TimeRanger's Full Review: Kodak ESP.5 All-In-One InkJet Printer
For Christmas, Dad decided that I should get a new printer, and all I had to do was pick one out and order it (Dad HATES computers and would never own one). He had seen an ad on TV and recommended the Kodak ESP-7 This is one of Kodak's "All-In-One" machines... Print, Scan & Copy...(no fax}. I’ll admit that I was a bit hesitant about getting a Kodak - since I use HP and Lexmark at work and have owned HPs for years, I have a pretty good idea of what they are capable of doing. Without some major carpentry alterations, the space I have dedicated for a printer is limited, so I did a bit of shopping/research. I found that this Kodak had received some pretty good marks AND it fell within my space limitations. So, I took a chance and placed my order………..
What is in the box: Kodak ESP 7 All-in-One Printer (naturally), Kodak Black Ink Cartridge, Kodak Color Ink Cartridge, Paper Sample Pack, Power supply w/Adapter cord, Startup Guide (instructions), Kodak Easyshare Software, and Kodak All-in-One Printer Software.
System Requirements: Windows - XP Home (SP2) or better, Vista. CPU - Celeron, Memory - 512MB, Clock speed - 1.2GHz, Hard disk - 200MB ///// Macintosh - 10.4.8 or higher, CPU: POWERPC G4, G5 or INTEL-based MAC Clock speed: 1.2 GHz Memory: 512 MB** Hard disk: 200 MB free, Removable drive: CD-ROM It should be noted that this printer WILL function without a computer, if a memory card is used (see below for compatibility.)
Features: Connections: Wireless (Built-in Wi-Fi, 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth enabled - accessory required), Ethernet or USB 2.0 connection (ports are on rear of unit) - if you need to use USB, you will have to supply your own cable. PICTBRIDGE enabled.
Dimensions: [W × D × H]: 17.5 × 7.4 × 17.0 in. Weight - 18.7 lbs. Memory Cards Supported: CF (l & ll), MS & MS Pro, XD and SD - directly into the front of the printer, or connect your camera directly into the standard USB port, also on the front.
2 paper trays - One for the standard 8.5 X 11 and the other for 5 X 7 or 4 X 6 paper. The paper feeds and discharges via the front end, which is nice when you have vertical clearance issues as I do.
The front of the printer features a tilt-up function/display board with an easy to read 3-inch LCD display. The LCD allows you to scroll through the Menu options easily - You don’t have to have an engineering degree to figure this one out! Kodak made this very user-friendly. The LCD also has an "ink meter" that shows approximately how much ink you have left .... Just how accurate this is, I don't know yet.
Scanning: CIS scanner, 2400 PPI at 48 bit. The Scan software allows you to scan multiple smaller items, and save each image as a separate file.
Copying: Simple one-touch copying of color or B&W. You can scale the copies from 50% to 500%, or fit-to-page. Up to 99 copies at a time.
Print Sizes: You can print borderless photos up to the standard 8.5 X 11 inches or documents up to the “legal” size of 8.5 X 14 inches.
Cost for ink cartridges - $10/Black, $15/Color, direct from Kodak (+shipping?) - less than half of what it cost to re-ink my old HP.
Another nice thing about the ink…The HP ink is water-based and the smallest droplet of water on a print leaves a ring or smudge. The Kodak ink is NOT water-based and dries almost instantly. I tested with a couple of drops of water on a print and it wiped away easily, without damaging the ink.
MSRP is $199, but if you shop around a bit, you should be able to find it lower - I paid $190 w/Free Shipping. As always, you have to watch out - some online retailers will offer a GREAT price, but they kill you with shipping charges.
Set-up: Very simple and straight-forward, IF you follow the supplied directions. You must fight the urge to just hook it up and turn it on. The only problem was installing the software - the CD gives you 2 options - direct install from CD or install newest/upgraded version from the 'net. Twice I chose the 'net and both times, the 'puter locked up. SO, I installed direct from the CD ..... And when I first opened the program (after install), it asked to check for upgrades. I let it check and it upgraded just fine....I guess the 'puter got confused trying to read from the CD and the download at the same time.
Performance: Like a lot of printers, when powered-up, this one runs through a “self-check” cycle…lights flash and you can hear the internal mechanisms being run through their paces. All of this takes about 15-20 seconds. As far as printing goes… I AM impressed!! As a test, I printed one of my photos (Canon digital Rebel XT) of Navajo Lake, Utah that I took in October. I printed it on a the glossy 4 X 6 Kodak Paper that came with the printer, and … WOW! Under a pretty powerful magnifying glass, you can see detail that you cannot see on the monitor without "pixilation". No dots can be seen on the print and the colors are AWESOME! If you have ever had digital photos printed at Wal-Mart.....This printer gives you equal or better results. While not the fastest printer on the market, the results are well worth waiting for.
The copy function produces a copy that is100% IDENTICAL to the original. As with any scanner/copier, the quality of the Original and the cleanliness of the scanning bed are paramount. This copier does not have an “auto-feed” system, so you have to do each different page separately.
The only drawbacks (so far) that I have - this thing is BLACK and will show every single speck of dust, so unless you live in an operating room, a dust-cover is necessary (Fellowes 99684). For some reason, Kodak does not supply a hard copy “owners manual” with this printer, and any trouble-shooting has to be done from the supplied software or online - not good if you lack a computer or internet connection.
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