October 25, 2012
KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera/Zx5 – ruggedly built to capture extreme sporting action
By Databazaar Blog
The rugged Kodak PLAYSPORT Video Camera/Zx5 is ideally suited for capturing extreme sporting action sequences and stunts. It’s not only waterproof up to a depth of 10 feet, but it can also withstand the shock and bruising from a 5-foot fall. The soft rubberized surface of the camera lets you a get a good grip on it – it’s not likely to slip out of your grasp. As part of the rugged design, the lithium-ion battery is not removable so it won’t pop out when you drop the camera. The service replaceable battery can be charged in-camera.
The camera has easy-to-use dedicated buttons for power, capture, review, menu, 5-way switch, delete and share. It has a bright 2” LCD screen that automatically adjusts to the ambient light. You can use the Glare Shield feature if you’re out shooting in bright sunlight. You can review your pictures and videos on the LCD and even perform in-camera editing to trim your videos or create a still shot from a video clip. You can choose one of the capture effects to create a great look for your picture. Digital image stabilization takes the blur out of your videos and pictures. With features like automatic face detection, autofocus and 4X zoom you get sharp and clear pictures – whether it’s jaw-dropping action or underwater scenes. With the SD/SDHC memory card (up to 32 GB) you can record approximately 10 hours of HD video.
It’s a simple three-step process to share video clips and pictures from your Zx5 on YouTube, Flickr or Twitter. You can always download them to your PC or Mac, or use the HDMI port to play your videos directly on your HDTV.
Summary
The ruggedly built Kodak PLAYSPORT Video Camera/Zx5 is perfect for capturing extreme sporting action.Manufacturer
KodakProduct Page
Kodak PLAYSPORT Video CameraSpecs that matter
| Notable Features: | Digital image stabilization; 4X zoom; 2” color LCD, auto brightness, LCD Glare Shield; Face detection; Review mode, editing options; Shockproof, dustproof, waterproof; Internal Lithium ion battery, in-camera charging; Microphone, speaker; Approximately 10 hours of HD Video using SD/SDHC memory card slot expandable up to 32 GB |
| Display: | .0” 112K TFT color LCD, 4:3, auto brightness control, LCD Glare Shield |
| Focus Range: | Auto – 10 cm to infinity; Macro – 7 cm to 17 cm; Auto underwater – 13 cm to infinity; Macro underwater – 10 cm to 22 cm |
| Capture Effects: | Vivid color, normal color, sepia, B&W, high saturation, 1970's film look |
| Capture Modest: | 1080p (16:9)—1920 x 1080, 30 fps; 720p (16:9)—1280 x 720, 30 fps; 720p (16:9)—1280 x 720, 60 fps; WVGA (16:9)—848 x 480, 30 fps; still (16:9)—5.3 MP |
| Storage: | 128 MB internal memory; expandable SD/SDHC memory card slot up to 32 GB |
| File Formats: | Video - MPEG-4, AAC-LC; Still - JPEG/EXIF v2.21 |
| I/O Interface: | Micro USB 2.0 (high speed) |
| Warranty: | 1 year |
About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.
December 30, 2011
Kodak C315 All-In-One Printer – Affordable Lab Quality Photos and more
By Databazaar Blog
The compact Kodak C315 All-In-One delivers Lab Quality photos and more at a very affordable price. This Wi-Fi enabled printer prints, copies and scans. The simple Wi-Fi setup allows you to easily connect this printer to your wireless network at home or small office.
The pigment based Kodak 30 Series Ink Cartridges used in this printer generate sharp and vivid prints at print speeds of up to 38 seconds for a 4” x 6” color photo. For high volume printing you can use the high yield Kodak 30XL Black and Color cartridges. The convenient rear paper feeder can handle paper sizes ranging from 4” x 6” up to A4 and Letter size paper.
Photo printing from your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry or Android mobile devices is facilitated by the Kodak Pic Flick App. You can also use the Google Cloud Print enabled apps to print from your computer, smartphone or tablet. The Kodak Email Print Service allows you to send emails and attachments to this printer from anywhere.
The efficient copy function of this printer works at speeds of up to 5 copies per minute (black) and 3 copies per minute (color). You can scan multiple photos at a time and create separate scan files automatically. The optical character recognition feature of this printer also lets you scan and edit documents.
Kodak has included a memory card slot to allow computer free printing. This printer has an easy-to-use 2.4” color LCD and well marked buttons for the various functions.
Summary
The Kodak C315 All-In-One delivers Lab Quality photos and more at a very affordable price.Manufacturer
KodakProduct Page
Kodak ESP C315Supplies
Ink
Kodak 30 (Black & Color), Kodak 30XL (High Capacity Black & Color)Specs that matter
| Notable Features: | Print/Copy/Scan; Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity; Kodak Pic Flip App facilitates printing from mobile devices; Prints borderless lab-quality color photos 4” x 6” in 38 seconds; rear paper feed tray can hold up to 100 sheets regular paper or 20 sheets of photo paper; Computer free printing using the memory card slot; 2.4” color LCD |
| Printer Resolution: | 9600 optimized DPI for high-resolution color photo printing; 1200 × 1200 DPI for highest monochrome text resolution |
| Paper Size: | Borderless photos from 4” × 6” up to Letter/A4; documents from 4” × 6” up to Letter/A4 |
| Scanner Resolution: | 1200 DPI optical scanner (CIS), 24-bit 9600 interpolated DPI |
| Copier Reduction / Enlargement: | 20–500% |
| Standard Interface: | built-in Wi-Fi, 802.11 b/g/n, USB 2.0 High Speed, DPOF, Google Cloud Print ready, KODAK Email Print Service ready, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, BLACKBERRY, or ANDROID device with the KODAK Pic Flick App |
| OS Compatibility: | Microsoft Windows 7, VISTA Home Basic, or XP-Home (SP2 or above), MACINTOSH OS 10.4.8 or higher |
| Warranty: | 1 year from purchase (with proof of purchase) |
About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.
October 21, 2011
KODAK HERO series – print photos and documents from anywhere and any device!
By Databazaar Blog
The new Kodak HERO All-in-One printer series is a merger of technology and performance. One of the most prominent features of this printer is the ability to print on the go from any location and any device like your personal computers, laptops, smartphones or tablets.
You can send emails to the KODAK HERO printers from any email account from anywhere using the KODAK Email Print Service. This printer also uses Google Cloud Print Technology which enables users to print documents and photos on any device without the use of drivers or a PC connection. In addition to these state of the art features in the KODAK HERO series, KODAK will also enable the Google Cloud Print and KODAK Email Print technology for KODAK All-in-One printers of the previous generations.
A KODAK Pic Flick App feature allows you to print photos directly from an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry or Android OS devices. The use of Kodak’s proprietary pigment-based inks ensures that the print output of text documents are sharp, crisp and clear. Needless to say, these photos are of lab quality and dry instantly. They are smudge, water and fade resistant, too!
Summary
The KODAK HERO series adds value to your print outputs by delivering superior quality output using latest and finest technologies available in the market.Manufacturer
KodakProduct Page
Kodak HERO SeriesSupplies
Specs that matter
| Release Date: | September 29, 2011 |
| Notable Features: | Google Cloud Print, KODAK Email Print, superior quality photos, KODAD Pic Flick app |
| Green Features: | Energy Star Qualified |
| Pages Per Minute: | 8.5 ipm in black/5.5 ipm in color |
| Resolution: | 9600 optimized DPI for high-resolution color photo printing / 1200 × 1200 DPI for highest monochrome text resolution (default) |
| Paper Trays: | High capacity 200 page document tray |
| Paper Capacity: | 100 sheet paper and separate 40-sheet photo paper |
| Interface: | Built in Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB 2.0 |
| Compatibility: | Windows, Mac |
| Dimensions: | 17.5 x 17 x 9.1 inches |
| Weight: | 18.7 pounds |
| Warranty: | one year from purchase |
About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.
October 12, 2011
KODAK ESP C310 - high quality printing at a low cost
By Databazaar Blog
High quality prints at low ink costs is one of the major selling points advertised by Kodak for its Kodak ESP C310 all-in-one printers. These printers offer the lowest total ink replacement cost when compared to leading consumer inkjet printers. The Kodak 30 Series Ink Cartridges and Kodak high volume cartridges work well with these printers. The output is lab-quality and the photos last a lifetime!
You can print sharp, crisp text documents, graphics in vivid colors and photos that are of professional quality. The Perfect Page Technology improves the quality of scanned documents, even better than that of the original. The low-cost, high-quality pigment-based ink dries instantly. It is also water and fade resistant. The Kodak All-In-One Home Center Software allows you to edit the photos. You could reduce red eye, fix skin tones and also restore color!
The Wi-Fi setup can be easily connected to your wireless home network and the built-in rear USB port helps in connecting to the PC via the USB cable. The intelligent paper sensor automatically senses the paper type and fixes the printer settings accordingly. The sort feature allows you to find and view pictures on the memory card by sorting them according to month, day or year. You can also print directly from your iPad, iPod Touch, BLACKBERRY, or ANDROID device with the Kodak Pic Flick App.
Summary
Kodak ESP C310 with its low total ink replacement cost and professional lab quality outputs is an ideal choice for a printer for your home.Manufacturer
KodakProduct Page
Kodak ESP C310Supplies
Ink
30 (Black & Color), 30XL High Yield (Black & Color)Specs that matter
| Release Date: | January 4, 2011 |
| Notable Features: | Lowest total ink replacement cost, lab quality photos, print directly from any mobile device, easy wi-fi setup |
| Green Features: | Energy Star qualified, Kodak Photo Papers are forest management scheme accredited, recyclable Kodak inkjet cartridges |
| Pages Per Minute: | 6 images per minute in black, 4 images per minute in color |
| Resolution: | 1200 x 1200 dpi |
| Paper Tray: | one rear feed paper tray |
| Paper Capacity: | 100 sheets |
| Interface: | Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 high speed, built-in Wi-Fi |
| Compatibility: | Windows, MAC |
| Dimensions: | 16.5 x 6.8 x 12.3 inches |
| Weight: | 11.9 pounds |
| Warranty: | One Year |
About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.
September 06, 2011
KODAK ESP Office 2170 All-In-One printer – print your KODAK moments!
By Databazaar Blog
“Increase your income not your ink budget” is the tag line of the KODAK ESP Office 2170 All-In-One printer. With its very affordable range of color cartridges this printer offers you a cost efficient solution to your everyday printing needs.
Not only this, it also comes with a variety of desirable features which make it an apt choice for the printing needs of your office. The text print output is sharp and crisp and the graphics printouts are rich and vibrant. The KODAK Lab-Quality Photo delivers pictures that are water and smudge resistant that last for a lifetime.
The 150 sheet document paper tray and the 25 sheet automatic document feeder enable you to just dump your stack of papers and concentrate on other tasks. The printer feeds the papers, prints or faxes or scans.
The intuitive control panel gives way for easy navigation through the menu options. The front USB ports and memory slots enable printing of photos and documents even without a connecting to a computer.
You could even print pictures from videos from the widely used file types such as .mov, .avi and .mp4. Printing photos from social networking sites like Facebook, Photobucket to name a few and 3D photo creation and printing with no additional equipment, are a few of its unique features. The KODAK Pic Flick App enables mobile printing of photos from an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or Blackberry device.
The high quality prints coupled with the affordable rates make this an ideal choice for small and home offices.
Summary
Kodak ESP Office 2170 All-In-One printer brings in multiple functionalities at a very affordable rate making this not just an idea choice but also a superior one.Manufacturer
KodakProduct Page
Kodak ESP Office 2170Supplies
Ink
Kodak 30, 30XL (Black / Color)Specs that matter
| Release Date: | April 12, 2011 |
| Notable Features: | High quality photo printing, low cost cartridges, print from a variety of sources like USB or social sites or video files, automatic document feeder |
| Green Features: | Energy star certified |
| Resolution: | 1200 x 1200 dpi |
| Paper Trays: | 150 sheet paper tray and 25 sheet automatic document feeder |
| Paper Capacity: | 150 sheets of document paper or 40 sheets of photo paper |
| Interface: | wi-fi, USB 2.0 high speed |
| Compatibility: | Windows & Mac |
| Dimensions: | 17.9 × 11.7 × 25.6 inches |
| Weight: | 15.2 pounds |
| Warranty: | 1 year from purchase |
About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.
October 25, 2010
Fast and Cheap All-in-One Color Inkjet Printers Under $200
By Sean Doherty
Epson Speeds Ahead of All-in-One Color Inkjet Printers Under $200
When the Epson WorkForce 610 (shown above) claimed the crown for the fastest all-in-one color inkjet printer under $200, we had to compare it to other printers in its class. At this moment, the 610's reported 38 pages per minute, 15 pages per minute using the International Standards Organization (ISO) method for measuring digital printer productivity, brings it across the finish line well ahead of the photo finish for second place of other all-in-ones from Dell, Kodak, Lexmark and HP.
Arguably, the Canon PIXMA MX870 is among the photo finishers with a speed rating of 9.4 images per minute using the ISO measurement. Until all the manufacturers use a standard test for printer productivity, speed tests can be difficult to draw comparisons. One thing is for sure, an inkjet printer that prints over 30 pages per minute is pretty darn quick, considering the ink needs to dry on a page before it is laid to rest in the output tray. If you need something faster than one of the printers listed below, look into a laser printer.
Note that each of the all-in-one printers below supports WiFi and all but the WorkForce 610 includes automatic two-sided printing.
Epson WorkForce 610 All-in-One Printer
38 (color), 38 (black and white)
HP Officejet 6500 Wireless All-in-One Printer
31 (color), 32 (black and white)
Dell V715w All-in-One Wireless Printer
30 (color), 33 (black and white)
Lexmark Interact S605
30 (color), 33 (black and white)
Kodak ESP 7250 All-in-One Printer
30 (color), 32 (black and white)
Canon PIXMA MX870 Wireless Office All-in-One Printer
6.1 (images per minute, color), 9.4 (ipm, black and white)
About Databazaar Blog
Virtually everyone who uses a computer uses a printer. But computers get all the glory. So we launched this blog to give printers their due. We hope you find our coverage enjoyable and useful, and encourage you to subscribe and participate.
June 21, 2010
Kodak's Invisible Ink Could Replace Barcodes
By Sean Doherty
DoubleSided: Kodak's New "Red Fluorescing Dry Ink" Puts Invisible Ink Into the Limelight
Do you remember when invisible ink was all the rage? I do, but I never had much use for it. With an invisible-ink pen, I could not see what I was writing, while I was writing it. The end product was less than invisible because the force of the pen pressed my words into, not onto, the paper. Besides, I never had that many secrets worth hiding.
Since I was etching invisible ink onto lined paper with a ballpoint pen, do-it-yourselfers and manufacturers have brought the secret ink into the information age. For example, Lifehack showed us how to put the invisible ink found in pens into inkjet cartridges to conceal the output of your inkjet printer. Epson's NDY-117 series ink uses invisible inks that glow under black light. You can see Epson's invisible ink at work in bars and night clubs, as well as on the wallpaper of haunted houses. And you may recall when we covered Xerox's dry ink technology, which is used to authenticate paper documents. (Xerox also developed self-erasing paper, but that's a different story.)
Kodak Jumps Into the Invisibility Market
Kodak recently announced that it has developed "virtually" invisible ink for its NEXPRESS series of production presses. Kodak maintains that its secret Red Fluorescing Dry Ink is invisible to the naked eye, but illuminates when placed under an appropriate ultraviolet light source.
What's the difference between Kodak's and Xerox's invisible ink? Not much. They both print in an ultraviolet color that becomes visible under a special light, which is akin to reading a book in the dark and then turning on a light.
What's the point of invisible ink? You may soon see invisible ink replace unsightly bar codes on labels and packages in transit and in stores. Invisible ink can provide directions, update inventories, and list prices in a more secure and aesthetically pleasing manner — at least until we all have a UV-barcode reader in our pocket.
About DoubleSided
We all have our idiosyncrasies. So do printers as it turns out. In our DoubleSided feature, we explore the lighter side of printers as well as the esoteric and bizarre. We also peer into the future of printing. From fabbers to printing on toast, you'll find it all here.
June 14, 2010
Kodak ESP Office 6150 AiO Claims Lowest Ink Cost in the Industry
By Sean Doherty
Printer News: Kodak ESP Office 6150 AiO Does it All, Including Saving You Money
Kodak started its foray into the printer market in early 2007 at the same time we started this blog. The company wisely targeted a weakness in the inkjet market — the high cost of ink. The strategy seems to have paid off.
The Kodak ESP Office 6150 AiO prints, copies, scans, and faxes. True to its strategy, Kodak claims that this all-in-one printer has the lowest ink replacement cost in the industry with an average savings of $110 per year.
The ESP Office 6150 offers WiFi connectivity, and sports a 2.4-inch color display for walk-up operation and control. It also includes direct printing support for BlackBerry smartphones and can print from iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad) with the Kodak Flick app.
The 6150 supports two-sided printing and scanning and can print up to 32 pages per minute in black-and-white and 30 pages per minute in color. A high-capacity paper tray holds up to 200 sheets. You can queue up 30 sheets of paper for scans and facsimiles.
Summary
All-in-one, color inkjet printer best for home offices that need to print, scan, copy, and fax and reduce the cost of consumables (ink cartridges).Manufacturer
Press Release
Kodak Expands its Innovative All-in-One Printer Portfolio Within the Home Office MarketProduct Page
Kodak ESP Office 6150 AiOSupplies
Ink Cartridges
Black Ink Cartridge 10B and 10XL, Color Ink Cartridge 10CSpecs that matter
| Release Date: | January 6, 2010 |
| Notable Features: | Low-cost ink, high-resolution scans, WiFi, 2.4-inch color display, print from BlackBerry and iPhone |
| Green Features: | Energy Star, duplex printing, ink cartridge recycling at supported supply stores |
| Pages Per Minute: | 32 (black-and-white); 30 (color) |
| Paper Trays: | 1 |
| Paper Capacity: | 200 |
| Interface: | Ethernet, WiFi, USB 2 |
| Compatibility: | Windows, Mac |
| Dimensions: | 17.5 x 9.3 x 16.8 inches |
| Weight: | 18.7 pounds |
| Warranty: | 1 year |
About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.
October 07, 2009
Canon PIXMA MP990 Plus Twenty One More Printer Reviews
By Databazaar Blog
Review Roundup: Xerox Phaser 6125, Oki MB290, HP 3015d, Samsung ML-2855ND, Canon PIXMA MX320, Canon PIXMA MP560, Canon PIXMA MP990, HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web, Kodak ESP-7, Lexmark Interact S605, Lexmark Interpret S405, Lexmark Platinum Pro905, Lexmark Prestige Pro805, Lexmark Prevail Pro705, Lexmark Prospect Pro205, Canon Selphy CP790, Canon PIXMA iX7000, HP Officejet 7000, HP Deskjet D1660, Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera
Canon is like the quiet, unassuming kid in the back of the class who shocks everyone when he gets admitted to Harvard. Canon quietly (it never sends us press releases) cranks out crowd-pleasing inkjet printers. The Canon PIXMA MP990 has pleased the press as well, earning an Editors' Choice Award from Computer Shopper and, as a result, bragging rights as our Review Roundup winner this week.
Color Laser Printers"This is a great little colour laser printer that produces worthwhile black and colour documents, though you may need to tweak settings for satisfactory photo prints. Print speeds hold up well, though are some way short of the specified figures. " — IT Reviews
Monochrome Multifunction Printers
"Cash-strapped small businesses should find the Oki MP290 useful as a general-purpose mono fax, printer and copier. The fax and messaging functions are particularly versatile. However, with respect to printing speed and copying quality, you get what you pay for." — Alistair Dabbs, Register Hardware
Monochrome Laser Printers"We get to see a lot of printers, but there is still a great deal about the HP LaserJet P3015d to make it stand out from the crowd. It is a solid performer, actually achieving the speed rating quoted by the manufacturer (astonishing, really) and offering a clutch of extra features that will go down well with workgroups, such as automatic duplex printing, PIN-protected stored print jobs, easy-to-use drivers and 'walk-up' USB printing of PDF documents." — Alistair Dabbs, Register Dabbs
"This is a good, general-purpose mono laser printer, with useful features, such as its built-in duplex print. It's compact and still produces pages at well over 20ppm in real office conditions. Print quality for office documentation is fine and running costs fall in the middle of the pack." — Simon Williams, TrustedReviews
Inkjet Multifunction Printers"Canon's PIXMA MX320 is at the low end of the company's range of SOHO all-in-one printers.… This is a serviceable home office all-in-one, with a useful general-purpose front panel USB socket, reasonable speed and the addition of both an ADF and fax facilities. While not intended as a photo printer, it produces excellent photos and fair plain paper prints and copies. Overall it's very good value." — IT Reviews
"The Canon PIXMA MP560 Wireless Photo All-in-One printer definitely lives up to its predecessor, the MP620. The photo quality is excellent, Canon has improved the wireless setup, and it is full of great features including Canon's Easy Scroll Wheel, a front side PictBridge/USB port, and two way paper feeding." — Sarah Meyer, PrinterComparison.com
"This all-in-one is a significant improvement over previous PIXMAs, shining where it really counts: excellent text and image quality. It is perfect for SOHO users who demand quality and speed." — Sally Wiener Grotta & Daniel Grotta, Computer Shopper
HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web | Read Our Take
"Aside from the never-ending name, the HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer looks good and prints high-quality photos at competitive speeds. We also appreciate the effort put into the downloadable applications for the interactive touch screen, but the innovation is offset by a hefty price tag. Unless Web connectivity and touch screens are a top priority, we recommend checking out HP's other multifunction printers, which still offer high performance but at a much lower cost." — Justin Yu, CNET
"In fact, because of the problems we had, we cannot recommend this printer. Who wants to buy a new printer only to spend hours with technical support to get it working properly? Yet, we feel that Kodak is a printer manufacturer to watch very carefully. Kodak's first digital cameras came up short, but after several generations, we found them to be greatly improved. If Kodak can work through their problems with these printers, we feel they could create exceptional printers." — Sandy Berger, Hardware Secrets
"This all-in-one turns out documents and photos at respectable speeds and offers some fresh ideas, but don't mistake it for a photo printer. It's meant purely for small-business and personal-document printing." — Jonathan Rougeot, Computer Shopper
"This is the first of Lexmark's new range of inkjet all-in-ones we've examined and in general improvements are impressive. While ink costs are still too high, the extra economy of individual ink cartridges, where you don't have to throw a tri-colour cartridge away when one ink is exhausted, is some compensation. Speeds are good and print quality is improved, getting closer to Canon and HP standards." — Simon Williams, TrustedReviews
"This innovative, inexpensive-to-operate all-in-one incorporates some next-generation printer functions, but it's marred by confusing paper handling." — Sally Wiener Grotta and Daniel Grotta, Computer Shopper
"The Lexmark Platinum Pro905 is a fully capable all-in-one business device, but its touch screen might throw a wrench in your workflow. The Smart Solutions widgets add virtual customization to the control panel, but we wish Lexmark had retained a few hard buttons as well." — Justin Yu, CNET
"Overall, we liked the Prestige. The attractive, relatively small (9.83 x 18.31 x 15.42-inch) printer proved itself as a performer capable of handling its maximum duty cycle of 10,000 pages per month. And with registration of the product, Lexmark extends the one-year warranty to five years." — Brian Sheinberg, ChannelWeb
"For your extra money, compared with the Interpret, you get an extended warranty, high-capacity cartridges as standard, a full-colour LCD, a slow but useful duplex mode and more convenient paper handling. Print quality and running costs are no different from the cheaper series, but the Prevail Pro705 is still a reasonable all-in-one for SOHO office work." — Simon Williams, TrustedReviews
"Great for small businesses who need an all-in-one printer without loads of frills, this entry-priced model earns good marks for its ease-of-use features and five-year warranty, despite a few print and paper-feed stumbles." — David English, Computer Shopper
Inkjet Photo Printers
Canon Selphy CP790 | Read Our Take
"Though a competent photo printer, the Selphy CP790 is not a good value. The unit and prints are expensive, and the software bundle is meager." — Susan Gilnert, Computer Shopper
Large Format Inkjet Photo Printers
"This large-format inkjet is excellent for cost-sensitive small businesses and home offices. Top-notch results with plain paper, plus auto-duplex printing, make it one of the most versatile single-function inkjets you can buy." — David English, Computer Shopper
"We didn't think we'd be saying this about an HP printer, but it really does look as if the company has taken its eye off the ball.… it doesn't do what it should and really can't be recommended." — Simon Williams, TrustedReviews
"At its best, the Officejet 7000 produces high-quality output on plain paper — and does so cheaply. Its features restrict it to use by small workgroups or home offices, however." — Susan Silvius, PC World
Inkjet Printers
"This is a pretty good printer for the money. It's very easy to use and in most ways just gets on with the job. Facilities are basic, but it's reasonably quick for its class and produces high quality output. Print costs are on the high side, but are likely to drop and will always be a bit higher when the asking price is low. If money is tight, the Deskjet D1660 is a good place to spend it." — Simon Williams, TrustedReviews
ZINK-Based Photo Printers
Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera
"That said, the output from the built-in printer was a vast improvement over what we saw from the standalone ZINK printers from Polaroid and Dell. None of the colors were noticeably off, and the printer did a reasonably good job with skin tones in particular." — M. David Stone, PC Magazine
About Review Roundup
Every week, we scour the Web for the most helpful reviews, organize them by printer type, and provide you with a salient quote and a link for further reading. We also link to our own summaries when available. When shopping for a printer, start with Review Roundup.
May 14, 2009
Is Your Inkjet Printer Lying to You?
By Kara Hiltz
Low-Ink Warnings Often Jump The Gun, Reports PC World
Most of us rush to put gas in our cars once our fuel gauge approaches the red zone. The same goes for our printers when they give us a low-ink warning. You don't want to push your luck. In some cases, the printer leaves you no choice — it refuses to print until you change the cartridge
PC World set out to learn just how much ink the average consumer wastes simply by trusting their printer's warnings. In How Much Ink Is Left in That Dead Cartridge?, Jeff Bertolucci reveals that most "empty" ink cartridges can prints many more documents and photos.
How PC World Put Ink Warnings to the Test
PC World compared leftover ink in an "empty" black ink cartridge for multifunction inkjet printers from four major manufacturers: Canon, Epson, HP, and Kodak. The researchers took each cartridge's initial weight, and then printed pages until the low-ink warnings shut down the printer, forcing a cartridge change. Next, they weighed the cartridge with its remaining amount of ink. Finally, they measured a third weight — the cartridge's "true" empty weight — by draining the cartridge dry before weighing it.
The results showed many cases in which a great deal of ink remained in the dead ink cartridge.
Four Lessons From PC World's Study
- The Epson cartridge performed the best as it wasted the least amount of ink (about 8 percent) while an aftermarket cartridge in a Canon printer left behind 45 percent of its ink.
- Three out of the four of the printers (Kodak being the exception) left more ink behind when using third-party cartridges than with their own brand-name cartridges. The manufacturers claimed that they design the printers to sense their own cartridges' levels more accurately. Third-party vendors say that they fill the cartridges more to begin with, which means more ink is bound to be left behind when the printer determines that it's "empty."
- Some experts told PC World that a percentage of ink should remain in a cartridge or the printer runs the risk of damage.
- During PC World's tests, not all of the printers provided low-ink warnings. Som printers, like the HP, printed until the ink cartridge ran dry. But PC World points out that "since the print heads are part of the cartridge in HP's design, running out of ink does not damage other parts of the printer."
We would like to encourage PC World to conduct a similar yet different test — find out which cartridges print the most pages and, therefore, offer the lowest cost per page. After all, we consumers can't do much about empty cartridges that aren't really empty, but we can reward printers and cartridges with a low cost per page by voting with our wallets.
About Databazaar Blog
Virtually everyone who uses a computer uses a printer. But computers get all the glory. So we launched this blog to give printers their due. We hope you find our coverage enjoyable and useful, and encourage you to subscribe and participate.
