Product Description

Cl) Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock

.com

The EasyShare printer dock is, in a word, awesome. Despite a few minor flaws, it essentially solves the basic problem of digital photography, namely that we all have hard drives crammed with thousands of images and no actual physical photos (you remember, the kind you can put on your refrigerator and mail to your mom). And it solves this problem affordably, at about 29 cents a print once you factor in the cost of paper and cartridges. But most important of all, the quality of the photos it prints is eye-wateringly good.

Kodak Xtralife coating makes prints waterproof and durable under typical home use. The EasyShare printer is a snap to set up, even for dedicated technophobes like myself. You simply snap the pieces into place, dock your compatible Kodak camera, and press the Print button. Printing itself takes about 60 seconds. The 4 x 6-inch photo paper passes back and forth through the printer four times, allowing you to witness the application of each primary color and a final, invisible protective coating. Does it really deliver archival quality, as claimed? There's no way to know for sure until a few decades have passed, but the colors at least look sturdily vibrant and crisp. The print quality is in fact much higher than what I have come to expect from drugstores for my film camera prints. The contours are sharp as a knife, the contrast pitch perfect. At the push of a button, the printer will produce multiple prints (two, six, or nine) on a single sheet, which is perfect for making wallet-sized snaps of the kids.

Among the above-mentioned minor flaws, number one is paper jams, which happen every eighth print or so. The jams are solved easily enough by unplugging and plugging the unit back in, but are still annoying. The second problem is that printing from a PC is not nearly as smooth and easy as printing directly from a Kodak camera. Installing the included software is easy enough, but more often than not, trying to print from my hard drive was a lesson in frustration. To get around the PC quandary, you can print directly from any PictBridge-enabled digital camera or from SD or MMC cards using the built-in card slot.

Quibbles aside, though, the EasyShare printer dock is essential for anyone wishing to complete the digital circle from virtual pictures to real-world photographs with glorious color and razor-sharp detail. --David Stoesz

Pros

Affordability
Outstanding picture quality
Ease of use Cons
- Frequent paper jams
- Printing from PCs is a hassle

From the Manufacturer

Anywhere, anytime. That's the philosophy behind the new Kodak EasyShare printer dock. So now you can create vibrant, long-lasting, real Kodak photos whenever you please. Just dock your Kodak EasyShare digital camera, press Print, and get great-looking, borderless photos up to 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm) in as little as 90 seconds.

Photos to treasure for a lifetime--Kodak XTRALIFE lamination provides a special protective coating to produce photos that are highly durable, waterproof, and last a lifetime (under typical home conditions)
Kodak Color Science and continuous-tone, thermal dye-transfer process ensure high-quality, true-to-life color photos every time Award-Winning Ease of Use
- Simply dock your camera and push a button to create beautiful photos
- Use the dock with or without a computer
- Transfer pictures from camera to computer at the touch of a button
- Get back to shooting quickly--the printer dock recharges your Kodak camera's battery in less than 3.5 hours (results may vary)
- Start printing and sharing right out of the box with the enclosed Kodak color cartridge and photo paper kit (10 prints)
Expanded Flexibility and Printing Options
- New, fun ways to print your pictures the way you want, with four selectable sizes ranging from full photo (4 x 6 inches) and credit-card size with borders (3 x 4 inches) to multiple wallets (2 x 3 inches) and mini photos (1.3 x 2 inches)
- PictBridge-compatible so you can print directly from any PictBridge-enabled digital camera
- Print directly from most popular memory cards using the optional Kodak 8-in-1 card reader
With a Computer...
- Transfers your pictures from camera to computer with one touch of a button, so you're ready to start viewing, editing, printing, or e-mailing your pictures
Without a Computer...
- Get great-looking prints with ease--you don't even need a computer
- Just plug it in and print--the Kodak EasyShare printer dock is portable for easy travel
Compatibility
The dock works with the following Kodak EasyShare digital cameras:
- CX6200
- CX6230
- CX6330
- CX7300
- CX7330
- CX7430
- CX7530
  - DX6340
  - DX6440
  - DX6490
  - DX7440
  - DX7630
    LS633
    LS743
    LS753
    What's in the Box
    The Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock, a sample photo paper kit (10 sheets) and Kodak color cartridge, a NiMH rechargeable battery pack for select Kodak EasyShare digital cameras, a 24-volt AC adapter, Kodak printer driver software, and a welcome kit.