Photo Printers

CNet.com is the most prolific reviewer of snapshot printers. The reviews are far more devoted to design and features than picture quality, however. A few reviews have very good comparisons; some address… relative image quality, but CNet does not show sample prints. Most -- but not all -- reviews show speed comparisons on bar graphs. All photo printers are assigned an out-of-five rating. The HP Photosmart A826 receives a rating of four out of five and is named an Editors' Choice; inexplicably, the HP Photosmart A636 is also rated four out of five but is not similarly designated.

expand

collapse

This chart ranks five previously reviewed photo printers. Like Consumer Reports, the information PC World provides is limited to charted objective and subjective data, along with very brief comments.… However, the charted data is far more comprehensive than most and covers important buying considerations that are usually ignored in reviews, including five subcategories under "Reliability & Service Measures." PC World runs rigorous tests that include speed, features and per-photo costs. Oddly, print quality gets less attention, a rather important feature when it comes to photo printers. Models are rated on three performance measures and given an overall rating.

expand

collapse

In the past year, Macworld has reviewed six compact photo printers, four of which are still available. The reviews are short, but test results and specifications are charted. With several editors writing… the reviews, the comparative value of the articles varies quite a bit; the rating system provides a more consistent means of comparison. Many of the reviews count the limited photo size options as a mark against compact photo printers, resulting in lower ratings than seen for other types of printers.

expand

collapse

PrinterInfo.com is an excellent source of thorough, highly detailed printer evaluations. Reviews are comprehensive and balanced. Not every review is directly comparative but models are listed in a… quick-reference chart along with the site's ratings, making it easy to identify top performers. Conclusions are written in plain English but the bodies of the reviews contain technical data for those who want it. Unfortunately, of the 11 compact photo printers included on the site, all but four have been discontinued. The four models that are still available don't represent a reasonable cross-section of the market, as they don't include leading brands Epson and Canon.

expand

collapse

Laptop Magazine does not rate very many snapshot photo printers and the reviews are indexed online in a catchall accessory category. Only two currently available snapshot printers are reviewed and neither… receives particularly strong ratings, a fact perhaps attributable to a tendency to pit them against larger dedicated photo printers rather than against other compact models. The reviews lack depth and documentation, but are balanced and include a list of pros and cons. A picture gallery showing images of each printer is a nice touch, but would be even better if it included print samples.

expand

collapse

American Photo, sister magazine to Popular Photography & Imaging, names its 2007 Editor's Choices for snapshot printers in this article. The site does not include snapshot printers in its 2008 Editor's… Choice lineup, which is a shame because American Photo's reviews are generally a good source for information on printer features and specifications. Of the six snapshot printers named as 2007 Editor's Choices, five are now discontinued; only the Kodak EasyShare G600 is still available.

expand

collapse

This top five list includes all three snapshot printers reviewed by About.com's printer/scanner guide Peter Piazza. The top spot on the list goes to a full-sized photo printer, but the Canon Selphy CP760… comes in second, followed by HP's Photosmart A626 and the new Polaroid PoGo. The list links to Piazza's reviews of each model, but the reviews are brief, non-comparative and devoid of objective details. Each product is ranked, but all are ranked highly and we're left without much understanding of the criteria for the ratings. Additionally, the top printer on the list is not even reviewed by Piazza - or anyone else -- leaving us to wonder how the products can be effectively measured against one another. Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.

expand

collapse

GadgetSpeak is a forum website with reviews posted from a variety of contributors in a blog-like form. The reviews fall short of professional quality and vary widely in terms of detail and comparative… value. Testing is informal and follows no established protocol. The site does not employ a ratings or ranking system. Four currently available compact photo printers have been reviewed in the last year; the Epson PictureMate PM 260 comes out with the most favorable review, though the frame of reference for this praise is questionable.

expand

collapse

NewEgg is emerging as a prominent alternative to Amazon.com for user reviews of technology products. The site has fewer contributors but features a more thorough rating system and users rate themselves on… their level of technical expertise, giving some idea of their frame of reference. Unfortunately, there are virtually no user reviews to be found on the site for any currently-available compact photo printer model.

expand

collapse

In this somewhat dated but still relevant general how-to-buy guide, David Stone summarizes the most important considerations for consumers looking for a compact photo printer. The article was written in… 2007, but Stone's advice continues to apply to today's market. Embedded in the guide are references to photo printers, used to illustrate various performance features and specifications. However, many of these models, including the praised "best bargain" choice, are now discontinued or have been replaced with newer versions. This is an excellent source of general information, but not current reviews, for buyers.

expand

collapse