LEXINGTON, Ky. – Bringing high-quality color printing and workgroup reliability to a larger base of business customers, Lexmark International, Inc. introduced the new robust, high-performing OfficeEdge Series of multifunction products (MFPs). These MFPs are built upon Lexmark’s new business inkjet platform and engineered with enterprise-caliber components to deliver the long-lasting, reliable performance of a laser with the color quality and affordability of an inkjet. A workhorse for small workgroups within the enterprise and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Lexmark’s OfficeEdge Series includes two new models equipped with business-class features and laser-quality color printing at a 50 percent lower cost.

The Lexmark Office Edge Pro5500 and OfficeEdge Pro4000 color MFPs are built for fast, professional, heavy-duty printing and scanning. The new additions to Lexmark’s lineup boast faster print speeds than most similarly priced color laser MFPs, up to 21 pages per minute (ppm) in black and 14 ppm in color, and the fastest time to first page compared to laser devices in its class means users spend less time waiting for a print job to complete.

Additionally, the Lexmark OfficeEdge Pro5500 is highlighted by a single pass, duplex, automatic document feeder (ADF) with a capacity of up to 50 sheets to save users time by simultaneously scanning both sides of documents, while accommodating a variety of paper sizes up to 8.5 inches by 14 inches.

The utilize Lexmark’s new pigment-based Vizix Pro ink formula. Utilized in both the standard and high-yield OfficeEdge Series ink cartridges, Vizix Pro produces color output with the crisp text quality of a laser printer and the brilliant color of an inkjet. The Lexmark OfficeEdge Series ink cartridges are made from plastic that contains post-consumer recycled content and are are eligible for the Lexmark Cartridge Collection Program (LCCP).

The year 2012 is going to be a good one for printers. While printing technology will (most likely) not change, printer manufacturers will be adding mobile printing via Wi-Fi and cloud printing via email to all the printer models they release in 2012. This technology will allow printers to follow their users away from their desks and on to their smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.

Gone are the days where we must be using a computer sitting next to a printer to print anything. Now we’ll be printing from just about anywhere we want, to any printer we want. Get ready to embrace mobile printing and cloud printing.

In 2011 Apple, Google, HP, and Lexmark all introduced mobile and cloud capabilities in their printers and services to enhance our printing capabilities. Google’s Cloud Print App lets users print via email on any printer connected to a computer that has Internet access. Apple introduced AirPrint, which lets you use Wi-Fi to send a variety of print jobs directly from an iOS device to any nearby AirPrint compatible computer. HP unveiled ePrint, a service allowing you to email a print job from anywhere to an ePrint compatible HP printer. Lexmark’s SmartSolutions apps allowed users to display a limited amount of web based information on their printer’s LCD screen.

In 2012 we will see these manufacturers expand their mobile and cloud print offerings while others begin to get in the game. Canon, Epson, and Kodak will all release printers, this year, that are mobile and cloud print enabled. Canon’s printers will offer Easy-PhotoPrint (for printing from Android and Apple phones and tablets) and PIXMA Cloud Link (for printing from Google Docs and Gmail from your mobile device) apps. Epson will will release the same type of printer apps under the name Epson Connect.

Kodak will following suit, but has chosen to focus on the size of the email message users can send to their printers. As of now, mobile and cloud printing apps only accept print jobs of a certain size. I imagine other printer manufacturers will follow Kodak and over the course of 2012 we will see less limited size constraints.

If you are in the market for a printer this year, definitely make sure you check out mobile and cloud printing apps before buying. They promise to be a very useful technology.

The good: The Lexmark Pro715 is a streamlined version of its predecessor, the Pro705, with a higher-resolution 2.4-inch LCD screen and the company’s enhanced Vizix 2.0 set of inks for vibrant photos and professional-quality documents.

The bad: For the same price, the Epson WorkForce 845 trumps the Lexmark Pro715 in several areas.

The bottom line: Lexmark’s latest all-purpose office machine introduces a new set of inks with a separate print head that outputs higher-quality photos than the previous model, but competing devices give you convenient features like cloud printing and a larger touch-screen display for the same price.

We like the Lexmark Pro715′s updated design and quick print speeds, but looks aside, its core is a near replica of the previous model, the Prevail Pro705. That printer earned a rating of Excellent for its simple control panel and studio-quality snapshots, but there aren’t enough updates in this new version to catch it up to the Epson WorkForce 845, a competing device worthy of its “all-in-one” moniker with mobile printing features, a massive 500-sheet paper input capacity, and a generous 7.8-inch interactive display. By comparison, the Lexmark Pro715 comes up disappointingly short, and small offices and busy home users will get more done with the WorkForce 845 at the same price.

Design and features
Like the Pro705 before it, the Pro715 has a drab gray-black color palette that may have earned points with us in the past, but now feels all too typical of an office printer. Its smooth edges and rounded paper input tray shave off the sharp corners and make the device look more streamlined, but the general design of the line has changed very little.

The most significant changes to the body involve the small LCD display that now sits flush in a much more streamlined control panel in the center of the unit. Thankfully, the clear plastic window protecting the function buttons that once marred the top is now absent, but instead of relocating them to another part of the panel, Lexmark got rid of the shortcut buttons altogether and integrated them into the virtual menu panel. We don’t mind, but it certainly prevents you from simply walking up to the device and selecting Copy, Scan, Fax, or Print.

Instead of the large touch-screen LCD you get on the Epson WorkForce 845, the Pro715 has a 2.4-inch color LCD display with a directional panel just to the right for scrolling through onscreen menus, as well as a number pad for dialing fax numbers.

Lexmark also includes an Eco Mode button marked with a green leaf on the right side that triggers two-sided printing, copying, and faxing thanks to the duplexer on the back. Lexmark also lowers your ecological footprint with continued Energy Star certification, and an updated black “setup-capacity” Vizix 2.0 print cartridge rated at 400 pages per cartridge is included in the box.

The silo paper drawer is built into the base and can only hold 150 sheets of paper, which may be enough for a small business. Still, many businesses may find the Epson WorkForce more convenient with its 250-sheet tray for standard 8.5×11-inch paper and separate 250-sheet tray for photo paper.

Strangely enough, Lexmark decided not to include a media card reader like the one to be found on the bottom right side of the Pro705 model, perhaps to inspire customers to spend the extra $50 on the step-up Pro915. Again, for the same price as the Pro715, the Epson WorkForce has two media card slots on the front in addition to a PictBridge-compatible USB port for direct prints from your digital camera. You even get a copy of Epson’s Easy Photo Print software in the box for light image editing.

You can connect the Pro715 to a host computer using an 802.11b/g/n wireless setup or via a hardwired USB port. With the included driver disc, we were able to set up the printer to communicate using both connection methods in less than 10 minutes; just make sure you have your network log-in and password available.

The printer is one of many to feature Lexmark’s newest Vizix 2.0 individual ink cartridges, with one pigment black for printing text and three dye-based yellow, cyan, and magenta cartridges for color photos. The new cartridges are $10 more than the previous 100XL inks, and although we appreciated that Lexmark included high-capacity inks in the box, the results of our print quality test suggest that won’t offset the extra money you’ll spend in the long term by using the more expensive inks. In fact, if you’re absolutely married to the Lexmark brand, we recommend checking out online stores like Amazon.com that are currently offering the Pro705 at half the price.

The Pro715 ships with minimal paperwork to conserve paper, and you can access most of the instructions, warranty information, and promotional offers on the CD included in the box. Along with the drivers that support Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X, the CD also automatically installs several Lexmark productivity programs on your computer.

The Lexmark Toolbar gives you a shortcut bar on top of your Web browser for “easy-access” printing. Lexmark’s Productivity Studio and Imaging Studio programs provide way to autoedit or crop your photos and include them in projects, and the Lexmark Service Center is intended to help in troubleshooting any snags in the printing process. We also enjoyed using the onscreen progress bar that automatically pops up when you print. It shows you the progress of your job in an easy-to-read percentage bar (the LCD on the control panel also shows the progress) and displays a graphic representation of your ink depletion with a warning when the paper trays are running low.

Performance
The Lexmark Platinum Pro715 performed at an average speed in our comparison testing, nowhere near the chart-topping Epson WorkForce 845. In all four benchmarks, the WorkForce 845 nearly cut the Pro715′s print time in half, which will certainly add up if you’re constantly using the device at work.

However, we will say that the quality of the Pro715′s black and color prints in both our graphic and text-document tests surpasses that of the first version of the Vizix brand of inks. Perhaps not enough to warrant a $10 increase in the price of each cartridge that will need to be replaced, but the current Lexmark printers’ permanent print head with separate ink tanks continues to impress us with the vibrancy and solidity of its output. We noticed very few blurred lines and imperfections, and we wouldn’t hesitate to use the Pro715 professionally. Then again, the Epson didn’t disappoint us either, and since they cost the same, we’re sticking with our recommendation of the WorkForce 845.

Service and support
We’re wagging a big finger at Lexmark for downgrading the Pro705′s generous five-year warranty to just one year for the Pro715. The extended limited warranty that used to cover ownership transfer in case you wanted to sell the printer in five years is now downgraded to one year as well, even for the more expensive Pro915. We’re disappointed at Lexmark’s unwillingness to support its users beyond the standard warranty term.

Conclusion
With limited upgrades to its design and severe downgrades to the warranty program and cost of consumables, we recommend staying far away from the Pro715 in favor of the Epson WorkForce 845. Though it also only carries a one-year warranty and the quality of its print output is about the same, you get a much larger paper tray and access to Epson’s mobile printing suite of applications.

(Review by Justin Yu – Justin Yu covers headphones and peripherals for CNET. When he’s not scouring eBay for useless ephemera or eating hot dogs for breakfast, he spends his time making fun of Internet culture every morning on The 404 podcast.)

Yesterday Lexmark released a new line of color workgroup laser printers. The printers they released are:

Lexmark X792 – Color Laser MFP Series

Lexmark C792 – Color Laser Series

Lexmark X925de – Color MFP

Lexmark C925de – Color Printer

All of these printers feature varying sizes of color touch screens, which Lexmark claims will  give printer users more productive access to the features they need. The X792 series features a 10.2-inch touch screen. Lexmark claims this to be the largest touch screen in this class. Why so big? Besides “bigger is better”, this screen is great for print previewing entire documents or specific pages within a document before printing. According to Lexmark, the X792 series features the fastest print and copy speeds (50 pages per minute). In this case “bigger, and faster, is better”.

If bigger and faster doesn’t do it for you, then you can scale down and go with the C792 series. This group of color laser printers are single function (printing only) and feature a 4.3 inch touch screen.

At the bottom of the list  you have the Lexmark X925de and C925de  printers. These machines specialize in printing on paper sizes of 11 inches by 17 inches. The X925de is a multifunction machine that features a 10.2 inch touch screen display while the C925de, a single function machine,  features a 4.3 inch touch screen.

Unfortunately, Lexmark did not release any prices on these printers. Being in the work group class, I can imagine they carry a pretty hefty price tag.

Have any inside information on the prices of these machines? If so, let me know. Thanks!

Even if we’re not fully convinced that touch screens belong on printers, the Lexmark Interact S605 is the most convincing printer we’ve tested to include a functional, easy-to-use interactive LCD. Home users and small businesses will also appreciate its ability to churn out professional quality graphic and text documents with speeds rivaling pro laser printers that cost much more than the $200 Interact. As long as you don’t expect it to produce kiosk-quality photo prints, the Lexmark Interact S605 is a worthwhile purchase.  (Source: CNET)

This printer uses the Lexmark 100XL (high yield) series of inkjet cartridges: Lexmark 100XL (14N1053) Black Ink Cartridge, Lexmark 100XL (14N1054) Cyan Ink Cartridge, Lexmark 100XL (14N1055) Magenta Ink Cartridge, Lexmark 100XL (14N1056) Yellow Ink Cartridge

If you own this printer, let me know what you think about it. Thanks!

— CNET Rating: 4 Stars —

The good: Rapid print output; easy wireless setup; user-friendly touch-screen LCD with convenient “SmartSolution” shortcuts; includes autoduplexer.

The bad: Photo quality needs improvement.

The bottom line: The Lexmark Interact S605 multifunction device prints, scans, copies, and connects wirelessly with a streamlined user experience facilitated by an easy-to-use touch screen and customizable widgets called “SmartSolutions.” Built for small businesses and home usage, the Interact S605 stands out in its price range and is well-deserving of our recommendation. (Read the full CNET review)

— Amazon Rating: 3.5 Stars —

A positive comment from Amazon.com:

Lexmark did it again. For an inkjet it is right on the money

For more years than I care to remember I used the Lexmark X83 that scanned, copied, and printed better than the competition; yes even better than the HP’s. I took a blank check, scanned it in my brothers HP and scanned it in my Lexmark, and the resulting printout was almost scary how true to life it was and the colors were more accurate. That being said, I quickly became a Lexmark printer fan. The one problem is that I hated having to buy the expensive cartridges. This S605 comes with multiple cartridges, so when you run out of yellow for example that is the only one you have to purchase, instead of dumping the whole cartridge when only one color is low.

Then I discovered the advantages, and economy of laser printers. The ink never dries out because it is already dry powder. With its large capacity it comes to a penny or two per page instead of the dollar plus for a full page color photo. But, for photographic excellence the inkjet’s have the reasonably priced lasers beaten. Pertaining to the text quality, the laser wins hands down. I admit that I took out a magnifier to see the real difference, but the difference between the laser on black and white text and this Lexmark, the S605 was substantial (under a maginfiying glass). Inkjets, this one included spray out wet ink and that causes slight fuzziness on the edges when compared to a laser my latest laser purchase, which was the Brother HL-2170W 23ppm Laser Printer with Wireless and Wired Network Interfaces That one is a network ready wireless unit but does not scan, nor does it copy, have color capabilities or any of the sophisticated web enabled touch screen features of this S605. So if you want to print out the occasional photo and enjoy color capabilities, and being a Lexmark fan, I highly recommend this S600. One other thing I want to mention is that after comparing the print quality results of both the laser and the inkjet is that although the inkjet costs more for ink costs it also creates a much higher quality, thicker richer text image. It looks like it was poured on the page. The laser prints cheaper but in addition to the powder equation, it also uses less ink resulting in a thinner text; clear clean but thinner.

With the color instead of all black and white reminds me of some marketing and advertising data I had read. They conducted a study to measure the comparison between an all black text written advertisement, and the same ad with a second color, and the one with 2 colors produced 40% better results. I printed out a page with all black text, and just a small logo in blue that immediately attracted me to the page, rather than just a boring page of plain text. Of course there are color lasers as well, but they are usually more expensive in making the initial purchase. For about the same money, you can pick up the brother 2170W and this printer and have the best of both worlds, plus you have the ability to have printers in 2 locations. With both printers loaded, you always have the option of a printing job coming right out alongside of you, or from coming from the printer in a more distant location (another room for example) in the other format.

Setup was relatively easy. I tried the CD setup to automatically recognize my Verizon supplied wireless router for FIOS and it didn’t automatically setup using the one touch button on the router as instructed. But when I went with the USB cable wireless setup, I was able to choose manual setup and it worked like a breeze. I was surprised to see that the manual setup was that easy; all that all I needed was to input my WEP key number when it asked for it, and it took care of the rest. So overall Lexmark did their engineering, and made setup very easy. I was also pleased that I could add another computer, or as many as I would like, even my XP machines. My interest in newer printers was due in part to my need to find something that would work with Vista and XP in the same network.

The web enabled touch screen feature is impressive. It has a large LCD screen right on the front of the printer that you can actually access the web from as well as a lot of other functions. It’s the most modernistic approach for a printer that I have seen. All you do is create a user name and account to access Lexmark’s “Smart Solutions” such as Apple Hot News, Business Card Scan, Eco Copy, Google Calendar, Mobile Me Photos, MSNBC Headlines, and more… Once you have saved your choice of these solutions, they are immediately ready to use right at your fingertips on the printers touch screen. So this printer does a lot more than just scan, copy and print.

One last thing that I want to mention is that when I was using the Lexmark X83, although I loved the machine one of my pet peeves was that when the electricity went off, like during a summer storm, the printer, even though it was off, when the juice was restored, it would turn on, and place the cartridge in the middle of the carriage, and just sit there for days drying out, unless I would notice it, and go over and hit the power button, which would immediately park the cartridge in the protective position. Needless to say, I went through more cartridges than were necessary. This one the S605 automatically parks the cartridge after a certain period of inactivity time. I would prefer that they park the cartridge after every run, but I am not an engineer, so maybe there is a reason for that beyond wanting to sell more cartridges. Hands down you cannot beat a laser for saving money on printing supplies.

I’m glad I have this, and am already looking forward to being able to print T-Shirts, with the iron ons for fun, and cards, photos etc. I also like the idea of having a scanner handy. The only thing is that I wish I had gotten the one with the 4 way that does faxes as well. Overall a nice machine with tons of features not normally found in a printer and I also have to say that my 10 year old X83′s never failed, so I am expecting a long life out of the S605 as well. From one Lexmark fan to another, buy it.

A negative comment from Amazon.com:

Be warned on ink usage and cartridges

I purchased this printer the other day to replace my Lexmark X74. The X74 printer still works perfectly (in WinXP), but will not work with the new Windows 7 OS. There is no new driver available for it. Lexmark has determined that the printer is too old and they will not develop a new printer driver for it. So, I was basically forced to upgrade my printer.

I really liked my old Lexmark so I decided to purchase another one. I did some research and settled on the S605. I liked the look of it and the wireless feature so I purchased it and took it home to set up on my wireless network.

I have to tell you that the installation went flawlessly. As mentioned in some of the reviews I read, that reading and following the directions made it go smoothly. In about 30 mins. I had all THREE of our computers setup and printing with this printer.

I gave this printer a 3 star rating due to it’s printer cartridges. I am a little disappointed that the cartridges can’t be refilled and are a little pricey. The cartridges (#100) have a chip installed in them that prevents the cartridges from being refilled. I’ve had my X74′s cartridges refilled in the past and they worked perfectly – and cost a lot less than new cartridges. I only hope that I can at least get close to the number of pages printed, that Lexmark says I should get. Somehow, I don’t believe that’s going to happen. Probably will turn out like the estimated mpg your supposed to get on your new car – time will tell. (Read all Amazon.com user reviews)

We’ve added eight different cartridges for the Lexmark C500n printer. These cartridges also work in the Lexmark X500n Printer, Lexmark X502n Printer. The are available in both standard yield ($116.49 black, $122.79 color) and high yield ($164.99 black, $154.49 color). Standard yield cartridges provide 2,500 pages (black) or 1,500 pages (each color). High yield cartridges provide 5,000 pages (black) and 3,000 pages (each color).

Cartridge numbers for these printers are:

Standard Yield:

Lexmark C500S2KG Black Toner Cartridge

Lexmark C500S2CG Cyan Toner Cartridge

Lexmark C500S2MG Magenta Toner Cartridge

Lexmark C500S2YG Yellow Toner Cartridge

High Yield:

Lexmark C500H2KG Black Toner Cartridge, High Yield

Lexmark C500H2CG Cyan Toner Cartridge, High Yield

Lexmark C500H2MG Magenta Toner Cartridge, High Yield

Lexmark C500H2YG Yellow Toner Cartridge, High Yield

Lexmark is providing me with quite a bit of entertainment . . .

This morning I stumbled across an article titled, “SMBs sound off on pesky printing predicaments”. Looking at the headline one would think this article would be full of information from SMB’s (Small Business Owners) about their experiences with printers. You then read the first paragraph, which says:

Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) today announced results from a survey(1), which identified popular printing problems facing small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Known for its proven track record of helping businesses in document-intensive environments save money and increase their productivity, Lexmark offers SMBs prescriptions to help take the pain out of these pesky printing predicaments.

The first sentence really made me believe we were going to get something good. But, I should have focused a little more on the second sentence. Because all I was reading was a written advertisement for Lexmark’s products and services. Bummer! But, if you read between the lines you can get some information as to what gives SMB’s a headaches.

1) Cost of printer cartridges

2) Cost of printer paper

3) Paper jams

4) Wasted printer ink (getting the most amount print possible from a cartridge)

5) Replenishment frequency of printer cartridges (how often SMB’s need to buy new cartridges)

Do these ring true for you?

The survey was conducted by MarketTools on behalf of Lexmark, meaning Lexmark paid for the survey. My guess is that they were looking for some material to create their marketing around. This is a good idea, find out what your customers hassles are and then address them. I got a laugh because Lexmark was so blatant in the manner in which they addressed the issues (read here). Have a problem? This is how a Lexmark printer can solve it. Reading it was quite entertaining.

Since I am not Lexmark, I will try to provide answers to these issues in a very general way.

Cost of printer cartridges
Yes, then can be expensive. Look for remanufactured or compatible cartridges. Get  your cartridges refilled. If you are an “OEM only”, then look for reward programs that will give you money back on your purchases. Also take a look at the multi pack cartridges.

Cost of printer paper
Yes, this can get expensive too. Best bet is to go electronic and start creating .pdf’s. You can spend a fair amount of money purchasing software that will help you do this, or you can locate some free programs online. Microsoft Word/Excel and Open Office both have features that allow to you to save, or print, to an electronic file. Google Docs does too.

Paper Jams
Best bet . . . Quit using paper and just go electronic. That will solve your printer cartridge cost issue too! Paper jams are a pain, but they can be prevented. Check out our post, 11 Ways to Take Care of your Printer, to find out more about preventing paper jams. Finally, if you do end up with a paper jam, check your printer’s user manual for directions on how to clear it.

Wasted Printer Ink
Getting the most amount print possible from a printer cartridge is very important. You printer will warn you when your cartridge is low on ink. It is important to remember that this is  warning. You are not actually out of ink yet, but you should get prepared and have another cartridge ready to go. As cartridge ink levels get low, the thought is that they do not print with the same quality as a full cartridge. If quality is a concern, use the cartridge that is low on ink to print drafts with (stuff that you aren’t to worried about appearance). Save the full cartridge for the stuff that needs to look good.

Replenishment Frequency
Cartridges are a consumable and do need to be replaced. If the frequency with which you need to replace your cartridges is a problem for you, you may want to see if a high yield version of your cartridge is available. Cartridge manufacturers are now making standard and high yield inkjet and toner cartridges. You pay more for the high yield, but you are getting more ink and toner, and should have to replace less often. Your other option is to stock up. Whenever you buy cartridges, buy a few. This way you will always have those extras on hand when the one in your printer runs out. Instead of heading out to the store, just get one out of your drawer. Just make sure you replenish your stock before you use them all. You might also save a little money buying cartridges this way. Many retailers offer multi-packs. There is a slight discount when purchasing 3-4 cartridges rather than just one.

So, what do you have to say. Any complaints you’d like to share? Any tips that will help others? Let me know. Thanks!

This one surprised me when I saw it. Someone is suing Lexmark for a change!

Lexmark is usually the one bringing lawsuits against companies that produce remanufactured cartridges for Lexmark printers, or companies that produce components that to in to remanufactured or compatible cartridges that replace Lexmark brand cartridges. The last big case Lexmark was involved in was 2003, when they brought a case against Static Control Components.

The base for the case was the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA). This act was created to limit Internet piracy, but savvy lawyers found a way to test the boundaries of the act in other realms. Lexmark’s lawyers were part of that savvy bunch. Lexmark claimed that Static Control violated the DMCA by selling its Smartek chips to companies that refill toner cartridges and undercut Lexmark’s prices. According to Lexmark, the DCMA was violated because Smartek chip mimiced the authentication sequence used by Lexmark chips and unlawfully tricked printers into accepting an aftermarket cartridge.

So, in a turn of events, on February 22, 2010, Advanced Cartridge Technologies filed suit against Lexmark, claiming infringement on three of its patents. They claim that Lexmark knowingly and intentionally infringed their patents, and is also guilty of falsely marking its products with patent numbers.

What’s your opinion of these lawsuits? Take a minute and let me know. Thanks!

One type of inkjet printer that we haven’t heard too much about is standalone compact photo printers. They started appearing on the market around the same time that at-home photo printing took off, but today they still only make up a relatively small portion of the photo printing market. Even though a lot of people like printing their own photos, so far they haven’t seemed to be totally on board with owning a printer that probably just prints 4 x 6s and nothing else. Companies like Kodak, HP and Canon make an effort to have their customers use their cameras and then hook up those cameras to their compact printers and print with their ink on their paper. Since we haven’t provided too many reviews on any of these kinds of printers so far, we thought we would point out an article in the NY Times that takes a look at five of these printers.

They take a look at the HP Photosmart 475, the Lexmark P450, the Canon Selphy CP170, the Kodak EasyShare 500 and the Epson PictureMate Deluxe. They don’t do any real in depth testing on the machines, but they compare the basic and important stuff like print quality, print speed and general usability. They don’t declare a clear winner, but their top choices are the Kodak and the Epson. Like with most other printers, Lexmark disappoints. They note that the HP has “gadget appeal” but that it is slow and its first print jobs all jammed. The Canon had potential but it had some technical issues.

The Epson and Kodak machines both run about $200, so they right around the same price as some regular photo printers.

Anyone out there own a compact photo printer?

The Joys and Pitfalls of One-and-a-Half-Minute Photo Processing [NY Times]

Circuit City has the Lexmark P315 for $50 after a mail-in rebate. The list price is $100, so even though mail-in rebates can be annoying, in this case it amounts to a 50% discount, so it might be worth the hassle. The P315 is a snapshot printer, so it is just for printing 4 x 6 photos. It is basically your own little photo studio, so you just insert your memory card or hook up your digital camera and go to town. Lexmark proclaims that it can print a 4 x 6 in 38 seconds (in QuickPrint mode), so that ain’t too bad.

You can find P315 cartridges on our site.