The Pentax Pocketjet 3 Portable Printer comes in two types, the Pocketjet 3 and the Pocketjet 3 Plus. It has been generally well received, although this printer is not for the user that requires higher volume on the road prints. It’s not speedy and it’s not the greatest of quality as regards prints but still it’s a great purpose made little mobile portable printer.
Of course the advantage of thermal printing is that you won’t have to worry about inks. It’s a mobile printer with integrated USB and IrDA interfaces enabling you to connect with PCs, Macs, and several handhelds and will allow you to print via memory cards as well as wireless connectivity.
The difference between the Pocketjet 3 and the Pocketjet 3 Plus is that the Pocketjet 3 has only 200 dpi print resolution where as the Pocketjet 3 Plus has 300 dpi. The price is more expensive on the Pocketjet 3 Plus.
What You Get
[easyazon-image-link asin="B000P30IKO" alt="Pocketjet 3 Portable Printer" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21jQMSEvArL.jpg" align="right" width="200" height="200"]One advantage over other mobile portable printers is that this model comes with all you require to begin printing on the road and no need to buy batteries as it comes provided.
In the box, you get Pentax Pocketjet 3 Portable Printer with Bluetooth Printer Engine with integrated Bluetooth and IrDA, an imitation leather carrying case, Ni-MH Battery, 100 sheets of Pentax thermal paper (letter size), Head Cleaner, Documentation Set and Installation CD, Quick Reference Card, Manual and integrated USB.
Some argue it’s fairly expensive but the fact that it’s ready to go with everything provided means that the price tag is a real price tag.
Abilities
It’s not exactly the king of speed, as it prints at the rate of 3 ppm. It’s usual with thermal printers to have a low print resolution but the 200 dpi of the Pentax Pocketjet 3 is probably best bypassed in preference to the Pocketjet 3 plus version of 300 dpi.
[easyazon-image-link asin="B005DLUX2Q" alt="Pentax Battery for PocketJet 3/3 Plus, NiMH PA-BT-500" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31sjUg-HfCL._SL160_.jpg" align="left" width="107" height="160"]The Pentax Battery for PocketJet 3/3 Plus, NiMH PA-BT-500 will allow for a long life – 100 pages per charge. And it’s weather-resistant, which helps when you’re on the road.
The paper sizes are letter size, legal size, A4 and Roll – 8.5″ by 100′ maximum, perforated letter roll also available. also a letter size fanfold can be used. The dimensions for the Pentax PocketJet 3 are 2.2 x 10 x 1.2 inches and it weighs only 1.12 lbs.
Another nice convenience is that you won’t have to worry about ink or toner – this is a direct thermal machine. Since there are very few parts, you won’t have to worry about maintenance.
There are of course no bulky cumbersome paper trays, as is natural with such a small printer, so therefore you would need to feed paper singularly. It’s a niche type printer designed for the user that requires extremely light and compact printer for occasional prints on the road.
It is Ideal for outdoor professionals with its lightness, size and weather resistance. It is also ideal for a businessman, salesman and door to door transactions.
When searching online make sure that if you want the 300 dpi resolution as opposed to the 200 dpi, ensure that it’s a Pentax PocketJet 3 Plus where you can expect to pay around $250, although currently not available but check Amazon regularly to keep posted on its availability. The Pentax Pocketjet 3 on the other hand is available currently at Amazon as well for around $238.
If you wish an additional NiMH PA-BT-500 Battery as back up then they are available at around $50 on Amazon.
Cheaper
[easyazon-image-link asin="B00005LDPI" alt="SiPix Pocket Printer A6 - Printer - B/W - direct thermal - A6 - 400 dpi x 400 dpi - up to 2 ppm - Serial, Infrared" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B7FYq0phL._SL160_.jpg" align="right" width="160" height="117"]Again a printer made for a specific niche is the SiPix Pocket Printer A6. This model is smaller, lighter, and capable of infrared printing. This is ideal for salesman that needs to issue receipts on the road. Again a tiny printer made for a specific kind of user.
Using direct thermal printing method the SiPix Pocket Printer is a tiny 5.85” (L) x 4.25” (H) x .875” (D) which is almost pocket size and weighs a mere 14 0z with batteries and 8.75 oz without them. It comes with a drawstring bag and it runs from 4 AA Alkaline Batteries.
The print speed is 2 ppm yet the resolution is a surprising 400 dpi not bad for such a tiny little portable printer. This is not going to give you letter sized documents of course but handles internally loaded roll of paper or A6 sheets 4.13” x 5.83” (105mm x 148mm).
It does not perform at all badly giving surprisingly good crisp clear text. Using quality long life alkaline batteries you could print around 50 sheets before the battery is discharged. With no inks to worry about and being such a useful size this is ideal for those in outdoor situations.
[easyazon-image-link asin="B00005LDQF" alt="SiPix PS00057 Thermal Paper (100 Sheets, A6 Pocket Printer)" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BNHVZX98L._SL160_.jpg" align="left" width="89" height="160"]You can expect to pick up a SiPix Pocket Printer A6 for under $35 making it about the cheapest mobile printer there is on the market. however of course the set back is as with all thermal printers, that being the hefty price of the thermal paper.
Packs of 100 sheets of A6 paper can be supplied on Amazon SiPix PS00057 Thermal Paper for under $5 and the SiPix PS00040 Thermal Paper Roll also available for under $12.
Not suitable for most people’s needs maybe but for the market it was made for of simple small scale receipt printing on the road then this is a great inexpensive little printer.
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About James Wikkee