In a modern world fixated on the external appearances of actors and athletes, it’s in to be slim. The same goes for the printing industry, where portability has taken on even more importance as consumers demand products that can print anytime, anywhere. We’ve already mentioned AirPrint and ZINK, and now we get word that a third portable printing technology made an appearance at CES 2008: PRINTSTIK from Planon System Solutions. This new direct thermal device weighs only 1.5 lbs. and lives up to its name with measurements of 1″x10.75″x1.5″. You can connect to your laptop or mobile device via USB or Bluetooth and print plane tickets, directions, or just about anything else you may need at the last minute in a remote location.
On the other hand, PRINTSTIK prints at 3 ppm, so it’s not like you’re working with that high-speed laser printer from the office. In addition, this device has a lithium polymer battery that prints 30 pages on full power and then takes 2 hours to re-charge, so don’t use PRINTSTIK when you need to roll out a long document on a tight deadline. Also, keep in mind that this machine only works with Windows. PRINTSTIK costs $299 and looks like it could prove pretty useful for on-demand, on-the-go printing.
