Dell Wasabi adds spice to portable printing

(Credit: Dell)

Sure, Polaroid might be 6 feet under (or is it?), but casual photo enthusiasts can still enjoy instant gratification with Dell's Dell Wasabi PZ310 Mobile Printer, just announced today.

The Wasabi uses Zero-Ink (ZINK) technology that replaces cumbersome print cartridges with dye crystals embedded right into the proprietary ZINK paper. The crystals are heated as the paper passes through the printer, rendering clear, sharp images in less than a minute for each 2-inch by 3-inch photo.

ZINK also licenses its technology to other companies for their own unique products. For example, look for cameras and ZINK printers to converge in the Polaroid Pogo, to be released in the spring.

The printer uses Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to a variety of devices, and there's also a PictBridge port on the side for wired printing. The Wasabi comes in three iridescent colors, available now for $99. Each printer ships with stick-back photo paper, perfect for displaying your pictures on any hard surface.

Dell Wasabi adds spice to portable printing

[Cruton502]

pretty slick stuff. Sounds almost to good to be true, there has to be some downside. Bad for the environment? Expensive paper?

... Will I need to help a Saudi Oil Sheik transfer his money to the US if I buy this?

[MrMurder]

I like the concept, but I wonder if this thing could print documents.