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The term "smaller is better" has dominated the technical industry for several years. With the introduction of portable and notebook computers, users have yearned for the completely portable desktop. The boon of the little computers made this desire a reality, but one key element was still missing: How were you to print documents once you reached your destination? Printing at your destination proved to be a hassle, and oftentimes it wasn't worth the time or trouble. So much for true portability.
But alas, good things take time: Welcome to the world of portable printing. During the past year, we have seen several vendors come out with portable printers that can help alleviate your headaches of printing on the go.
SMALLER THAN A BREADBOX. In this roundup, we take a look at five printers that are small enough to take with you: Canon's BubbleJet BJ-10ex, Citizen America's PN48 Notebook Printer, Mannesmann Tally's MT 735, Seikosha's LT-20, and Star Micronics' StarJet SJ-48. Nearly the only thing that these printers have in common is their portability; they are all shaped and sized differently, and they incorporate printing technologies ranging from dot matrix to thermal laser quality.
A couple of these printers are small enough to fit into your briefcase, but all, save one, will have to take the precious briefcase space your notebook once had. One of the printers is designed to sit under your laptop, thereby conserving desk space.
All operate on batteries or with an optional AC adapter. All use a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery, although duration varied from 19 to 261 pages.
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE BIG LITTLE PURCHASE? The factors that will influence your portable printer purchase are quite different from those for your everyday desktop printer, and they will vary widely from one person to the next. For example, if you travel frequently and plan to do a lot of printing on the road, you will need to take a close look at size and weight factors. If you plan to use output that you print at your destination for presentations or business meetings, you need to evaluate print quality. Other factors that may come into play are speed, print volume, the capability to print on various media types, and consumable life...