Ink Free with Dell's Wasabi
You know what we hate? We hate it when we run out of toner or ribbons or ink in our printers. You’ve got a document you need to get printed out, and plenty of paper, but suddenly you notice the flashing light of doom or the popup warning you that you’re running low on ink. Before you know it, even if it’s just color ink and you just need black, no dice. And the stuff is expensive too- more per ounce than just about anything else.
Now imagine that we told you about a technology that could allow you to print without ink? Would that be something you’d be interested in? ZINK has found a way, and licensed the technology to companies like Dell. There are a couple of other licensees, but the Dell Wasabi is definitely a tiny printer with kick. Featuring built-in Bluetooth, you can print from your camera phone without wires, or use PictBridge to connect to your digital camera simply- no computer necessary.
Available in pink, blue, or black, it’s easy to print your 2×3 pictures, and the peel and stick paper allows you to easily stick your photos around. It’s like a portable photo booth (well, you need a separate camera), and similar to the Game Boy camera printer of old in some ways. The prints are much, much better- surprisingly good in fact, with vivid colors and good color separation. We liked the smart design and decent capacity, but wished that it could work with the iPhone (it can’t, and nor can many other phones, and there is unfortunately no easy list we can point to). Vista also has trouble utilizing it.
And, of course, you can only print 2×3s, which seem a bit small for the size of the printer. It isn’t big, really, smaller than many paperback books and can fit into most pockets, but is decently heavy for it’s size. 55 seconds a print isn’t speedy by any means, and was the biggest downside that we saw. Power was another- you’ll only get about 15 or so prints from the unit before the built-in rechargeable battery needs a boost. And finally, you have to use the custom paper (which is where the secret lies)… and it’s about $10 for 24 sheets. That isn’t bad, all things considered, but can add up quickly if you’re aiming to print a lot. So, for a party, or on vacation, this is an easy way to whip up some small stickers with truly sharp prints. At $100 for the unit, it’s a pretty good deal, and fun to use. Solid design, no ink- we can’t wait for the future versions.
