Pros: Instant printing anyplace; Pocket size; no ink cartridge needed
Cons: Colors are not the best; Battery charge is short lived
The Bottom Line: This instant printer has some drawbacks, but it is still a good printer for those who need their prints anytime, anyplace, anywhere, and cannot wait.
Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Polaroid PoGo Digital Photo InkJet Printer
Life is great for the photographer. Never before have so many different options existed to create and print quality photos and never has the process been more convenient. There is no longer any need to get film developed, worry that a shot was overexposed and money wasted on a print, or anything else. The photographer has greater control over the process than in the past and one product that makes the production of photographs even more convenient is the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer, a hand- held gadget that prints pictures whenever and whereever you want them.
Basic Facts About This Printer: Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer is a small device; a little larger than a large cell phone, with measurements of approximately 4.7 by 3 by 1 inch, making it small enough to fit into most pockets. Flat and rectangular in shape, this printer is hand- held and it can produce a picture in about one minute.
Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer utilizes Zink zero- ink printing technology, which means it produces a printed photo without the use of an ink cartridge. The ink is already in the small pieces of paper, so there is no need for a separate cartridge.
Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer prints photos directly from a digital camera or a cell phone. Utilizing Bluetooth technology, images can be transferred wirelessly to this printer. You can also connect via a USB to a pictbridge enabled camera. A small, 2 by 3 inch photo will be produced in about 60 seconds.
Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer requires a lithium ion rechargeable battery. It is compatible with most cell phones and a single charge is good for producing about 12 to 15 small prints. Final Thoughts: Polaroid is a company that wrote the book on instant photography and most people over the age of thirty are perfectly familiar with Polaroid's instant photography and how it resulted in instant gratification. With your Polaroid camera in hand, there was no need to get film developed because a Polaroid picture developed right before your eyes. The picture quality wasn't that great but the ability to snap a picture and enjoy it instantly made Polaroid a huge hit among amateur photographers who didn't want to wait.
Given Polaroid's reputation for instant gratification, it isn't all that surprising that Polaroid would be the company to offer an instant printer. Everyone loves the quality and convenience of digital photography, but what has always been absent from this formula is the ability to print a photo immediately no matter where you might be. The Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer solves this problem by offering a means to print anytime you wish. You don't need to be at home, seated next to your inkjet photo printer. You just pull the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer out of your product and within minutes, you will have prints of pictures taken just moments earlier.
The Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer is certainly an intriguing product and it caught my attention immediately when I first heard about it. Granted, I really don't need the added convenience of instant photo printing since most of the digital photos I take are not needed on the spot. But I can still see the value of a printer such as this and I can see how it would come in very handy, particularly for certain businesses. I take pictures with both my cell phone and with a regular digital camera and either one is compatible with this printer via a USB connection. I don't have Bluetooth, so a USB is essential to connect the two and produce photos.
Loading the small, glossy sheets into the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer is all it takes to prepare it for printing. Once activated, the small prints are delivered through one end of the device, through a narrow opening. The prints feature a peel- off backing design that allows them to be stuck on flat surfaces. It could be a notebook, a refrigerator, or even the dash in your car. Just peel off the backing and the small picture is ready to display.
The most important quality with any printer is the ability to produce vibrant colors and good detail. From my experience, the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer is pretty average in this area. Looking at some of the prints, the coloring seems a tad off- especially the coloring of skin when printing a snapshot of a person. The skin seems a little yellowish and I found this to be the case with each of the human pictures printed from this printer. Other objects seem a little bit better with colors that are more closely in line with expectations. Looking up some more information on the Zink technology, I discovered that it works through the use of heat. When heat is applied, it activates the colors within the clear dyde crystals contained within the paper. This produces the colors without the need for an ink cartridge. Some colors seem okay with this technology, but others don't look quite right.
Even though the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer is an interesting new product, it is actually less sophisticated than I expected, and this can be both good and bad. For someone who wants a picture as swift and painlessly as possible, the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer could be just the gadget they've been looking for. But for someone who wants more control over the process, the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer is probably going to be inadequate for the job. But one has to keep in mind that this printer isn't really intended for great, professional prints. Much like the Polaroid photos from the past, this device is intended to produce simple prints, but produce them quickly.
Overall, the Polaroid PoGo InstantMobile Printer is an interesting device that would make a great gift choice for someone who has the need for instant printing and cannot afford to wait. Certain businesses that specialize in instant photography would certainly find this product very handy (like, for example, a business that wants to snap and sell pictures quickly, like at a carnival or birthday party for kids) and while it does have a few drawbacks like its lack of color clarity and the fact that a full charge of the battery is good for only about 12 to 15 prints, this is still an intriguing device from Polaroid that may catch on and become an everyday tool for budding photographers. If and when it does, it will likely be greatly improved compared to its present abilities but even in its current form, it is still a good device that many will enjoy.
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