MaximumPC 2004 11

Reviews

Alas, if only the P-10’s shape and
sharp looks carried over to print
quality. The P-10’s output looked
similar to that of Canon’s CP-220
in terms of tone and clarity, but
upon close inspection, we noticed
jagged lines in the P-10’s prints.
In fact, it looked as though no
antialiasing was performed on our
test images before being sent to
the printer. Shockingly, some of
the aliasing was clear even to the
naked eye! Because we printed all
of our test images from the same
computer with the same version of
Photoshop 7, we couldn’t blame our
test rig. Updating the driver didn’t
help.
That’s a shame, as we were par-
tial to the P-10’s style, formfactor,
and attention to details such as its
internal paper tray that keeps paper
safe from dust. Like the Canon CP-
220 and Sony EX-50, the P-10 comes
bundled with a paltry amount
of media—we’re talking about a
measly six pieces of paper stock
and just enough ribbon to make six
prints. What a rip. You’d think these

companies would at least give you

a full ribbon cartridge.

Epson PictureMate

Of the four printers here, Epson’s

PictureMate is the only ink jet. Unlike

a dye sub, which uses a ribbon to lay

down continuous layers of color, an

ink jet creates an image by spraying

closely arrayed dots onto paper. We

expected the PictureMate to face an

uphill battle against the dye subs, and

we were right. Even with a resolu-

tion of 5760x1440, the PictureMate

couldn’t match the output of the

Canon, Sony, and Olympus printers.

While we did get surprisingly good

results from the PictureMate, close

inspection of the test photos revealed

signs of banding from the ink-head

passes as well as the dotted stippling

that’s characteristic of ink jets. One

thing’s for sure—after experiencing

the benefits of the dye subs, we’re

not inclined to ever opt for ink jet if

given the choice.

Not all is bad for the PictureMate,

though. The printer kicks ass when it

comes to media costs. All three dye-

sub printers cost more than 50 cents

a picture, while the PictureMate’s

consumables are in the 26 cent

range. This makes the PictureMate

a more affordable proposition. And

even though the PictureMate is

about $30 more than the others, it

comes with enough ink and paper to

print 20 prints.

The PictureMate also features slots

for xD, Smart Media, Memory Stick,

Memory Stick Pro, Compact Flash,

and SD. Even better, you can use the

printer as a media reader (something

Sony should have done with the EX-

50), although data transfer rates are

slowed by the USB 1.1 speeds.

Unless you’re really concerned

about consumables, the PictureMate

just doesn’t make sense next to the

faster and sharper mini dye-subs.

SPECS

MAKE SONY CANON OLYMPUS EPSON

MODEL DPP EX-50 CP-220 P-10 PictureMate

TYPE Dye sub Dye sub Dye sub Ink jet six color pigment

based

PRICE $170 $170 $165 $200

PRINT RESOLUTION 403dpi 300dpi 310dpi 5760x1440dpi

DIRECT CAMERA-PRINTING

SUPPORT

PictBridge PictBridge, DirectPrint, DPOF PictBridge, DPOF PictBridge, DirectPrint

PRINT TIME

(SECONDS PER 4X6 PRINT)

87 100 57 141

MEDIA COST (PER 4X6 PRINT) 51 cents (includes ribbons) 52 cents with 36-pack, 39 cents

with 108 pack (includes ribbons)

52 cents with 40pack, 34-cents

with 100 pack (includes ribbons)

26 cents with 100 pack

(includes ink)

MEDIA SLOTS Memory Stick, Memory Stick

Pro, Compact Flash (FAT 32

Support)

None—but supports direct

printing from digital camera

via USB

None but supports direct printing

from digital camera via USB

Compact Flash (FAT 32),

Memory Stick Pro, SD, xD,

Smart Media

NOVEMBER 2004 MA XIMUMPC 87

Is that a high-tech Kleenex

cozy or a printer? Olympus’

P-10 wowed us with its size,

but image quality was a

downer.

Requires very little desk space.

POSED

IMPROMPTU

Unsightly jaggies in prints, scant media.

$165, http://www.olympus.com

MA XIMUMPC VERDICT 6

Olympus P-10

Cheaper consumables and still very good output.

LEER JET

INK JET

Slight banding, and resolution doesn’t match

that of dye subs.

$200, http://www.epson.com

MA XIMUMPC VERDICT 7

Epson PictureMate

At this price

range, ink

jet printers,

like Epson’s

PictureMate,

don’t compare

very well

with dye-sub

processes—

but at least

the price per

print is good.

The detail on the left is from the Olympus.

The one on the right is from the Sony.

Notice the unsightly jaggies on the left.

7.5 6.5“

“

7.7“

(^10) “ 6“
6.4“