Have you ever been down a path that eventually leads you back to the same place? Have you ever tried veering off that path and onto another one, but once again, ended up in the exact same place? Whether you recall this experience or not, the answer is probably yes.
Well, in this case, the path is enjoyable yet still frustrating. Because as many times as I have tried to find another route or answer to the best portable printer on the market, I always end up back in the same place, which is the Canon Pixma iP100 Mobile Photo Printer. Luckily, I love writing about stellar machines. And while trying to find another ‘best portable printer’ can be fun and challenging, I have given up. There is only one answer to this question, and that’s that.
Having reviewed hundreds of printers, it comes as no surprise that Canon is the winner. They have always produced quality machines, their features advanced yet simple, and they offer good customer after-sales service. There were some models that didn’t push off the ground and not many people took to them, but these are few and far between. Definitely, the iP100 is not one of them.
What It Offers
The Canon Pixma iP100 has a list price of $250. That said, Amazon currently has new units selling for as low as $194. They also sometimes have refurbished units, and come up with offerings of used printers. Obviously, it would be better to spend less for a refurbished unit than more on a used unit.
In my opinion, going for the refurbished is always better because you get the best value. But of course if money is not a factor, then a brand new unit would be the most preferrable option Regardless of what type you buy, these prices are extremely low for a portable printer, especially for such a well designed one.
It prints high quality photos up to a resolution that can reach as high as 9600 x 2400 dpi; and the print head, they’ve increased it to 1856 nozzles. It’s also got the Auto Image Fix feature that automatically adjusts your photos’ color, contrast, brightness, and exposure. Print speeds are up to 20 ppm in black, and 16 ppm in color. 4” x 6” borderless color photos may be produced in approximately 55 seconds. These are quite good solid numbers for a portable printer.
Connectivity is one of the best features of the Canon Pixma iP100. Its main selling point is that you can print wirelessly anytime anywhere, with its IrDA capability and the optional BU-30 Bluetooth® interface adapter. You can print directly from any digital camera, or cellphone that is PictBridge-compatible. Of course you can likewise print using its USB port, but you will need to get the cable separately. A car adapter and battery kit are both optional for those who want to take convenience to the next level.
The Canon Pixma iP100 is PC and Mac-compatible. It comes with a 1-year warranty and offers technical support, as well as an instant exchange program. Its dimensions are 12.7 x 2.4 x 7.2 inches and it weighs 4.4 lbs.
Canon printers have always been reliable and this model is not different. People buy Canon printers due to Canon’s excellent reputation. Canon also has great customer service when help is needed. Canon printers are known to be simple to setup, and quite inexpensive as printers go.
Some Things To Watch Out For
When you’re not on the move, it can conveniently be set up anywhere in your home as a secondary printer. It may take a bit for it to warm up to be ready to print. Perhaps it’s not as fast as a LaserJet printer but the quality of the photo prints can be good.
There is no problem over print speed, in fact for a small printer, it is quite fast. Ink cartridges are small, inexpensive, and the advantage is that they are used up before they dry. Only the inconvenience of changing more often is the snag.
Some have complained about double pulls of paper which, when it happens, is obviously a major inconvenience and problematic especially when you’re printing many pages in sequence. Another downside is that the printer does not come with a paper tray therefore it spits the prints out onto the floor, which nobody wants.
There are some people that have reported paper jamming when trying to print more than one page at a time.
Conclusion
However, all these incidents are on a case to case basis. As I’ve always said, choose a printer that suits your needs. If you are going to print in large amounts, then get a laserjet printer. If you’re going to need to print more photos than documents, then get a good quality photo printer.
Oh before I forget, it should be mentioned that the new features introduced in iP100 is its having Generation Green characteristics – the options to use less ink, less paper, Energy Star® qualified saving energy with the auto power on or off, RoH S compliant – a European Union directive restricting the use of hazardous materials in electronic products, and lastly, the use of recycled plastics in the casing.
So in all, you not only get high quality photo and plain paper prints but you also contribute to saving the environment. Overall, one great mobile printer.
If you’re looking for the best portable printer, there’s no need to continue your search. To me, it is the best portable printer I have ever experienced.
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About James Wikkee