The HP LaserJet Pro P1102w is a single-function monochrome laser printer with an MSRP of $149.99. You can connect to a network via Wi-Fi, and the Smart Install feature enables you to install the printer drivers and software without a CD.

There’s no ADF or auto-duplexer, although reported print speed is a reasonable 19 ppm. Overall, the HP LaserJet Pro P1102w seems like a viable, if slightly expensive option for home and small office users who only print text documents, and who value Wi-Fi and fast setup above all else.

The feature set for the Epson Stylus NX420 is sort of like the dollar menu at McDonald’s – enough elements for an adequate snack at an affordable price. But the smaller portions may leave you feeling unsatisfied when all is said and done. It prints, scans and copies, and you get a smallish 1.5” color LCD preview screen. In addition, the printer can be shared over a network via Wi-Fi, and you can print PC-free via memory card.

But where’s the ADF and PictBridge connectivity? And what about the lack of faxing? Sure, the Stylus NX420 is one of the lighter inkjet all-in-ones we’ve covered, weighing in at a scant 12.3 pounds. But at an MSRP of $99.99, the Canon PIXMA MX340 may be a better all-around value.

Tired of having to pop in a CD to install printer drivers and software on your computer? The HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn aims to save you the trouble with Smart Install, which is the printer equivalent of “plug and play.” The secret is that the drivers are built into the printer itself, so you don’t need a CD for installation.

In addition, this monochrome laser printer prints at a reported 26 ppm, and it features auto-duplexing. You can also share this printer over a network via Ethernet. MSRP is $229.99.

The HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf is a monochrome laser all-in-one that prints, scans, copies and faxes. In addition, it features Smart Install, which enables you to quickly install drivers CD-free by plugging the printer into your PC via USB.

This all-in-one also features a 35 sheet ADF for automated printing, copying and scanning of multi-page jobs. No Wi-Fi, but you can share the LaserJet Pro M1212nf over a network via Ethernet. MSRP comes out to $199.99.

We’ve all heard the old adage that it’s good to think outside the box. But apparently it doesn’t apply to the consumer printer industry, where your average printer is the same shape as the box it came in. On one hand, the design makes sense because you want to accommodate traditional printer paper without creasing or wrinkling it. On the other hand, there’s a limit to how small and portable you can make a printer without curling or folding the paper when you feed it in. A few years ago, Samsung considered re-inventing the wheel with a design for a printer in a unique new shape. Its Circular Printer concept is shaped like a cross-section of a tube where you curl the paper width-wise into a circle and feed it through. So in theory, the printer is almost 33% smaller due to the reduced width.

The idea actually won a notable design award in 2004, and it’s certainly different. But is it practical? My main concern is the paper feed process, which looks like the printing equivalent of threading a needle. I don’t see a paper tray, or a steady way to feed the paper into the printer, and that means higher potential for wrinkling and streaky printouts. In addition, it looks like most of the paper is outside of the printer during the printing process, which could allow gravity to furl and unfurl the curled paper edges and affect output quality. More importantly, while the Circular Printer is a design, you can actually go out and buy a traditional box-shaped printer that’s about as portable as you can get with letter-sized paper. In any case, don’t hold your breath waiting for this concept printer to come out. According to a 2009 BusinessWeek.com article, the Circular Printer was only one of a couple eye-catching designs that Samsung considered before settling on the streamlined SCX-4500.

(Photo via idsa.org)

The Canon PIXMA iP2702 is an inkjet photo printer with a low MSRP of $49.99. It weighs 7.5 pounds, and comes with software to help you edit photos and print webpages. Other than that, the spec sheet is short and sweet, which makes it that much more important for the experts to fill in the blanks for us. So does the PIXMA iP2702 deserve a spot on the desk in your home office? A few online reviews are in, and the reception is lukewarm.

Susan Glinert of ComputerShopper.com gives the PIXMA iP2702 a below average 5.4 out of 10. On the positive side, MSRP is low, setup is easy, print speed is decent, and text quality is pretty good. However, color documents and photos are disappointing, and cost per page for ink is on the high side, which you expect for a budget-level printer. Also, it uses two ink cartridges – a black cartridge, and a tri-color cartridge. So if you run out of one color in the tri-color cartridge, you’ll have to throw it away, which seems a little wasteful. Glinert concludes that if you’re not planning to print much, the PIXMA iP2702 may be worth a look, but she recommends spending a little extra and getting something better.

PCWorld.com gives the PIXMA iP2702 a mediocre 2.5 stars out of 5. The review cuts to the chase by saying “it delivers what you can reasonably expect for that price: adequacy.” Cost per page for ink is predictably high, which makes it best suited for the occasional photo or short text printout.

Jan Hughes of MacLife.com gives the PIXMA iP2702 a decent 3 out of 5. Regular black text output is very good, and the printer is easy to use. On the flipside, photo print quality is disappointing, and having to throw away the tri-color ink cartridge after one color runs out is eco-unfriendly and expensive. Also, the lack of an output tray means printing can get a little messy.

Overall, the experts seem to agree that the PIXMA iP2702 delivers decent performance for the $50 price tag, but if you’re printing more than the occasional photo or webpage, you should spend a little extra and get a better printer with more features. For a more detailed comparison of this printer versus other models in its class, check out PrinterInfo.com’s tests and review of the PIXMA iP2702.

The Canon PIXMA MX870 is an inkjet all-in-one that prints, scans, copies and faxes. In addition, it features auto-duplexing, a 35 page ADF, a 2.5” LCD, and Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity. You can also print from your iPhone or iPod Touch with the Easy-PhotoPrint app, and you can print PC-free via memory card and PictBridge. So while the MSRP isn’t exactly cheap at $200, you get pretty much every feature you could ask for in a home or small office inkjet all-in-one printer. But is the PIXMA MX870 as good in practice as it should be in theory? Some online reviewers have tested it for themselves, and they like what this printer brings to the table.

Sarah Meyer of PrinterComparison.com gives the PIXMA MX870 a strong 4 stars out of 5. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and print quality is excellent for both text and photos. On the other hand, print speeds are on the slow side due to processing delays when “printing larger documents or when waking up from energy saving mode (being idle).” She also finds that scan quality can be uneven for letter-sized text documents. But despite the shortcomings, Meyer concludes that “in a small business, small workgroup in a larger office, or a home office, I think the MX870 could really shine.”

ComputerShopper.com gives the PIXMA MX870 a very good 7.5 out of 10. The extensive feature set is impressive, and everything works reasonably well and intuitively. The problem is that while other inkjet all-in-ones have evolved, with some of them offering touchscreens and web connectivity, the PIXMA MX870 is too much like its predecessor, the PIXMA MX860. Plus, the scanner lid is heavy, and print speeds are nothing to write home about. The review does note that auto-duplexing for printing and scanning is convenient and easy to use, and output quality is very good.

Finally, Kristofer Brozio of TestFreaks.com gives the PIXMA MX870 an excellent 9 out of 10, making it worthy of a TestFreaks Recommended seal. On the negative side, scanning can be a little dicey, and its bigger size won’t save you as much space in the office. That said, it’s easy to use, the range of features is impressive, and output quality is very good for text and photos. In addition, print speeds are fast, and cost per page for ink is affordable.

Overall, while it may not be the fastest or most advanced MFP around, the experts seem to give the Canon PIXMA MX870 a collective thumbs up for its output quality and overall functionality.

To use a certain printer on a computer with a traditional OS like Windows, you need to install printer-specific drivers. And that’s not a big deal, because they’re either pre-installed on your OS, or you can get them online or through the OEM. But what if you’re running a new or lesser-known OS on your computer or mobile device, and you can’t find the drivers you need? Are you stuck? In concert with its soon-to-be-released cloud-based Chrome OS, Google is working on a driverless and OS-independent service called Google Cloud Print, which would enable you to print on “cloud-aware” printers from any web-connected device.

One problem – “cloud aware” printers don’t exist yet. To be cloud aware, they would need to have a built-in proxy to communicate with the cloud. Google hopes to eventually collaborate with OEMs and developers to build cloud awareness into future printers. Until that happens, current printers (aka “legacy printers”) will have to connect to the cloud through a proxy in a PC that’s turned on and connected to the web. Google is developing a stopgap computer proxy that will work with Mac, Windows and Linux, and will be included with downloads of its Chrome browser. Once you open the browser and turn on the proxy, it will read and process print jobs from Google Cloud Print. You can learn more by reading the Google Cloud Print documentation.

To me, one big question is whether or not OEMs and developers will make cloud aware printers a reality in the near future. Because without cloud awareness, it seems that the convenience of driverless printing is offset by the inconvenience of tying your legacy printer to a web-connected computer that has to be turned on all the time. As we’ve seen with the recent influx of printer web apps, OEMs are willing to adapt to changing consumer habits if development costs are low enough and demand seems high enough. And if computing continues to rapidly ascend into the cloud, peripherals will have to follow.

(Story via ZDNet.com.au; Image via Blog.chromium.org)