New Kodak AiO Printers Confront High Price of Ink
If you think you have been spending too much on ink, join the club. I also own an HP printer, which has worked well, but every time I go to buy ink cartridges, the cost is over $50, even at discounted Sam’s Club.
Finally a breakthrough in the high cost of ink. Kodak has released two new inkjet all-in-one (AiO) printers, model 5100 and model 5300 (a third printer, model 5500, will be released in June). These printers have brought the cost of printing way down, up to 50% in some cases.
The Kodak black ink cartridge is only $9.99 and the Kodak color cartridge is only $14.99. You can also get a combo ink pack with one black and one color cartridge for an incredible $21.99. All three models use the same ink cartridges, making it easy to remember which replacement cartridge you need. Another plus for Kodak is that they have included a fully loaded set of ink cartridges when you buy the printer. Some manufacturers only give you partial or starter ink cartridges in the box.
Per page/photo costs work out to be:
* 4" x 6" photo prints cost as little as 10 cents each with the 180-sheet photo print/ink cartridge kit ($17.99 for 180 photos), compared with 25 to 31 cents for other brand comparable inkjet printers. At 10 cents per photo, this is less expensive than most photo processing labs.
* 8-1/2" x 11" text documents using black ink cost around 3 cents per page, compared with 5 to 7 cents for other brand comparable inkjet printers. Color pages yield comparable savings.
What about print quality?
I have worked with the Kodak AiO 5100 and 5300 printers and can say both the 4" x 6" photos and the 8-1/2" x 11" documents are of excellent print quality. The 4" x 6" photo prints are photo lab quality with exceptional clarity and true-to-life vivid colors. The 8-1/2" x 11" documents are sharp and clear. I have also printed panoramic photos on 8-1/2" x 11" photo paper with great results.
You can use any brand 8-1/2" x 11" paper from inexpensive copy paper to high-grade photo paper. If you use Kodak photo papers, these new printers will read the backprint of the Kodak brand papers and adjust the printer settings to optimize printing for that particular paper.
How easy are the new Kodak printers to use?
Kodak has a reputation in the camera world for its ease-of-use and that continues with these new AiO printers. The printers are straightforward and easy to use with intuitive button sequences and menus (on the 5300 and 5500 with LCD displays). The 5100 and 5300 both have printing, scanning, and copying functions. Both make great PC-free stand-alone copiers and photo printers. The model 5500 printer due out in June will offer an additional fax function, a 35-page automatic document feeder, and duplex printing for two-sided document printing. Two-sided printing is an option that can be added to the 5100 and 5300 models.
Printing from the 8-1/2" x 11" paper tray or from the 4" x 6" photo tray is as easy as it gets: to print from the 4" x 6" photo tray simply push the photo tray in. Otherwise, it will print from the 8-1/2" x 11" paper tray. A green light shows if the 4" x 6" photo tray is engaged so there is no guessing which tray is active. You don't have to navigate through menus to select which tray to print from.
The 5300 and 5500 have on-screen help menus which will guide a user through the various functions as well as instructions on how to change the ink cartridges. This is a nice feature, especially if you lose the user manual or you don't normally read user manuals.
The 5300 and 5500 models also have memory card slots in the front for easy transfer of photos. All three models have dual USB ports in front for computer connection and all three are PictBridge compatible.
Common to all three models:
* Convenient two-cartridge six-ink system. All models use the same low-cost black and color ink cartridges. Special pigment-based inks are used for best color definition and for durability which means photo prints that are water resistant, fade resistant, and smudge resistant.
* Print speed: 32 ppm black and 22 ppm color
* Photo 4" x 6" print speed: about 28 seconds
* Dual front USB and PictBridge ports
* Separate dedicated 4" x 6" photo paper tray with easy to use tray selection
* Proofsheet feature – this will print a page with thumbnail images of all your photos on it. You can then select from this proofsheet by filling in a circle next to each photo and then scan the proofsheet. The photos you have selected will then print. You can also select certain format options on the proofsheet. This is a super simple and easy way to print a group of photos.
And for the technical crowd:
* All three printers have a high-density, 3,840-nozzle, high-performance, permanent printhead. This printhead, developed by Kodak, dubbed M.E.M.S for Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System printhead, has dual drop sizes of 2.7 pL and 6.5 pL for better quality control depending on what you are printing.
* Scanner: high-definition CCD scanner (150 – 9600 dpi) with OCR (optical character recognition)
* BLUETOOTH wireless capability with optional accessory
* Microsoft XP and Vista as well as Macintosh OS X 10.4.8+ compatible
In closing:
If you are looking for an inkjet printer, you should definitely take a look at the new Kodak all-in-one printers. If you are not looking for a new inkjet printer but are tired of paying too much for ink, it's a perfect time to make a change. The savings in ink costs over time will pay for the printer. With excellent document and photo printing, ease-of-use, and low cost per page, you can't go wrong choosing one of these printers.
The Kodak AiO printers will be in Best Buy stores starting in March 2007 (now). Stop by your local Best Buy store for a demonstration. For a complete feature list or more information on the new Kodak AiO printers visit kodak.com.
New Kodak V803 Camera Offers Exceptional Value
Another new product released by Kodak for 2007 is the V803 digital camera. This compact stylish camera is an exceptional value, at under $200 with 8 megapixels and loaded with features. One trademark of Kodak cameras is ease-of-use and this model is no exception. Turn it on and you are ready to point-and-shoot in automatic mode. No adjustment necessary.
If you want to adjust some of the camera settings, they are easy to find and change. Each menu option has built-in help information screens that can be viewed with the touch of a button.
Other features include:
* Kodak Retinar all glass lens for better definition
* High ISO settings (up to 1600) for low light conditions
* 22 scene modes with on-screen explanations
* 30 frames-per-second video with audio
* 3x true optical zoom lens
* Lithium ion rechargable battery and charger included
* On-camera cropping and red-eye reduction
* Blurry picture alert and anti-blur mode
* Maintain Settings function that allows adjustments or changes you have made to remain when the camera is turned off
* One timesaving feature this camera has is the Video Bookmark that let you electronically mark important scenes in videos you take. Once bookmarked, you can go from scene to scene quickly.
* Panoramic Stitch Mode which allows you to take a panoramic shot by taking three individual pictures which the camera will electronically "stitch" together. I tried this feature shooting our downtown skyline and the result is below. It was relatively easy to create this panoramic scene. I printed the picture out on the new Kodak 5300 all-in-one inkjet printer using a sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" photo paper and cutting it down. The final print looks as good as any professional photo lab print.
Panoramic Photo of Downtown Jacksonville Florida skyline taken with the Kodak V803 camera
Size reduced to fit this page. Click for larger image.
* Favorites Feature lets you store favorite shots in the internal memory of the camera as a lower resolution copy. If you are taking a lot of pictures, this will make it easier to find those favorite photos later in your camera, in the EasyShare software, or in the Kodak EasyShare Gallery.
* Other features include some of Kodak’s tried and true functions such as Kodak Perfect Touch technology. This feature will improve faulty pictures that have already been taken. For example, if an under exposure results in a picture that is too dark, Kodak Perfect Touch technology will brighten the picture.
Closeup Photo of a ring taken with the Kodak V803 camera
Size reduced to fit this page. Click for larger image.
The Kodak V803 is offered in eight colors with several fashionable accessories including beaded wrist straps and stylish cases. Later this year, the Kodak V1003, a 10 megapixel version will be available for $249.99. For most people, 8 megapixels are more than adequate.
At under $200, the Kodak V803 represents an exceptional value. It is also a camera that takes excellent pictures for the novice or seasoned picture taker. This new camera will be available in March 2007 (now) in Best Buy and Circuit City. For more information and a full list of features, visit kodak.com.
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