In addition to its versatility, the best part of buying a Compatible Kyocera Mita TK-70 Toner Cartridge is that it provides high quality prints at a fraction of the price that OEMs charge. So why pay more for the same toner cartridge? Stock up on LD Products’ Compatible Kyocera Mita TK-70 Laser Toner Cartridges today and re-fill three quality printers with one quality product.

The PRINTSTIK Mobile Printer warranted a mention in our post on battery-powered printing for its ability to print ink-free and outlet-free, making this skinny machine an intriguing option for vacationers and business travelers alike. That said, after first writing about it back in January, I figured it would take awhile before the media outlets got around to reviewing PRINTSTIK because of its unique design and relatively little-known manufacturer (PlanOn). Well, unlike a lot of my past fantasy basketball draft picks, it turns out I was right on this one. And in reading the reviews, I start to get the feeling that maybe the decision to buy one of these newfangled portable printers comes down to two factors: convenience versus print quality.

Paul Jasper of PC World gives the PlanOn PRINTSTIK PS910 a 65/100, basically saying that it’s pretty convenient, but the print quality just doesn’t cut it. As Jasper notes, you save money by not having to buy ink, but you end up paying later with a thermal mechanism that prints fuzzy text, images that “appear as pixelated patterns of dots,” and paper that curls and doesn’t rip off neatly. So this mobile printer may do just fine for receipts, plane tickets, directions, or other temporary printouts where all you need is baseline legibility, but the PRINTSTIK’s output should probably go in the recycling bin before you give it to anyone you’re trying to impress. Reviews from the Gadgeteer, CrunchGear, and Notebook Review offer the same general pros and cons with varying levels of tact, and a couple reviewers note that PRINTSTIK only works on Windows and BlackBerry for now.

Probably the biggest issue the experts seem to take with the PlanOn PRINTSTIK is its $300 price tag. While it’s convenient, a number of reviewers agree that the very specialized design and lower print quality at such a high MSRP makes it impractical for almost anyone other than traveling businesspeople who absolutely have to print on the go. Interestingly enough, just as we did in our post on battery-powered printers, the PC World PRINTSTIK review recommends the Canon PIXMA iP100 and HP Officejet H470 as bigger but more affordable portable printers that roll out quality text and images for broader applications.

But even more importantly, Compatible Toner Cartridges from LD Products offer comparably high quality prints to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Cartridges at noticeably lower prices. So if you own a Canon imageRUNNER C3080 and need to fill up on toner or stock up to avert a mid-day office freeze, buy your toner cartridges from LD Products. You’ll be glad you did.

Our previous post covered photo printers and the importance of portability, whether you’re out on vacation or simply looking to save a trip to the local photo kiosk. But after reading it, you may have asked yourself how you can achieve true mobility without constantly looking for the nearest electrical outlet. Fortunately, more and more models offer an optional internal battery that you can charge through a power adapter or a car charger, just as you would with a laptop or cell phone.

As far as more mainstream consumer printers go, the Canon PIXMA iP100 and HP Officejet H470 are a couple models that offer the option to go completely portable. The Officejet H470 has an optional rechargeable lithium ion battery (MSRP $79.99) that reportedly lasts up to 450 printed pages per charge, and you can even print in your car with a 12V Auto Power Adapter (MSRP $79.99). Buy an HP Officejet H470b or H470wbt and the battery comes standard. The PIXMA iP100 has its own optional battery ($99.99) and car adapter as well.

In the end, the optional internal printer battery looks like a spirited attempt from the printer industry to have you add another item to your growing list of portable electronics that go wherever you go. But does that mean portable printers will become just as indispensable as your PDA, cell phone, or laptop? I have my doubts. In my opinion, the fact that printer batteries are often optional accessories with significant price tags indicates that the industry knows it’s catering to a relatively limited consumer base like on-the-go businesspeople and avid photographers who have a greater need for unfettered portability.

But just because battery-powered printers aren’t necessarily essential doesn’t mean they can’t serve as a valued companion for travelers, especially when it comes to situations where a paper printout is either required or desired. Products like AirPrint, the Polaroid PoGo, and PRINTSTIK use ink-free printing technology and tailor a handheld design to match what people do on the road, whether it’s printing out plane tickets, rolling out a more legible copy of an email from a Blackberry, or printing mini photo stickers. Whatever happens, don’t expect manufacturers to go down without a fight as they search for ways to remain relevant in today’s global and mobile market.

Whether you’re an unabashed fan of photo printers or just thinking about buying one for fun, the market offers more selection than ever. Some top photo printers come in the form of compact photo-only printers, others in general-purpose color inkjet printers, and others in inkjet MFPs. So what should you look for when you shop for one? Based on what we’ve seen from different models over the past year, today’s best photo printers have a few key features in common:

• Compact Size: These days, it makes more and more sense to invest in a compact photo printer instead of making repeated trips to the photo kiosk at the local drugstore. It’s sort of like playing your favorite arcade game whenever you want - unless you have the resources and the room in your basement for one of those big machines, you’re waiting until it comes out in a compact form you can play on your home video game system. Check out these space-saving models that are making their mark on the photo printer marker, each weighing in at 5 lbs. or less: HP Photosmart A536, HP Photosmart A636, Canon PIXMA iP100, Polaroid PoGo, HP Photosmart A526, HP Photosmart A626, HP Officejet H470
• PC-Free Connectivity: It’s a term we mention a lot in this blog, especially in our Printer Previews and Reviews. PC-Free Photo Printing is almost as important as compact size because the more non-PC ports a printer has, the more it acts like a standalone device that doesn’t tie you down to your computer when you print. Many photo printers feature extra connections where you can plug in a memory card or PictBridge camera, and some of them offer Bluetooth as a standard or optional feature. Look for these kinds of connections when you shop for photo printers on the web or at a store and you’ll have the flexibility to print almost anywhere.
• LCD Screen: While you see LCD screens on all kinds of printers, they’re especially useful on photo printers for previewing and editing. Models like the new HP Photosmart A636 even have big touchscreens that come with a stylus for precision photo editing. But at this point, expect your average photo printer to sport an LCD screen ranging from 1.5” to 3” with varying levels of functionality.
• High Photo Print Speed and Ink Cartridge Yield: Most photo printers will tell you they can roll out a 4”x6” photo in under a minute. Some, like the HP Photosmart A536, report print times of as little as 27 seconds. Check reviews on the web or from some other independent source to get a better idea of the truth through actual tests. As for cartridge yield, an increasing number of models like the HP Deskjet D4360 actually do tell you the number of photos you get per cartridge in addition to pages of text. Do your due diligence and check on the product page or with a retailer to find out how the cartridge(s) work together with the printer, and you may even be able to figure out cost per photo.
• Handling Photo Paper of All Sizes: When manufacturers list photo print speed, they usually mean a 4”x6” photo. But if you want to print photos of other sizes for any reason, you want a photo printer that can handle photo paper of different dimensions, including 4”x8”, 5”x7”, and panorama. The HP Photosmart A536 is one example of a printer that can handle all of those paper sizes, and I think you’ll see more models with more diverse paper handling capacities in the years to come.

In any case, that covers some of the key features to consider as you look for your ideal photo printer. Because it’s typically a personal printer intended for recreational use, treat the shopping process as you would for a big-screen TV or DVD player and buy the printer that fits your lifestyle and unique needs. Good luck in your search and if you have any feedback or insight to add to this post, feel free to contact us.

(Photo via FreePhotosBank.com)