PICTUREMATE IS A PHOTO LAB ON YOUR DESK
That computer on your desk does so much of your everyday stuff
these days what with printing and burning and online and video and
on and on it goes. The CEO of Apple wants you to think of the
computer as the "digital hub" where everything you do is plugged
into the computer. Microsoft wants their Windows XP Media Center to
be the focal point when it comes to everything that is media and
entertainment. And in fact, many of us really do look at our
computers as some kind of multi-function appliance. Just turn it on
and have at it. And while that's all well and good, there is still a
lot to be said about stand-alone devices. For example, you can use
your computer as a digital video recorder or DVR in much the same
way as a TiVo or ReplayTV set top box. To use it, you have to first
power up the computer. Your computer will play a CD or DVD just like
a CD or DVD player but you first have to boot up the computer. My
point is that sometimes, it just may be more convenient to use a
stand alone device. And while component DVRs, CD and DVD players
have been around for some time now, only now are we beginning to see
other kinds of computer peripherals moving into the stand-alone
category. One of the newest to make its entry is one that should get
anyone with a digital camera excited.
 The
Epson PictureMate is an amazing little device that I hesitate to
call a mere photo printer. In fact, Epson more accurately describe
the PictureMate as your very own photo lab that can fit on your
counter top. Weighing in at just 5.5 pounds and around the size of a
toaster, the PictureMate prints borderless, glossy 4 by 6 inch
photographs at an industry leading 5760 x 1440 dots per inch
resolution. With that kind of staggering resolution, you can be sure
your photographic images will be virtually undetectable from
anything you will get from a photo lab. And Epson claims that the
printed images are archival, lasting up to 100 years displayed in a
glass frame and up to 200 years in a photo album. And they're water
and smudge resistant as well.
When it comes to features, the PictureMate's photo lab metaphor
really shines. The PictureMate will accept most any of the popular
camera flash memory cards like CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Secure
Digital, Memory Stick Microdrive and xD-Picture. Plus if your camera
uses one of the newer photographic standards that help to define
color accuracy such as Exif Print and Print Image Matching, the
PictureMate will use that information to produce the best possible
prints. You can also connect the PictureMate to a computer's USB
port. Once inserted, you use the PictureMate's screen to first print
a proof sheet to preview your photos. Then you can select different
layouts such as wallet-sized photos, borders and color effects such
as sepia tones. The screen displays menu selections that let you
crop and automatically resize the photos by first printing out a
print crop template from which you can choose one of the 18
different crop options to get the exact image you want.
You can also connect just about any external storage device such
as a hard drive or optical media burner to the PictureMate. Just
press the Save Photo button and the digital photos are immediately
transferred to the external storage. You can also print from these
attached devices as well.
Epson says the cost per print is 29 cents. After shopping around
at several discount photo printing services, the PictureMate proved
to be as inexpensive or less costly as the photo labs I priced. The
PictureMate Print Pack ($29) gives you all the supplies to print 100
photos that includes the PictureMate photo cartridge and 100 sheets
of glossy 4 by 6 inch photo paper.
Other available accessories include a Bluetooth Photo Print
Adapter that can wirelessly read photos from a Bluetooth enabled
cell phone camera, a carrying case and a PictureMate DC car adapter
in case you want to bring your PictureMate along on the road. And
the PictureMate's built-in handle makes it easy to carry around as
well.
But I think that the real value of the PictureMate is its
convenience. If you own a digital camera and you don't want to drive
down to the local photo lab to get high quality prints, or the color
inkjet printer on your computer takes too long, or the printing
supplies cost too much or your printer simply lacks the resolution
to print out archival quality images, then the PictureMate just
might be the solution for which you've been looking.
If you want to connect the PictureMate to your computer and use
it as a high quality printer, you can do so with either a Windows PC
or a Macintosh as it is compatible with both platforms. $199.
www.epson.com/picturemate |
