted the contrast slightly. The picture came out warmer and less detailed than the original photo. You can correct this on Photoshop, but in my opinion you shouldn't have to. Again, I was a little stymied by the fact that the photo editing software was so rudimentary - but if you have different software you should be able to work this out.
4. Document printing - this printer comes with two black cartridges - one is much larger than the other one and is just for printing. I have a small laser printer and am spoiled by it, so that is the caveat. First, the documents print out very slowly. It takes a while to prepare itself to print, and then when it does start to print, it's pretty slow. That was actually the only thing that disappointed me about this printer. The document quality is very good, but in my opinion doesn't reach the near-laser quality that some of the HP printers do. Considering this is an all-in-one, you can't kill it for that issue. However, because of that and the slowness I wouldn't recommend this printer to anyone who regularly does things like college term papers, or other things where you print out large documents on a regular basis -- the lack of speed would drive you crazy. I also liked my resume better on the laser printer, naturally. But the slowness and lack of laser-like crispness are what killed one of the stars on this rating. There was a cool thing about printing though - the front door automatically pops open when the printer starts. I liked that.
I would say that this is an excellent printer for people who want really good photo printing, need scanning and photocopying capability, which are also good, but don't have large print jobs on a regular basis. The user interface and the beauty of the thing itself make it a complete pleasure to operate. Never thought I'd be saying that about a piece of electronic equipment. The ink cartridges are kind of small, so that's another consideration unless you can find a good, cheap dealer on E-bay.
Installation - this is one where you have to be ready. Plug and play this is not. You have to load the printer head, the printer cartridges, and keep going back and forth between the computer and printer screen (which gives you directions) to set it up, no matter what the directions say. Give yourself an hour, because it may not go that smoothly. I actually had no problems - already had a wireless router and didn't have to go through what some others have, but it was tedious and I did notice that you have to pay as much attention to what the computer is saying as what the printer is telling you to do, and found installing the printer head less straight forward that it should have been.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA MG8120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (4504B002)

Ultimate Wireless Photo All-In-One Featuring Intelligent Touch System, Gray Ink and a 3.5" LCD

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA MG8120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (4504B002)

Read More...

Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We bought this little gem to take to Europe. First impressions are very favorable. It's small, reliable, and prints beautifully. At just over four pounds, it's perfect for travel.
The little Bluetooth adaptor also works very well. Reading the manual (!), I discovered it is possible to mount the adapter permanently inside the printer so that it's not exposed and doesn't need attachment every time it is used. This is a simple procedure, and enhances the usefulness of the Bluetooth capability that is all but de rigueur when traveling. The installation / setup information is also in the electronic manual that comes on the CD.
But as good as the printer is, it does not come with (nor does Canon offer) a case of any kind. I found the perfect solution - from Case-Mate: go to http://www.case-[...] and buy the 'Glovez 15"' sleeve (like a large envelope with a velcro closure / flap). It comes in an assortment of colors and is a skin-tight (but very workable) fit in the 'length' direction. When inserted, the printer doesn't take up every bit of the case in the 'width' direction, meaning there is just enough room to also accommodate the cord and AC brick. Throw these in, close the flap, and you're always ready to roll.
Best part: this 'Glovez' sleeve is only $9.99 + $3.99 S/H, and gets to you in a few days. It's not bulky - just what one wants to protect the printer but not take up room. (As an aside, the Case-Mate Glovez 13" [for the MacBook 13" and Air] fits the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 perfectly).
March 8, 2011: Came back (for the first time) to look over some of my reviews, and thought I would update this one. We took the printer to Europe for a month in the summer of 2008 (and, as noted by one of the commenters, it does indeed have a built-in usable voltage range of 100 - 240V, 50 - 60 Hz, so one needs only an adapter for local outlets, and not a transformer of any kind). It performed flawlessly then, and continues to do so today.
We take it everywhere. It goes in the bag wherever we go on vacation, or on business, and has never missed a beat. It sets up in an instant as soon as you get to your hotel room - so easy to use. As stated before, I highly recommend the internally-mounting bluetooth adapter; it's never in the way, impossible to lose, and reliable. OK: Canon gets a small demerit for not building it in in the first place, but... With today's wireless-built-in portable PCs and other devices, it's a snap to hook up to the Internet within moments of arriving at your hotel, then send maps, proposals, anything else, etc. to the printer with no cables whatever. Especially good when both of us have our laptops out at a hotel room: we can both send jobs to the printer across the room without getting in each other's way. It's quick, reliable, durable, with various 'quality levels' available - and I highly recommend it for mobile use.
I know Canon also makes a battery that 'bolts-on' to the back of this printer. For my application, the additional $100 wasn't worth the extra bulk - to achieve a freedom from the electric grid that I didn't need. But if you conduct business in your pickup, or out in the field, it would certainly make sense: put the printer on the passenger seat and produce a customer invoice, etc. on the spot.
I seldom wax so enthusiastic over a product, and have been known to be excoriatingly critical of poor designs / execution. But Canon hit the nail dead center with this product: if you're in the market for a genuinely useful, rugged, portable printer - get it. You will not regret the decision.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer

Amazon.com Product DescriptionCanon's stylish iP100 Mobile Printer travels with you, delivering outstanding photo print quality wherever you are. Thanks to a blazing sprint speed, you can have a beautiful 4 x 6 inch print in less than a minute. The iP100 is perfect for traveling photographers, vacationers making their own post cards, businessmen who need to make the perfect color presentation on the road, and anyone else who wants a high-quality print anywhere.
Outstanding Prints from a Tiny Device At a compact 12.7 x 2.4 x 7.2 inches (WxHxD) and weighing in at a scant 4.4 pounds, the iP100 is a rugged, attractive device that is easy to slip into your briefcase or traveling bag. You can further increase the portability by adding the optional car adapter or battery kit.
Don't mistake compact for low-quality. The iP100 produces spectacular photos at 9600 x 2400 dpi. Canon's patented print head with 1,856 precision nozzles ejects ink at droplets as small as 1 picoliter for incredible photo realism and accuracy. Together with the 5-color ink system, you are ensured the highest quality output. All without a long waiting: a photo lab-quality 4 x 6 inch borderless print takes about 55 seconds. For printing documents, the iP100 can print black-and-white documents at up to 20 ppm and color documents at up to 14 ppm.
Print from Macs and PCs and Directly from Cameras The Canon PIXMA iP100 is compatible with Windows Vista/XP/2000 and Mac OS X v 10.2.8 to 10.5.x, connecting via a USB interface. Additionally, it also has a built-in IrDA interface and an optional Bluetooth interface, letting you print wirelessly from a PC, PDA or camera phone. The printer also supports the PictBridge interface for connecting compatible digital cameras and printing photos directly -- without a PC.
There is no need to worry that you weren't first able to touch up a photo when printing directly from the camera; Canon's Auto Image Fix lets you automatically correct for exposure, color, brightness, and contrast.
The Canon PIXMA iP100 photo printer is backed by toll-free technical support and a 1-year limited warranty with InstantExchange program.
What's in the Box iP100 mobile printer, document kit (quick start guide, leopard information sheet, easy setup instructions, setup software & user's guide CD-ROM, user guide), ink cartridges (one black, one color), AC adapter, power cord, print head, bundled media MP-101, sample media PP-201.

Get 21% OFF

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer

Read More...

Canon PIXMA MG6120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (4503B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
Effortless set up, even for WiFi
Excellent print and photographic quality
High quality scanning
Faster than older Canon inkjet printers
Slick interface/modern design
Buffed up Canon software
Front loading paper tray
Excellent customer support (see addendum)
Cons:
Memory card reader on WiFi works for Windows but not for Mac
Slow wireless 'upload' from printer
Shiny exterior picks up fingerprints
Completely redesigned ink cartridges means that you are stuck with expensive, proprietary
ones, at least for the time being
No continuous document feed
Long install time for proprietary software
Canon software is much better, but still a little slow and clunky
The PIXMA MG6120 is one of Cannon's newest line of printers. It is long on features and really is an excellent, all around printer for home use. It was easy to set up using the supplied CD and worked without a hitch on WiFi immediately on set up. The text printing on normal paper is excellent and the photographic reproduction is nearly photo-lab comparable.
Note: I am using the printer on an Apple iMac with a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (for the truly savvy, this is a 17" MA590LL/A, late 2007 model). I am running OS X 10.6.4 on the Mac side and Windows 7 home edition on Bootcamp. The printer that I am comparing this model to, is my old Canon MX310[Canon Pixma MX310 Office All-in-One Inkjet Printer (2184B002)], bought from Amazon circa 2007.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The printer is packaged with a quick start up guide, network trouble shooting guide, a starter pack of 6 ink cartridges, power cord, paper for print head alignment, and sample pack of 4 X 6 Canon Plus Glossy II photo paper. Extricating the printer from its box was par for the course, with the usual removal of protective wrapping and unsticking of orange tape.
The printer itself weighs in at 20 lbs, so it is somewhat more hefty than it looks and it is by no means petite at 18.6 x 14.5 x 6.9 inches. It sports a small view screen and innovative touch panel that functioned smoothly. It has a pleasing, modern design, and a glossy finish that really looks cool at first, but is a real magnet for fingerprints.
SET UP:
You hardly need a manual to tell you what to do, as the printer really tells you what to do itself once you turn it on. The carriage centers as you open the device and placing the print head in place is easy. The ink cartridges are color coded and fit in place easily. There is a thick, black cartridge that can only fit in one space, but the color cartridges are otherwise identical. They will fit into each other's slots, but there is a guide on the print head that makes placement a no brainer. As each cartridge is equipped with its own microchip, my guess is that the printer would inform you of any errors in placement. (Not wanting to mess up the color printing for the first runs, I stuck with the program and didn't let the machine prime the ink tanks while placed in the wrong slots.) Once closed, the machine quickly cleans the print heads and then prompts you to place the photographic paper in the back loading slot for print head alignment. A few minutes later, this is done. Plain paper can then be loaded in the front cassette or in the rear loading slot, and you're off to the races.
WARNING!: A word about the ink tanks--these are a brand new style. This means that it will be some time before refurbished or third party cartridges are available for use. Although brand new Canon ink cartridges are likely to function the best, other options do significantly decrease the price per page and not everyone needs 100% full quality prints or an archival photo that will not fade in `300 years.' You can get an idea of ink prices here: Canon PGI-225 BK/ CLI-226 C,M,Y 4 Pack Value Pack (4530B008); Canon CLI-226 Gray Ink Tank (4550B001). Note that at the time that I am writing this there is no value pack that covers all of the MG6120 inks together. Unlike other Canon photo printers you will need the PGI-225 black and FOUR CLI-226 cartridges (C,M,Y, and GRAY). At present prices, refilling the ink tanks twice would cost about as much as buying a brand new MG6120 at Amazon's sale price. (To my knowledge, no 3rd party refill kits or refurbished cartridges are available at this time.)
UPDATE 1/15/2011: Generic inks are now becoming available for the printer. But so far, caveat emptor. I purchased these 6 PKS GENERIC INK CANON PGI-225 CLI-226 Pixma iP4820 MG5220 at a bargain basement price but--as always--there's a catch. The cartridges do NOT come with cartridge recognition chips--the printer WILL NOT RUN unless the chips are in place. The instructions tell you how to transfer the chips from your existing OEM cartridges to a plastic device called a 'chip extender.' Once you understand how to do this it isn't exactly rocket science but lets just say that there's a learning curve here and only 1/6 cartridges were recognized by my printer. I will be contacting the company and trying to figure out where things went wrong and re-updated the review, but at this juncture I CANNOT recommend these cartridges. My guess is that either the chip extender isn't lining the chip up correctly, I glued the chips on to the chip extender incorrectly, or I damaged the chip in the process of moving it. The cartridges themselves DO look like the real thing and appear to be compatible in all other ways. Unless you have experience with such things, I would avoid these. Canvassing the net, there now appear to be some vendors (ones certified by the BBB) that are producing compatible or refurbished cartridges (WITH chips). The only cartridge that doesn't seem to be available this way so far is the grey cartridge, but I imagine that this will soon be available.
THE SOFTWARE:
Loading the software was similarly easy on both OS X or Windows. The supplied CD easily installs the software with a few simple prompts. In both cases, however, the basic software can take up to 10 minutes to load. On Windows, the printer is picked up and is automatically added with a click. On the Mac side, the software is similarly easy to install, but you have to supply the WiFi network password to add the printer.
The present Canon software is definitely an upgrade from the previous generation. The main screen gives you options for photo printing, calender printing, layout printing, album printing, and movie printing (this feature only works with Canon cameras). The photo print option is the most useful and allows you to print single photographs or a number of photographs on a single sheet of paper. Scanner options include autoscan, OCR (optical character recognition), attaching scans to emails, and opening of saved images. There are also options for web services, help/settings, and product information.
None of the software really represents a real photo editor, and, truthfully, most people have their favorites anyway. Nevertheless, there are some basic photo editing features such as red eye reduction, face sharpening, face smoothing, blemish correction, and brightness/contrast/sharpness/blur controls. But these are painfully slow on both the Mac and in Windows. Unless you are doing something very simple, you'll want to use your photo editor of choice.
The scanner interface is much improved from previous generations. In particular, the auto scan feature quickly detects what you are scanning and accurately recognizes if there are different pictures, and saves them as multiple files . Manual controls are similarly easy to use. The OCR is much improved from their 2007 vintage, and is reasonably accurate across different typefaces.
PRINTING TEXT:
Printing text is both faster and better than in the previous model. When magnified, it is clear that the text from this printer is sharper and cleaner than the MX310. That being said, when viewed under normal conditions at zero magnification, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. Both are certainly acceptable. On the bright side, the MG6120 is almost twice as fast.
PRINTING PICTURES:
I was quite impressed by the MG6120's photo quality. Although this is an all-in-one, it has the capability for near photo-lab quality. With a maximum 9600 x 2400 DPI, there is no visible pixillation to the naked eye when printing a high resolution photo. The colors are true and the blacks are consistently deep black without that line by line variation that is all too common in inkjet printers. The upload to the printer over WiFi did cause a short lag, but this was more than acceptable, even at high resolution. There is a definite advantage in having six, separate tanks of ink rather than four, in terms of producing true colors. I did not show a sample comparing the MG6120 with the MX310 as I ran out of Canon color cartridges for the MX310 and I didn't think that using a refurbished cartridge would be a fair comparison. However, I would never have thought of using the MX310 to print pictures for more than casual use. Even when new, the MX310 had too high a level of artifact to produce photo album quality pictures. The MG6120 may not be a professional level photo printer, but it rivals many online consumer photo print services.
The biggest surprise was the ability of the MX310 to produce quality black and white...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA MG6120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (4503B002)

High Performance Wireless Photo All-In-One with Intelligent Touch System, Gray Ink and Built-In Auto Duplex Printing

Get 36% OFF

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA MG6120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (4503B002)

Read More...

Sony DPP-FP97 Picture Station Photo Printer with Built-in 3.5-Inch LCD Tilt-Adjustable Display Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This photo printer is very easy to use and prints pictures pretty quickly with pretty good image fidelity. Nice size for home or on the road. Every parent should consider getting something like this for all those everyday digital photos instead of relying on drug stores. Prints directly from several different storage devices without a computer. Gives you prints with practically no wait and hardly any fuss. Only have to make sure to get the exact paper and cartridge for this specific model.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DPP-FP97 Picture Station Photo Printer with Built-in 3.5-Inch LCD Tilt-Adjustable Display

Click here for more information about Sony DPP-FP97 Picture Station Photo Printer with Built-in 3.5-Inch LCD Tilt-Adjustable Display

Read More...

Canon Pixma MP970 Photo All-In-One Inkjet Printer (2181B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am an amateur photographer and a professional Software Engineer. I purchased this printer as a general purpose printer and as a low cost photo printer. My home network which consists of 5 Windows XP computers and 1 Mac OS X computer (mine). I connected the printer to my network using the built in ethernet port. All of the testing I performed was over the network and I never tried the USB port. The printer does everything it advertises and does it well. I tested printing, scanning, and card reader functionality using OS X Tiger, OS X Leopard, Windows XP, and the printer worked flawlessly regardless of the OS I was using. You just need to make sure that you download and install the latest and greatest driver for the particular OS you are using. I also tried scanning directly using Photoshop CS3 on OS X Leopard and everything worked perfect.
One of the reasons I purchased the MP970 was for low cost photo printing. I also own an Epson R2400 which is a semi-professional dedicated photo printer. The R2400 is expensive to purchase, and expensive to operate. I was curious how the MP970 photo quality would compare to the R2400 so I directly compared photos printed on the Canon MP970 to the same photos printed on the Epson R2400. The Canon MP970 prints great pictures, but it is simply does not produce the same quality pictures as the R2400. I printed pictures from Photoshop in a color managed environment using Ilford Smooth Pearl Photo Paper and compared the R2400 to the MP970. The Canon MP970 did very well but Epson R2400 was definitely the winner - which was the expected result. The Epson had better highlights, better shadows, and more neutral mid tones. Notwithstanding, the MP970 produced very respectable prints which would be acceptable in all but the most demanding applications. The bottom line is that if you are really serious about excellent photo quality, this is not the printer for you. If you want a low cost way to produce very respectable prints, this printer is definitely for you. I feel that the Canon MP970 fully meets or exceeds my quality expectations for a low cost photo printer. And, as an added bonus, the MP970 is way cheaper to operate than my R2400 because it uses a lot less ink. As an example of how I use it, it's a lot more cost effective to print 25 Christmas cards on my MP970 than it is to print the same 25 cards on the R2400.
I only gave the printer 4 stars because it powers itself off every 2 to 4 days for no reason. Canon technical support confirmed that the printer should not power itself off and sent me a new replacement printer under warranty. Unfortunately, the replacement printer also powers itself off for no reason. I tried several different electrical outlets in my office and it did not fix the problem. Also, no other devices in my office power themselves off. This review has been here for a while now and several people posted comments and said that their MP970 printers also intermittently power off.
Update on Intermittent Power off Issue:
After about 9 months of operation, I ended up moving the printer from my office to my Son's room (for unrelated reasons). For unexplained reasons, the printer stopped intermittently powering itself off after I moved it to my Son's room. The printer has been in my Son's room for roughly 3 months now and it has not powered itself off once. Weird.
I have had the printer for roughly 1 year and I have not had any problems except for the power issue mentioned above.
Here is what the printer does:
- Double sided printing
- Ethernet connectivity
- USB Connectivity
- Initiate a scan from the printer or the computer
- Scan to the disk on your computer, scan to email, scan to PDF
- Copy
- Read camera memory cards. Access the cards via network or USB
- Scanner is compatible with Photoshop CS3 on OS X
- Compatible with OS X Tiger, OS X Leopard, Windows XP, Windows Vista
- 2 paper trays: Cassette in the bottom, open paper tray in the rear
- Will make borderless photo prints
Here is what the printer does not do:
- Does not fax
- Does not have an auto document feeder for the scanner
- Canon does not supply Linux drivers, but I have heard that Linux drivers may be available from other sources (see comments made by others about this review for more information).
- Wireless Ethernet is not directly supported. This printer connects to your network with an Ethernet cable.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon Pixma MP970 Photo All-In-One Inkjet Printer (2181B002)

The Canon PIXMA MP970 Photo All-in-One Inkjet Printer lets you preview, scan, copy, and print photographs and documents with one easy machine. This all-in-one printer features a compact, streamlined design that can preview images in high resolution on its 3.5-inch TFT display, scan beautiful images with color resolutions up to 9600 by 2400 dpi, or print photos directly from memory cards, cameras, DV camcorders, or camera phones in seconds. The printer's Easy Scroll Wheel makes operation a breeze. The Auto-Image Fix feature ensures that every photo is clear and vivid--even when scanning difficult items such as thick notebooks or faded images--to result in stunning color resolutions up to 4800 by 9600 dpi. This PIXMA will even allows print or copy two-sided to save paper and space.
Just press the Power button and get to work, thanks to the printer's helpful Quick Start design. Copies come out crisper than ever with the system's Dual Color Gamut Processing Technology. Compatible with Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Mac OS X 10.2.8 to 10.4.x8 operating systems, this printer comes backed by a 1-year limited manufacturer's warranty.
What's in the Box Pixma MP970 photo all-in-one printer, cross sell sheet, easy setup instructions, quick start guide, setup software and user's guide CD-ROM, user's guide, PGI-5 black ink tank, CLI-8 (cyan/magenta/yellow) ink tank, power cord, print head, and sample media (8.5-by-11.5-inch sheets).

Click here for more information about Canon Pixma MP970 Photo All-In-One Inkjet Printer (2181B002)

Read More...

Canon PIXMA iP5000 Photo Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I originally bought the Epson R200 because it was cheaper, but that printer guzzled ink like an SUV. So, I exchanged it for this printer, whose photos are just as good as the Epson (on glossy paper), with about 1/5 the ink costs. In the one year I had this printer (resulting in thousands of prints) the cheaper ink costs paid for themselves many times over.
One downside to the Canon is a tendency towards yellow tints (but you can adjust this). Also, the head-cleaning mechanism failed after a year of heavy use. By then I'd made thousands of prints, so I wasn't too upset, and in fact replaced the printer with an identical model.
The Pixma 5000's prints look stunningly great on glossy photo paper. They actually look better than the photo labs I've used, in my opinion. Contrast and color are great. Most 4-ink printers (as opposed to the 6-ink or 8-ink printers) suffer from "dithering", i.e. they give you tiny little dots instead of smooth colors, but the Canon has almost no visible dithering. The Canon's colors tend to be slightly yellow, but this can be adjusted in the print settings.
In photo quality, the Pixma 5000 beat every other 4-color Canon or Epson printer at my local store. Epson's "Durabright" printers pale in comparison, as do Canon's various all-in-one copier/scanner/printers.
However, photos on plain paper do not look good, and lack contrast and crispness. This is actually a problem with most inkjet printers, though the Epson R200 seems to do a better job with plain paper than the Canon, mainly because its black inks are somewhat darker. Printing on matte paper is also tricky - midtones come out too dark, so photos look dull and muddy unless you lighten the midtones in Photoshop.
The Pixma's small 1 picoliter droplets really help with text, which is crisper and sharper than the Epson R200. Text pages also print quite fast.
Best of all, the Canon is unusually efficient with ink. I got an impressive number of photos (over 250 glossy 4x6's) with each color cartridge, and almost 300 photos with the black cartridge. The Epson only gave me 50-60 photos per cartridge set. Not only do the Canon cartridges last longer, they are cheaper, and there are only 4 instead of 6 to buy. By my estimate, Canon ink costs 5-7 times less per page than Epson. In the long run this is a HUGE difference, and more than makes up for the slightly higher cost of the printer itself.
I have only one major gripe: After about 6 months of use, the printer's self-cleaning mechanism failed. This caused black streaks on the edge of prints. Cleaning the print head would help temporarily, but the streaks would return soon. After one year of heavy use, I had to replace the printer. But I definitely got my money's worth, and then some. Overall, this is still one of the best inkjet printers I've ever seen, combining high quality, low maintenance costs, and versatility with text and graphics.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PIXMA iP5000 Photo Printer

Printing professional quality photos from home has become a reality, thanks to easy-to-use photo printers like the Canon PIXMA ip5000. By combining five-color printing and a 1,856-nozzle print head that's capable of delivering superfine 1-picoliter ink droplets (up to 22 million droplets per inch), the ip5000 delivers stunningly accurate prints that should leave professional photo labs a little worried.
Color resolution is as high as 9,600 x 2,400 dpi, with black-and-white resolution of up to 600 x 600 dpi. Print speeds are as high as 25 ppm in black, 17 ppm in color, while a borderless 4-by-6-inch photo can take as little as 36 seconds. The same drive system responsible for the ip5000's improved print speeds also results in a low 34 dB(A) noise level. (All reported speeds are maximums. Actual speeds will vary.)
Precision Color Distribution Technology Unlike other systems, nozzle configuration in Bubble Jet printers is simple, so it is easier to make them smaller and more dense. Using its superior semiconductor manufacturing technology, Canon has succeeded in developing an ultrahigh-precision, multinozzle print head. The problem of color inconsistency has been solved by positioning a mirror-image line of 128 nozzles (600 dpi pitch for each color) at a half-pitch offset from the existing line. This configuration also provides the added advantage of enabling high-resolution printing at 1,200 dpi.
Easy-PhotoPrint v3.0 While most photo-editing software applications will brighten the entire image, Easy-PhotoPrint 3.0 accurately detects the subject's face and adjusts the skin to the optimum tone. Brighten dark faces caused by bright backgrounds. Choose from one-click automatic to correct the entire image all at once, or manual to correct just a selected area.

Easy-PhotoPrint 3.0 also lets you select and print any image on your PC, perfectly trim images, correct images using lab-quality retouching features, correct red-eye, smooth facial lines and skin tone, sharpen faces, remove blemishes, and print in a variety of sizes and layouts.
Along with a wide variety of plain and photo papers, the ip5000 also accepts envelopes and transparencies. The dual paper path allows you to print two-sided documents or simply store photo papers in one tray and plain paper in the other.
With its easy-to-use USB port, hooking up the printer to your computer is a snap, while a direct print port allows you to print directly from a PictBridge-compatible digital camera or DV camcorder, with or without your computer. The software bundle includes Easy-PhotoPrint and PhotoStitch. Compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems, the ip5000 comes backed with a one-year limited warranty on both parts and labor.
What's in the Box PIXMA iP5000 photo printer, print head and ink tanks (BCI-3eBK black, BCI-6BK black, BCI-6C cyan, BCI-6M magenta, BCI-6Y yellow), power cord, easy setup instructions, documentation kit (Quick Start Guide, Registration Card), Setup Software and User's Guide on CD-ROM, Canon Photo Paper Pro for Borderless Printing (4-by-6 sample pack); USB cable not included

Click here for more information about Canon PIXMA iP5000 Photo Printer

Read More...