New Trends in Hardware

Plethora of Printers: Canon Launches Eight New Inkjets and Four All-in-Ones
Photo Prints Predicted To Last a Century
Eric Grevstad

Canon USA has rolled out a new line of inkjet printers with what it calls the ChromaLife 100 system, which can produce prints on Canon's Photo Paper Pro that should resist fading for up to 100 years in a photo album (or 30 years when displayed under glass, or 10 years when taped to the refrigerator). Most also use Canon's ultra-sharp FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) system with up to 6,144 nozzles able to spray microscopic droplets as small as one picoliter at up to 9,600 by 2,400 dpi resolution.

Five photo-quality printers are topped by the Pixma iP5200R ($230), which offers both wired and wireless (802.11b/g) networking, double-sided printing of both text and photos, and two paper tray cassettes that eliminate the chore of swapping paper stocks. Subtract the networking, and you get the Pixma iP5200 ($180), which uses the same five ink tanks -- with LED indicators for low ink levels or incorrect installation -- and has the same ability to create a borderless 4 by 6-inch print in as little as 36 seconds.

The double-sided-photo-capable Pixma iP6600D ($200) has a 3.5-inch color LCD for photo previewing and direct printing, with built-in red-eye reduction and image and backlight correction. The Pixma iP6220D ($150) has a 2.5-inch LCD and six-color ChromaLife 100 ink tank system, and can deliver a borderless 4 by 6 print in about a minute. The six-color Pixma iP6210D ($100) offers direct photo printing from select memory cards and PictBridge devices with 4,800 by 1,200 dpi.

Four new Photo All-in-One models -- all with built-in duplex printing and USB 2.0 connections -- include the Pixma MP800 ($300), a printer/scanner/copier with duplex printing, 9,600 by 2,400 resolution, a 3.5-inch preview LCD, and 35mm negative and slide scanning (six negatives or four slides). The Pixma MP500 ($200) has a 2.5-inch LCD and dual paper trays, while the Pixma MP450 ($150) has a 1.9-inch LCD, droplets as small as two picoliters, and 55-second borderless 4 by 6-inch printing. The Pixma MP170 printer/scanner/copier ($130) supports direct photo printing without an LCD.

Finally, Canon has added three compact photo printers that produce borderless 4 by 6 prints in about a minute. The Selphy CP510 ($100) is small enough to fit into a tote bag and features a retractable, built-in USB cable; the Selphy CP710 ($150) has a 1.5-inch color LCD plus CF, SD, MMC, and Memory Stick slots. Both 300 dpi dye-sublimation printers work with either AC power or an optional rechargeable battery. The inkjet-based, 4,800 by 1,200-dpi Selphy DS810 ($150) has a 2.5-inch LCD and doesn't need to connect to a PC.

Reference: http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardwarecentral/news/5975/1/

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