Which printer?

[Richard Cavell]

Okay, here's the task:

I want to connect this printer to my Mac laptop and print Word files.
These word files will contain mostly black-on-white text. However, they
will also contain full colour photographs. The photographs will be of
medical things (rashes, broken arms, etc), taken with a $500 digital
camera with flash.

The printer must be:

1. Portable. I want to put this, the consumables, and my laptop into a
backpack and be able to carry it around.

2. It would be nice to be able to print larger than 4 by 6 inches.
Ideally I'd print on a size a bit smaller than A4 so I can stickytape
the output to existing A4 forms.

3. Cost of the unit up to around $500.

Quality of the image is not such a big deal - any current model will
print as well as I want it to. Also, running costs are relatively
trivial. Speed of printing's not really an issue either.

 

[Uncle Bully]

Quality of the image is not such a big deal - any current model will
print as well as I want it to. Also, running costs are relatively
trivial. Speed of printing's not really an issue either.

If that's the case pick any brand name portable printer. Everything is USB
nowadays and has both Win and Mac drivers, and the portable printers from
Canon or HP are both around the $400 mark.

 

[Objectionable Fred]

Okay, here's the task:

I want to connect this printer to my Mac laptop and print Word files.
These word files will contain mostly black-on-white text. However, they
will also contain full colour photographs. The photographs will be of
medical things (rashes, broken arms, etc), taken with a $500 digital
camera with flash.

The printer must be:

1. Portable. I want to put this, the consumables, and my laptop into a
backpack and be able to carry it around.

2. It would be nice to be able to print larger than 4 by 6 inches.
Ideally I'd print on a size a bit smaller than A4 so I can stickytape
the output to existing A4 forms.

3. Cost of the unit up to around $500.

Quality of the image is not such a big deal - any current model will
print as well as I want it to. Also, running costs are relatively
trivial. Speed of printing's not really an issue either.

Instead of lugging a printer around, save the file to one of those USB
thingies, take the thingie into a copy shop and let them do it.

 

[Bob Headrick]

I want to connect this printer to my Mac laptop and print Word files. These
word files will contain mostly black-on-white text. However, they will also
contain full colour photographs. The photographs will be of medical things
(rashes, broken arms, etc), taken with a $500 digital camera with flash.

The printer must be:

1. Portable. I want to put this, the consumables, and my laptop into a
backpack and be able to carry it around.

2. It would be nice to be able to print larger than 4 by 6 inches. Ideally
I'd print on a size a bit smaller than A4 so I can stickytape the output to
existing A4 forms.

3. Cost of the unit up to around $500.

Quality of the image is not such a big deal - any current model will print as
well as I want it to. Also, running costs are relatively trivial. Speed of
printing's not really an issue either.

The HP DeskJet 450cbi may meet your needs. It is a compact portable printer
with a battery for standalone operation. Models include USB and various
wireless connections. It prints up to letter size. See:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF25a/18972-236251-236267-14438-236267-81913.html

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

 

[David Chien]

I want to connect this printer to my Mac laptop and print Word files.

These word files will contain mostly black-on-white text. However, they
will also contain full colour photographs. The photographs will be of
medical things (rashes, broken arms, etc), taken with a $500 digital
camera with flash.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=118&modelid=9786

Canon i80 portable printer + optional battery pack.

Works great for one of our doctor's here, and she loves the photo prints
she can make from them as well. Prints pretty fast for a portable, and
slips right into the laptop bag next to the laptop.

Also, Canon printers so works good with Canon digicams (if you have one).