February 23, 2007 Canon delivered a very useful new capability for road warriors in its raft of imaging-related announcements yesterday, in the form of the PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer which has the ability to print high quality photos or documents on the go. The iP90v fits easily in a briefcase or carry-on bag, weighs just four pounds, has a fast print speed, wireless printing and will sell for around US$250.
“As the workforce regularly increases its number of travelling and home-based occupations, Canon will continue to provide users with products that offer quality, speed and versatility wrapped into innovative designs,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. “In particular, our track record with mobile printers is second to none and will continue to grow with the introduction of the PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer.”
Additional features of the PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer include Canon’s exclusive FINE high-performance print head. FINE technology “Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering” helps ensure sub-micron level precision during the manufacturing process. The PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer has a FINE print head with 1,088 total nozzles – the most of any printer in its class – which allows for high-speed printing over wide areas in a single pass. With a maximum color resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi2 and droplets as small as 2 picoliters, the PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer produces exceptional photographic results with smooth gradations, accurate skin tones and rich, vibrant colors.
The PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer delivers versatility by providing quality output in color and black and white business documents, charts and graphs, as well as stunning photo quality in 4x6 – inches, 5x7 – inches, and 8.5x11 - inches borderless photo prints. Print jobs will be completed in a hurry with speeds up to 16 pages-per-minute (ppm) in black and up to 12 ppm in color. Borderless, photo-lab quality 4” x 6” photos from the computer, print in approximately 81 seconds.
From the boardroom to the back nine, business doesn’t always happen where ink tanks are available, Canon’s Use Composite Black Mode will allow the user to switch the printer to composite black for printing of text and other professional looking documents when the standard black ink tank has run out. Composite black is created by mixing cyan, magenta and yellow inks together, which can provide the critical ink needed if the black tank runs dry at an inopportune moment.
The printer’s PictBridge port allows users of all levels the option to print high-quality photographs without a computer. This is an ideal solution for real estate professionals who are now able to let clients take home images of a prospective house, or help insurance investigators document claims faster and more efficiently. Consumers also have the option to print wirelessly from select Bluetooth enabled cellular phones and computers with the optional user installable Bluetooth Unit (BU-10), which will have an estimated selling price of US$80. The PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer also includes a built-in IrDA port (IrDA version 1.1).
Users have the option to purchase a Portable Kit (LK-51B), which includes a Lithium Ion battery with an approximate 450 page life per two-hour charge, along with the battery housing that connects the battery to the printer, for a suggested list price of US$100 (extra Lithium Ion battery inserts are available for a suggested list price of US$90). An optional Cradle Kit (CK-51B) that includes the Lithium Ion battery, the battery holder and a charging cradle for the printer is also available, and has an estimated selling price of US$140. Mobile professionals on the go will especially benefit from the optional Automobile Power Unit (PU-100U). Users who frequently work from their car can use the Automobile Power Unit to power their PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer directly through a car power socket to help ensure that they can print almost anywhere. The Automobile Power Unit will have an estimated selling price of US$90.
The PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer includes Easy-PhotoPrint software (for Windows or Mac), which allows consumers to print photos quickly using simple menu choices to locate digital images, pick paper size and type, choose the layout and print. Also included in the box for Windows OS users, and available for free downloading for Mac OS users, is the Easy-LayoutPrint software, which offers enhanced capabilities including calendar, album, sticker and layout printing.
As one of Microsoft’s Premier Launch Partners, Canon ensured the PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer is fully compatible with the new Windows Vista operating system6, while remaining compatible with other earlier versions of Windows (Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows 98) and Mac platforms (Mac OS X v 10.2.1 to 10.3.x.).
