Lexmark Platinum Pro905
(Credit: Lexmark)Not to be outdone by HP's Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web, Lexmark on Tuesday rolled out a new line of printers, three of which will will feature a touch screen to access the Web. Although both companies claim to have the rights to the "world's first Web-connected printer," Lexmark's new product line is aimed at the business market rather than the consumer.
The Lexmark Solution Center already has several existing applications that users can easily download onto the machine with a touch of a virtual button. Some additions including a photo viewer, application shortcuts, RSS headline aggregators, and Google Calendar. Lexmark tells us that more applications are on their way and will roll out as they're developed.
Lexmark Interact S605
(Credit: Lexmark)Although only three of the new releases will include the SmartSolutions Web connectivity, five of the eight will feature 802.11n wireless as well as a new eco-friendly mode that automatically changes the driver settings to two-sided printing to save on the cost of consumables.
The final addition is a convenient business card scan feature that automatically inputs contact info to commonly-used personal information management applications like Microsoft Outlook and Palm OSTM. I had the opportunity to see all of the new features in action and was impressed with its accuracy. Unfortunately, the Mac OS Address Book is not supported at this time.
The offering is also labeled with Lexmark's new, simplified nomenclature to make it easier for consumers to distinguish between products and features, which break down into two lines: the Professional Series (including the Platinum, Prestiage, Prevail, and Prospect) and the Home Office Series (Interact, Intuition, Interpret, and Impact). Prices start at $99 for the Impact and scale up to $399 for the Platinum, which includes dual paper trays and the SmartSolutions touch screen.
We already have a Lexmark Platinum Pro905 on the way, so keep your eyes peeled for an in-depth review coming soon.
Inkjet technology isn't just for printers.
Hewlett-Packard has agreed to license its patent on inkjet for use in a treatment system for people suffering kidney failure, according to HP's director of IP licensing, Charlie Chapman.
Sure, the two might sound completely unrelated, but HP's done something similar before: last year, another medical services company licensed inkjet intellectual property to administer vaccines.
But this time, HP will allow Home Dialysis Plus, a new company still gathering funding, to use HP's "fluid management" technology used in inkjet printers.
HP uses it to create calculated mixtures of ink and water, which are then delivered through a printer to a piece of paper. Home Dialysis Plus will use it to mix tap water and concentrated dialysis solution at a level customized for patients that can be administered at home rather than at a treatment center.
Patients who must get clinical dialysis three times a week basically have to plan their lives around getting ready for the next treatment, according to HD Plus CEO Michael Baker. A home treatment is more ideal, but getting the correct mixture of water and dialysis fluids is hard and can be prone to human error.
Baker says the HP printing technology solves that. "It allows us to create a mixture on the fly as treatment is occurring," he said. The HD Plus system also uses the loading system one might find in a printer. Concentrated dialysis solution is contained in modules, like ink cartridges, that snap into the treatment system the way cartridges snap into a printer.
HD Plus says the product using HP's technology is 18 months to two years from completion, at which time it will still have to pass FDA trials.
Xerox gave a sneak peek Thursday at its cured gel ink for digital printers that works on a large variety of materials from foil to super-slick plastic to cardboard.
Xerox's cured gel ink
(Credit: Xerox)Xerox's ink, previewed at the print industry trade show Drupa in Germany, is aimed at taking a bite out of the estimated $400 billion offset printing market.
The cured gel ink, with its peanut butter-like consistency, is heated up and becomes a thick liquid, similar to motor oil. The liquid squeezes through the print heads and onto a printing surface, such as a piece of paper, foil or plastic. As the liquid cools, it reverts back to a peanut butter-like consistency and is then shot with a pulse of ultraviolet light to harden the ink.
"Today digital systems shine in many applications, while offset presses are selected for others. The ability to print on nearly any surface will bring a world of new applications within the reach of digital printers," Steve Hoover, director of the Xerox Research Center, said in a statement.
The ink is currently in the research mode and no timetable is available for when it may hit the market, said Bill McKee, a Xerox spokesman. But he noted: "When we introduce something at a commercial trade show, we're committed to offering it to the market."
Currently, the challenges in getting the cured gel ink to market comes down to having the ink react accordingly, no matter what type of surface it's printed on, whether it's a cardboard box or a glossy magazine, said Jim Larson, Xerox Inkjet program manager.
The Canon Pixma MP970
(Credit: Canon USA)Have you recovered from the onslaught of new Canon cameras yet? Now that you have a shiny new camera, how about picking up a shiny new Canon printer to go with it? Because as many cameras an Canon released this week, they're not losing pace on the printers. The new offerings include three photo-oriented multifunctions, three office-oriented multifunctions, two single-function photo printers, and one portable photo lab. Whew! Ready for the rundown? Here we go...
If you're interested in a photo-oriented printer but still want the flexibility of being able to scan, copy, and fax, check out the following three offerings. All three offer a color graphics LCD for previewing images and a scroll wheel for navigating menus and images.
Small or home offices have slightly different needs. The following, which all offer fax capability, are geared for those needs.
If a multifunction offers more features than you need, you can still find high-quality single-function printers:
The Canon mini320 portable snapshot printer.
(Credit: Canon USA)Finally, the mini320 ($180) is Canon's newest snapshot printer offering. It's capable of printing photos up to 5x7 size. Its 2.5-inch color LCD lets you preview images and the scroll wheel lets you spin through the menu options. A handle makes it easy to carry around, too.
Check back soon for full reviews of all of these products.
...Or at least, multiple armloads of printers. Lexmark announced six new printers today, both wired and wireless, but all inkjet. Lexmark has been at the forefront of offering wireless capability built-in, even on its low-cost, consumer oriented single-function printers like the Z1420. This new batch of printers includes four that offer wireless networking:
The Lexmark X7550 Wireless All-in-One.
(Credit: Lexmark)- X6570 Wireless All-in-One ($150): this unit prints, scans, copies, and faxes. It also offers memory card slots, a PictBridge enabled USB port, an automatic document feeder, an auto duplexer, and optional six-color printing. It lacks a graphical LCD however, offering just a text LCD.
- X7550 Wireless All-in-One ($200): the X7550 is basically the X6570, with the addition of a 2.4-inch color LCD for previewing photos, and faster print speeds.
- X4850 Wireless All-in-One ($150): the X4850 lacks both ADF and fax functionality, but includes a graphical LCD.
- Z1520 Wireless Color Printer ($130): the Z1520 is the update to the Z1420. It offers memory card slots and optional six-color photo printing.
The X5070 and X5495 are both full-color all-in-one printers, though unlike the previous models, they lack wireless capability. The $90 X5070 features fax, scan, and copy capability, a built-in handset (for faxing), an automatic document feeder, and PictBridge support. The $100 X5495 offers slightly faster print speeds than the X5070, but a smaller ADF.
All of these models will be available in September, except for the the X5495 which will hit stores in December.
The Stylus Photo RX680.
(Credit: Epson America)Epson announced three additional printers to its fall lineup today, all photo-oriented, consumer-grade printers. The Stylus Photo R280 is a single-function printer that's housed in a slim, low-profile body. Epson claims it can produce 4x6 photo prints in as little as 11 seconds. The Stylus Photo RX595 is a $150 multifunction that prints, scans, and copies. It features built-in memory card slots, a PictBridge-enabled USB port, and the ability to print directly on inkjet-printable CDs and DVDs. The Stylus Photo RX680 features everything that the RX595 provides, plus an auto duplexer and additional paper input, for $200. All three will be available in September.
The Stylus C120 single-function inkjet
(Credit: Epson America)Epson announced today four new members of its inkjet printer lineup, ranging in price from $70 to $150. Three of the four are multifunctions. The $90 Stylus C120 is a single-function printer that offers print speeds of up to 25 pages per minute (ppm). It also has a "quiet mode" that slows down printing, but minimizes noise levels for quiet environments.
The $70 Stylus CX7400 is the bottom tier of the three multifunctions. It offers print, scan, copy, and PC-free photo print functions. Features include built-in memory card slots; 28 ppm black and color printing; auto photo correction; and photo restoration options via Epson's Easy PHoto Fix software.
The Stylus CX9400 includes fax capability.
(Credit: Epson America)The next step up is the $100 Stylus CX8400. This model includes a 2.5-inch LCD for previewing photos, memory card slots, 30 ppm copies, and the same suite of software as the CX7400. The final offering, the $150 Stylus CX9400 Fax serves up faster print speeds, fax functionality, an automatic document feeder, and all of the same features offered by the CX8400.
Check back at CNET.com for full reviews of these printers, as soon as we get our paws on them.
The Canon Pixma MP470
(Credit: Canon USA)Canon announced three new additions to its printer lineup today--two home inkjet all-in-ones and one standalone photo printer. The two inkjets are part of the Pixma line: the Pixma MP470 and the Pixma MP210. The $100 MP470 offers 4,800x1,200 dpi color printing with 2pL droplets, 2,400x4,800 dpi scans, a 1.8-inch color LCD, and a USB 2.0 connection. Using its built-in memory card reader and PictBridge port, you can print photos without touching your PC. The PictBridge port also doubles as a USB port for the optional Bluetooth adapter that lets you print wirelessly. The MP470 uses a two-tank ink system (black and tricolor). It will be available in August.
The $80 Pixma MP210 is a more basic printer, as it lacks an LCD and memory card readers. It does have a PictBridge/Bluetooth port, however, and offers the same print resolution and droplet size as the MP470. This model is available this month.
The Selphy CP740
(Credit: Canon USA)Finally, the Selphy CP740 is a $100 standalone photo printer that's small enough to be portable. The embedded 2-inch LCD lets you preview your photos, and accompanying navigation buttons let you peruse the contents of your memory cards. It has built-in memory card readers and a PictBridge/Bluetooth port, as well. The Selphy CP740 is also available this month.
Check back soon for full reviews of these printers.
HP announced three new printers today: two high-end single-function units, and a midrange all-in-one. All are part of HP's Photosmart lineup. The Photosmart D7260 and the D7460 are both single-function printers that offer a 3.5-inch touch screen LCD; 34ppm black and 33ppm color printing (in draft mode); six-color photo printing; built-in memory card readers; a front-mounted, PictBridge-enabled USB port; and built-in Ethernet for easy networking. Additionally, the D7460 includes built-in wireless networking, so your printer's not confined to your already-crammed networking closet. The D7260 costs $150, while the D7460 costs $180; both will be available in August.
The C5280 AIO is available now.
(Credit: HP)The Photosmart C5280 all-in-one printer is the follow-on to the C4180 and is available now for $150. It offers all the features we'd expect to see for an AIO in this price range: print, scan, copy; a dedicated photo paper tray that holds up to 5x7 paper; 4-ink printing with optional 6-ink photo printing; a 2.4-inch graphical LCD (not touch screen); and built-in media card slots. The most interesting aspect of the C5280 is its ability to print photos and text directly onto CDs, from small (80mm) discs to standard CD/DVD discs. Of course, you'll need to buy special printable discs, but you won't need to buy special ink--the CD printer uses the ink that's standard for this AIO.
Check back soon for full reviews of these products.
The X4550 multifunction includes wireless connectivity.
(Credit: Lexmark)Lexmark announced today five new additions to its inkjet printer lineup, two of which include wireless networking. The new printers range from basic, single-function offerings to multifunctions suitable for multiuser environments.
- Z1300--the Z1300 is a $25 basic printer that offers 22ppm black and 16ppm color. It uses a two-tank ink system (black and CMY), with an optional three-color photo tank for six-color photo prints.
- X2500--the X2500 is a color 3-in-1 printer (print, scan, copy). The $60 unit offers 22ppm black and 16ppm color printing (in draft mode).
- Z1420--the $80 Z1420 is a single-function printer that offers both USB and built-in wireless networking. It prints black at 24ppm and color at 18ppm.
- X3550--the X3550 is an inexpensive multifunction (print, scan, fax) printer at $80. It comes with built-in memory card slots, a PictBridge port, and print rates of 24ppm black and 17ppm color. Wireless connectivity is optional on this model and the wireless adapter unit is simple to install.
- X4550--the $130 X4550 is the high end of this new round of printers. It offers wireless connectivity, multifunction printing (photo, print, scan, copy), built-in memory card slots, and a PictBridge port, and it prints black at 26ppm and color at 18ppm.
The new multifunctions come with an improved software suite that allows you to easily edit and print photos. All models are available now. Check back soon for full reviews.
