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Mobile PrintersSometimes you just HAVE TO print while you're on the road. And if you're tired of running down to the hotel's "business center", that is if they even HAVE one, or waiting to get into the office and attempting to hook your laptop up to the network - and failing, or not having the right print drivers installed for the office printer, then maybe a mobile printer is a good solution for you! Mobile printers are NOT cheap (relative to their printing speed and capability) so make sure you really need one before you buy. Additionally, make sure you're ready to haul around an extra 4 lbs or so of printer, accessories, power cords and batteries - and that you have room in your computer bag to stick one of these guys in it without breaking the printer or the bag! And by the way, you'll probably have to carry paper too - and paper is not light in weight either! So, before you go out and three or four hundred dollars on a mobile printers, here are some other things to think about. So.... As with any product, we believe there are some things you should consider before you purchase that ink jet printer.
Remember too, that most of the printers ARE NOT FAST - so don't expect to print a ton of documents - especially color ones - quickly, while you're on the road. So, ready to take a look at what is out there? We've tried to hit on the majority of printers and their manufacturers. In fact, the number was so large, that we had to build a separate document with all the choices on them (and relevant information). You can find this document at: Mobile Printer Detail - Product Matrix. Additionally, we've chosen our favorite printer from every manufacturer. Just look for the ส symbol!
Mobile Printer ReviewMobile Printers* (Rankings - best, 5 symbols, worst, 1 symbol)
* A = Amateur, R = Rookie, P = Pro
Simple Start-Up - นนนน Brother's mobile thermal printers have easy to install print drivers and are straight forward to set up for use. Cost - $$$1/2 Brother makes three mobile printers. The MW100 is priced at $299.99, the MW-120 at $337.41 and the MW-140BT at $399.95. See our product matrix Mobile Printer Detail - Product Matrix for all pricing and product information. Time Savings - นนนน Brother's mobile printers use thermal technology and produce a page of text in around 15 seconds. This isn't very fast, so you're losing time to get the size and weight advantages with these printers. Ease of Use - @@@@ Brother's thermal printers are very simple to configure. You'll be printing in no time. Works With - YYYY+ Brother printers are compatible with Windows, Pocket PC and Palm operating systems. Support - pppp1/2 Brother products have a one year warranty. Brother has an extensive tech support area on their web site with FAQ's, downloads, manuals, contacts and an ask us section. You can also contact them via phone or fax ('800' number for phone support). Features - iiii+ Very small (36.3x3.9x0.7"), very light (10 or 11 oz. depending on the model) thermal printers for your laptop or handheld. The Brother MW-140BT has both Bluetooth and USB connectivity, the MW-120 USB, infrared and RS-232C, while the MW100 has USB 1.1 only. They all include a lithium ion battery for printing without AC power and software for various OS's (Windows - screen image capture, editing; Pocket PC - PrintPocket CE; Palm IrPRINT) as well. The big minus for these printers is that they use thermal technology so you'll have to purchase the thermal paper packs from Brother as well (50 sheets for $4.49, three label types at $7.49 and $8.75 for 30 sheets and carbon copy paper, 30 sheets for $9.49). Overall Rating - %%%%+ If your printing needs are small while you're traveling around the country/world or around the town (just a few pages of text, small images), or you want to print from your handheld, these printers will do the job. They're small and very light. The thermal print technology however is slow and the thermal paper packs don't come cheap.
Simple Start-Up - นนนน Canon mobile photo printers have easy to install print drivers and are straight forward to set up for use. Cost - $$$$ Canon makes seven mobile photo printers at prices from $99.00 to $179.99. See our product matrix Mobile Printer Detail - Product Matrix for all pricing and product information. Time Savings - นนนน The mobile photo printers products print in around 49 seconds (4x6") and weigh in at 29 oz. to four lbs. Ease of Use - @@@@ Canon mobile photo printers are very simple to configure. You'll be printing in no time. Works With - YYYY Canon printers are compatible with both Macintosh and Windows operating systems. Support - pppp1/2 Canon printers have a one year exchange warranty. The Canon web site has a lot of useful information, manuals, driver updates, FAQ's and a knowledge base. If you need more help you can email them, or call. Telephone support is via an 800 number for the first 90 days and is free. After that period, you'll have to pay $9.99 per call (no "800" number, you must pick up the toll charges where they apply). Tech support is available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 12 midnight and Saturday from noon to 8 PM Eastern time. Features - iiii The SELPHY mobile photo printers include media card readers for faster integration with your camera. Many also include LCDs and direct print capability as well as photo printing software. Overall Rating - %%%% The SELPHY mobile photo printers are interesting and, if you only want to print photos on the road, will do the job.
Simple Start-Up - นนนน HP's mobile and moble photo printer drivers are easy to install and the printers are simple to set up and begin using. Cost - $$$$1/2 HP makes two mobile inkjet printers in five models priced from $224.99 to $349.99 and seven mobile photo printers at prices from $84.99 to $224.99. Their cost per printed page is competitive. See our product matrix Mobile Printer Detail - Product Matrix for all pricing and product information. Time Savings - นนนน The mobile photo printers produce a 4x6" photo (bordered) in around 39 to 53 seconds. Mobile printers print letter size documents at 9 to 27 pages per minute black and white and 8 to 20 pages per minute color. Printers weigh in at 2.6 lbs to just over 9 lbs. Ease of Use - @@@@ HP's printers are straight forward in their implementation and very usable.
The HP mobile ink jet printers and photo printers are all Windows and Macintosh compatible. Support - pppp1/2 HP products carry a one year warranty. HP has a ton of good information on their web site that can help you troubleshoot problems - tips, troubleshooting "walk throughs", forums, FAQ's and more. If you can't find what you need, you can contact tech support via email or phone, 24 hours per day through an HP-sponsored "800" number. Features - iiii1/2 The mobile photo printers include displays so you can see the photo before you print as well as media card readers for better integration with your camera. Some of the mobile inkjets also include media card readers as well as 802.11b wireless or Bluetooth connectivity. Overall Rating - %%%%1/2 HP and printers are words that have gone together for a long time. They still do. The portable photo printers and mobile printers do the job they're made for and do it well.
Simple Start-Up - นนนน Pentax's mobile printers are simple to set up for use - drivers, where necessary (especially for handhelds and "smart phone") install in a straightforward manner. Cost - $$$1/2+ Pentax makes four mobile printers. The PocketJet 3 is $349.00, with Bluetooth $449.00 and the PocketJet 3Plus is $429.00, $529.00 with Bluetooth. Their cost per printed page is relatively high due to their utilization of thermal print technology (you must purchase Pentax thermal paper). See our product matrix Mobile Printer Detail - Product Matrix for all pricing and product information. Time Savings - นนนน The Pentax printers are relatively slow - three pages per minute. However, they weigh in at a very light 1.12 lbs. Trade-off is speed versus weight. Ease of Use - @@@@ The Pentax printers are straightforward to use. Works With - YYYYY Pentax printers support Windows, PocketPC/Windows Mobile, CE, PalmOS, Symbian/EPOC, Macintosh and Linux environments. Support - pppp Pentax offers a one year warranty on their printers. The tech support area on their web site has downloads, a FAQ, manuals and tips and tricks. If you need more help, you can email Pentax or call their tech support group on their "800" number. Features - iiii The best feature of the Pentax printers? Light weight (and a small form factor). All of the printers weigh in at only 1.12 lbs. Pentax mobile printers use thermal print technology (think of old fax machines) so you'll have to purchase Pentax paper (in rolls, perforated, box). We also like the Bluetooth integration in the PocketJet 3 and 3 Plus with Bluetooth. Overall Rating - %%%% If you need a printer for your vehicle and want integration with your handheld or phone, take a look at the Pentax printers. They aren't fast, and the price per printed page is relatively high, but they're light and designed to carry along with you for short, text-based printing jobs. Bluetooth integration on two of the PocketJet 3 models is a nice plus too.
Simple Start-Up - นนนน TallyGenicom's mobile printer drivers are straightforward to install for use. Cost - Not Available TallyGenicom pricing is "custom", contact the vendor or one of their dealers for a price quote. The MIP360/MIP360i and MIP3P/T/F printers are impact printers and use ribbons, the MPT4/MTP4R are thermal printers using paper rolls - contact the vendor/dealer for more information on ribbon pricing. See our product matrix Mobile Printer Detail - Product Matrix for all pricing and product information. Time Savings - นนน1/2 Impact printers are slower even than thermal printers - but are more rugged and durable. You won't get fast prints from these devices - max 400+ characters per second. The thermal lines aren't very fast either but do deliver 3" per second. The thermal printers are very rugged and designed for extreme outdoor environments. Ease of Use - @@@@ The TallyGenicom printers are straightforward to use. The thermal printers include an angled LCD display for increased ease of use. Works With - YYY TallyGenicom printers are designed for the Windows environment. Support - ppp1/2 TallyGenicom products have a one year warranty. TallyGenicom has extensive technical information available on their web site. If you need more help you can fill out a form, email them or contact technical support by telephone Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern time (no "800" number, you will be responsible for toll charges where they apply). Features - iii1/2+ These printers are built for a single purpose - vehicle mount in "rugged" environments like truck cabs and other "like" venues. They are impact printers and ribbons or thermal/roll-based printers. The printers do however offer a number of connectivity options including Bluetooth, Serial, 802.11b wireless LAN, USB and Parallel connections. Overall Rating - Not Available If you need a rugged printer for your "travel" environment, these impact or thermal printers will hit the mark. |
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