As we noted in our preview back in December, the $130 Pandigital Portable ZINK Printer is apparently the first device to expand the size of inkless ZINK output from 2”x3” to 4”x6”. But is bigger really better? A couple of experts have examined the Pandigital ZINK Printer firsthand, and while they like the printing technology, the rest of the features need some work.
M. David Stone of PCMag.com gives the Pandigital ZINK Printer an unimpressive 2 out of 5. He likes the portability, easy setup, ease of use, PC-free memory card and PictBridge connectivity, print speed, and ink-free printing technology. But while it’s an improvement over previous ZINK printers like the Polaroid PoGo and Dell Wasabi, the Pandigital model just doesn’t stack up against traditional inkjet printers. The 1.4” color LCD is small, there’s no photo editing, and photo quality is subpar. Also, despite the fact you don’t have to buy ink, cost per photo for the special ZINK paper is an expensive 40 cents.
Melissa Riofrio of PCWorld.com thinks ZINK technology is interesting, but she’s less than enthused about the Pandigital ZINK Printer’s feature set and performance. Photo quality is low, speed is slow, and cost per photo is high compared to its inkjet competitors. Paper loading is tricky, even after you try to read the instructions, and photo editing options are limited to adjusting contrast and adding in some colored text from your PC.
Overall, the consensus seems to be that the Pandigital ZINK Printer is the best ZINK printer on the market. Unfortunately, ZINK printers still don’t measure up to inkjet printers in terms of performance, functionality, and cost of consumables. So think of the new model as a promising second step in the evolution of an intriguing new printing technology.
