Looking to lower the “total cost of printing”, Dell announces three commercial workgroup printers. The new printers, which are available today in the U.S., are the Dell 5130cdn, the world’s fastest single function letter-size color laser printer; the Dell 7130cdn, Dell’s first LED color printer with tabloid-size printing capability; and the Dell 3330dn, a single-function monochrome laser printer for high-performance black/white printing.

Here’s the lowdown on the three new printers:

Dell 5130cdn:

• Print up to 47 single-sided and up to 37 double-sided letter pages per minute in both mono and color
• Features “ColorbyDell” – a new total print quality solution which supposedly delivers “excellent color saturation and image sharpness and outstanding print quality”
• Cost per page of 1.04 cents for black and white and 7.71 cents for color print outs
• Max duty cycle of 110,000 pages a month
• Separated toner and drum unit
• Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
• 800 MHz processor
• USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet
• 700/2900 (max) sheet input
• 500/1000 (max) sheet output
• 150 sheet multi-purpose input
• Measures 22.1” x 20.0” x 17.0”
• Available for $1549

Dell 7130cdn:

• First Dell LED-based color printer
• Can print up to tabloid-sized, high quality Pantone-approved color prints
• Prints the first page in as fast as 6.5 seconds for both mono and color
• Separated toner and drum unit
• Up to 35 ppm
• Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
• 1GHz processor
• USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet
• 600/2100 (max) sheet input
• 400/400 (max) sheet output
• 100 sheet multi-purpose input
• Measures 25.2” x 26.2” x 15.7”
• Available for $2799

Dell 3330dn:

• print up to 40 letters per minute
• Separated toner and drum unit
• Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
• 466 MHz processor
• USB 2.0, Parallel, 10/100 Ethernet
• 250/850 (max) sheet input
• 50 sheet output
• 150 sheet multi-purpose input
• Measures 10.2″ x 16.6″ x 14.53″
• Monthly duty cycle of 80,000 pages
• Available for $599

The new printers will become available in Europe and the Middle East on November 24th.

Technorati Tags: Dell 5130cdn, Dell 7130cdn, Dell 3330dn

Ever have a friend look at a picture on your digital photo frame and say “gee.. can I get a print out of that picture?”.. OK.. maybe they’re more likely to say “gee.. can you email me that picture?” but JUST in case they do want a real printout, Sony now has you covered with the newly announced S-Frame digital photo frame with printer (model DPP-F700). This new all-in-one product combines a 7 inch 800 x 480 digital photo frame with a 4 x 6 inch 300 x 300 dpi photo printer into a single form factor. Features and specs include:

• 16:10 aspect ratio 7 inch WVGA (800 x 600) resolution display
• Print 4 x 6 inch professional quality 300 x 300 dpi photos in 45 seconds
• Edit images before printing with options such as enlarge, reduce, crop, date stamp on/off, border/borderless (for single prints), and brightness, contrast, hue, and sharpness adjustment
• Creative Print mode – you can make a calendar with pictures (more than 30 templates), print an ID photo, and create a “layout print” with multiple images on one sheet
• Screen Capture – print exactly what is displayed on the screen during a slideshow
• 1GB of internal memory
• Auto resizing to downsize photos
• Supports direct USB input from PC as well as media transfer from Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Secure Digital (SD), SDHC, Multi-Media Card (MMC), Compact Flash®, and xD-Picture Card media
• Auto Orientation sensor automatically rotates your photos into portrait or landscape format according to the placement
• Included remote control
• Display pictures as single images, as thumbnails for easy searching, or as a slideshow with ten built-in transitions.
• Supports JPEG, TIFF, and BMP image file formats

The new Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 digital photo frame printer will be available for $200 dollars in January.

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Technorati Tags: Sony S-Frame digital photo frame-printer DPP-F700

Anyone else see the new Kodak “Print and Prosper” campaign on TV? I saw recently (can’t remember if it was this morning or last night but I did in fact see it) and I have to admit – it caught my eye. In this economic climate, it’s incredibly smart of Kodak to go after the cost factor of ink jet printers – the ink itself.  Kodak’s new ad campaign publicly exposes what most of us already knew – we overpay for ink jet printer ink. How else could companies sell inexpensive ink jet printers? They price the printers for cheap and then overcharge on the cartridges (and then force you to buy it directly from them).

According to the company’s press release, consumers overpaid for inkjet printer ink by roughly 5 billion dollars in 2008 alone. These numbers are apparently based on 2008 U.S. annual desktop printer ink revenue and average ink savings using a Kodak ESP 3/5/7 or 9 All-In-One printer.  The company has even launched a new website (www.printandprosper.com) that allows consumers to calculate how much they overpaid for printer ink – and of course how much they could potentially save with Kodak. You can check out their lists of print performance and ink value data (separated by countries) here.

Truth is in the past – I simply replaced my cheapo ink jet printer with a new printer instead of buying an outrageously priced cartridge. Of course, I’ve gone color laser.. (plus I don’t print photos at home anymore) so none of this really affects me per se….

[Check  it out]

[Check out the press release]

Technorati Tags: Kodak, Print and Prosper Campaign

Sony is out with two new portable photo printers – the DPP-FP97 and DPP-FP67 – both of which are capable of delivering 4 x 6 inch prints and transportable in simple carry-on bags.  Here’s the lowdown on the new models.

Sony DPP-FP97:

• 4 x 6 inch prints
• Prints in approximately 45 seconds
• Comes with frame, scrapbooking, and calendar templates for personalizing your photos
• Personalize your pictures even further thanks to a software keyboard for personalized messages and greeting cards
• Auto touch-up feature to correct common photo problems at the touch of a button (such as white balance, focus, exposure, and red eye)
• 3.5 inch LCD display
• Compatible with Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, SD Memory Card, SDHC, MMC, xD-Picture Card, Compact Flash, and Microdrives
• HDMI out port for displaying slideshows in HD on a TV screen

Sony DPP-FP67:

• 4 x 6 inch prints
• Prints in approximately 63 seconds
• Compatible with Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, SD Memory Card, SDHC, MMC and xD-Picture Card.

Both models will be coming out in May with the DPP-FP97 priced at around $200 and the DPP-FP67 priced at around $120. Presales will begin in April at www.sonystyle.com

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Technorati Tags: Sony DPP-FP97 Portable Photo Printer, Sony DPP-FP67 Portable Photo Printer

The Canon SELPHY CP780 is the latest addition to Canon’s line of compact photo printers, featuring improved image quality, faster print speeds, and of course, a cool new wave-shaped top surface. The SELPHY CP780 is available in three colors – silver, blue, and pink and features:

• Portrait Image Optimize with face detection that corrects brightness and contrast for more natural and realistic colors
• Automatic Red Eye correction
• PictBridge support
• Borderless prints for mini and full labels, credit card sized prints, 4 x 6 inch prints, and 4 x 8 inch prints
• A 4 x 6 print can be printed in approximately 47 seconds
• 2.5 inch LCD display for reviewing images and navigating through menus
• Dye-Sublimation printing method
• 300 x 300 dpi print resolution
• Memory card reader
• Measures 6.9 x 3 x 5.2 inches and weighs 2.1 lbs

Several accessories will also be available for the SELPHY CP780 including the NB-CP2L battery pack for $79.99 and the BU-30 Bluetooth adapter for $49.99. The printer itself is available for a price of $99.99

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[Read this in Chinese Simplified and French]

Technorati Tags: Canon SELPHY CP780, Compact Photo Printer

Dell enters the portable printer space with the introduction of the new Wasabi PZ310 ultra-mobile printer. Designed to work with Bluetooth enabled devices such as camera-phones, digital cameras, and mobile PCs, the Wasabi allows users to print high quality pictures anytime, and anywhere.

Another unique twist with the Dell Wasabi – there are no ink cartridges to install thanks to the use of ZINK Printing Technology from ZINK Imaging. The key to making this all work is the ZINK Paper which according to ZINK is “an advanced composite material with cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals embedded inside, and a protective polymer overcoat layer outside.” The crystals are colorless before printing (basically making it look like white paper) and then a ZINK enabled device like the Wasabi, activates the crystals to form all the colors of the rainbow. No cartridges to install means a smaller form factor for the printer and of course a total cost of ownership that centers on the price of the ZINK paper.

The Wasabi makes borderless 2 x 3 inch color image prints in less than a minute and connects with a variety of Bluetooth enabled devices such as the RIM BlackBerry Curve, LG Trax, and the Motorola RAZR V3. Here’s a quick rundown of other interesting specs:

• Measures 4.8 x 2.8 x 0.9 inches and weighs a mere 7 oz
• Sticky-back photo p aper
• User-friendly buttons and indicators
• Available in three colors – pink, black, and blue
• Bluetooth and PictBridge (via USB A connector) for physical connections
• One-touch reprint function for duplication of the last printed image

If you’re interested in getting the Wasabi, it’s available now at a promotional price of $99 dollars. The normal price is $149.

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Technorati Tags: Dell Wasabi PZ310, Portable Printer, Bluetooth Printer

Canon unveiled the new PIXMA MX860 and PIXMA MX330 printers – two new All-In-One (AIO) printers that are not only ideal for home office usage but also producing high quality photo prints. Here’s what you need to know about these new all-in-ones..

Features of the Canon PIXMA MX860 include:

• Advanced media handling with auto duplex copying, printing and two way paper feeding
• Scan and print at the same time
• First PIXMA Office AIO printer to feature Wi-Fi support (802.11 b/g) and Ethernet built-in
• Quick Start feature – LCD changes from start-up screen to initial standby mode in a few seconds after pressing power button
• Advanced copy functions
• Auto Scan Mode automatically determines document type during scanning and determines proper format to save in
• Color Super G3 fax capabilities
• Receive up to 250 incoming pages in memory
• New security features
• ChromaLife100 ink system for vibrant and long lasting photos
• Auto Photo Fix detects type of photo being printed and helps correct red eye problems, enhance facial tones and optimize brightness and contrast
• 2.5 inch TFT color screen
• Five color individual ink tank system
• Resolution up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi
• ink droplet sizes as low as one picoliter
• Photo lab quality borderless 4 x 6 inch photos in 41 seconds
• CIS scanner with optical resolution up to 2400 dpi

Features of the Canon PIXMA MX330 include:

• Quick Start feature – LCD changes from start-up screen to initial standby mode in a few seconds after pressing power button
• Advanced copy functions
• Auto Scan Mode automatically determines document type during scanning and determines proper format to save in
• Color Super G3 fax capabilities
• Receive up to 50 incoming pages in memory
• New security features
• ChromaLife100 ink system for vibrant and long lasting photos
• Auto Photo Fix detects type of photo being printed and helps correct red eye problems, enhance facial tones and optimize brightness and contrast
• 1.8 inch TFT color screen
• Four color ink cartridge system with max color resolution of 4800 x 2400 dpi
• Minimum two picoliter droplet size
• Photo lab quality borderless 4 x 6 inch photos in 45 seconds
• CIS scanner with a max of 1200 dpi optical color resolution scans

The Canon PIXMA MX860 is priced at $199.99 while the PIXMA MX330 is priced at $109.99.

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Technorati Tags: Canon, PIXMA MX860, PIXMA MX330, All-In-One Printer

Still interested in mono laser printers? Samsung introduced the new ML-2855ND mono laser printer last week featuring network connectivity, print speeds up to 30 ppm, a 400MHz processor, and 64MB of memory. Designed for increased “workgroup productivity”, the ML-2855ND has the following features and specs:

• Built-in duplex printing
• TonerSave feature – offers one of the lowest TCO rates in its class
• 50,000 page monthly duty cycle
• 2 line LCD display
• Compact form factor
• Prints at 50dBA
• 250 sheet cassette and 50 sheet multipurpose tray
• First print out time in less than 8.5 seconds
• Compass navigation
• Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi effective output
• USB 2.0 interface

The Samsung ML-2855ND is available now for an MSRP of $357.99.

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Technorati Tags: Samsung ML-2855ND mono laser printer

Canon USA and Maria Sharapova have teamed together to launch a new “Pink” campaign designed to help raise awareness of breast cancer. As part of this new “Pink” campaign, Canon will be offering a special “Pink” bundle package consisting of a PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH camera in pink melody, a SELPHY CP760 Compact Photo Printer in pink melody, a pink ribbon charm and a mammogram reminder magnet provided by the American Cancer Society.

The PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH features an 8 megapixel resolution with a 3x optical zoom lens, optical image stabilizer, enhanced face detection technology, motion detection technology, a 2.5 inch PureColor LCD display, Canon’s DIGIC III Image Processor, and a Print/Share button that makes it easy to print or download pictures.

The SELPHY CP760 Compact Photo Printer features a 2.5 inch color TFT display, a lightweight form factor, and the ability to print images from card sizes to 4 x 8 inches.

You can purchase the new Pink bundle at Canon’s website for $279.99.

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Technorati Tags: Canon, Maria Sharapova, Pink Campaign, Breast Cancer Awareness, PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH, SELPHY CP760 Compact Photo Printer

Canon USA introduced two new additions to their SELPHY lineup of compact photo printers – the SELPHY CP770 and the SELPHY CP760. The CP770 is designed to be the “carry-it-all” solution whether at home or on the road. It has a basket style storage bucket which houses the printer, and accessories such as paper, ink cartridge, and power cord. Both printers are designed to be easy to use in almost any environment.

Key features of the Canon SELPHY CP770 include the following:

• “Basket” design
• 2.5 inch high definition LCD display
• Available in apricot and crisp white color
• Optional Canon NB-CP2 battery pack provides hours of printing power
• Supports IrSimple feature – high speed infrared wireless communications standard allowing consumers to wirelessly print snapshots from their mobile phones, PDAs, etc.
• Suggested price of $149.99

Key features of the Canon SELPHY CP760 include the following:

• Simple to use design
• 2.5 inch TFT control screen
• Simplified card slot
• Suggested price of $99.99

Common features to both printers include:

• Portrait Image Optimize technology allows users to correct and improve their image quality without a PC
• Lighten and Darken individual areas of an image
• Face detection and correct to the ideal brightness and coloring for “brilliant” images
• New overcoat technology to help reduce blurring and fingerprint smudging

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Technorati Tags: Canon, SELPHY, SELPHY CP770, SELPHY CP760