Comments on: SiPix Debuts Portable Printer

SiPix Inc., the digital imaging company that Palm invested in recently, has announced the new Pocket Printer A6. It uses thermal technology so there are no ink cartridges but special paper must be used. The A6 runs on batteries and weighs less than 14 ounces (with batteries). Palm handhelds can send print jobs via the infrared port to produce 400 dpi 4 1/8" wide printouts. The printer will ship to retail channels at the end of the month at an MSRP of $150.

 great idea

ces5g @ 2/11/2001 4:00:42 PM #

This a great idea for 150$.

 SPECIAL PAPER

k-g @ 2/11/2001 6:42:05 PM #

what will be the price range of special paper used on this device?

 RE: SPECIAL PAPER

MadMax @ 2/11/2001 11:16:32 PM #

The price for an 5" x 85' roll from Staples runs around $3.00. Very cost effective; add the fact that you don't need to buy any ink cartridges...

 RE: SPECIAL PAPER

bcombee @ 2/12/2001 6:41:26 AM #

I wonder if thermal paper has improved since I last used it in the mid-80's. Cheap printers for the Atari 8-bit and Tandy Color Computer used this technology, and until recently, so did many fax machines. The big problem with thermal paper was fading; the image would get lighter over time. The paper also could darken quite a bit if left in sunlight.

 RE: SPECIAL PAPER

fleegle @ 2/12/2001 8:52:13 AM #

I don't think the technology has improved since then. Tickets for concerts, sporting events, etc. are thermally printed and the ticket providers always warn against leaving the tickets exposed to extreme heat and sunlight to prevent the tickets from becoming unreadable (black).

 What happend to Paperless

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/12/2001 10:13:26 AM #

Is it just me or does this seem like a step backwards?

 RE: What happend to Paperless

MadMax @ 2/12/2001 11:10:10 AM #

Nope, it's just you. Just kidding; The ability to give someone a receipt "on the fly" instead of them waiting in a line is an example. Or a consultant can issue an invoice when services are rendered (rather than when he/she gets back to the office) reducing the likelihood of forgetting to charge for a particular item. This would also [hopefully] speed up the time it would take to be paid for products and /or services.

 RE: What happend to Paperless

scaught @ 2/12/2001 3:48:52 PM #

heh. we need alot of paper to teach us how to use all these devices that were supposedly the harbringers of "the paperless society".

 Printer for <$150?

ThE jEsTeR oF dArKnEsS @ 2/17/2001 7:47:02 PM #

A battery powered printer for under 150? Hell, most go for $250+. And being able to print from laptops would be so much easier than carry tons of cables and adapters with you when you need to print something from outside the home/office