The PictureMate Zoom PM 290 portable photo printing machine is Epson ’s upgrade of its PictureMate Flash PM 280 ( ) , which has beenMacworld ’s Top Product in the portable photo pressman category for almost a class . By following in the footsteps of its predecessor and offering first-class print quality , riotous photographic print speeds , a capital substance abuser user interface , and a valuable built - in CD burner , the PictureMate Zoom permit Epson to keep the throne . This handy gimmick really take a shit the experience of print photos fun and easy , without compromising on character .
The PictureMate lineup has change a lot over the years in term of appearing , quality , and speed . While the original PictureMate was mold like a little , rounded boom box , the Zoom ’s boxlike chassis resembles a car battery . Most editor program atMacworldI question agreed that this new design is not as aesthetically pleasing as that of the honest-to-god generation .
Despite the PictureMate Zoom ’s slightly bulky design , it ’s very convenient . A large handle permit you to easy tote the printer around on trip . To set up the PictureMate Zoom , you stop up it in , toss up its 3.6 - column inch liquid crystal display blind , install its exclusive four - color ink magazine , and charge some pic composition . Insert your picture bill , pick out one or more picture to print , andvoilà!Using the PictureMate Zoom ’s straightforward command panel , you may apply edits to your photos , such as cropping , red - eye removal , color effects , and so forward .
The PictureMate Flash sold for $ 300 when it was released in 2006 , and the toll per print was 25 penny . The PictureMate Zoom ’s cost per print remains at 25 cents , but thankfully the printer is now a more affordable $ 200 . With its built - in certificate of deposit burner , the PictureMate Zoom packs a great value . You also have the choice of buy arechargeable batteryfor $ 50 .
As in our previous batch of compact photo printer trial , the PictureMate Zoom beat its competitors in quality and speed . The PictureMate Zoom ’s exposure appear crisp and clean-cut , with accurate colour and excellent shadow detail . As for speed , the PictureMate Zoom publish a undivided picture in 42 seconds in my testing . By style of comparison , competing pic printing machine each took at least 1 minute of arc and 20 seconds to do the same . The PictureMate Zoom is also more or less debauched than the PictureMate Flash , which take on 46 seconds to publish a individual photo .
I was extremely close-fitting to giving the PictureMate Zoom a complete rating ; it would have been the first printing machine to ever have a five - mouse rating byMacworld . The main problem with the PictureMate Zoom ’s herald , the PictureMate Flash , was its paper - jamming issue , which I did not play with the PictureMate Zoom . However , the Zoom , like its predecessor , is still trammel to one composition size : 4 by 6 inches . Nonetheless , the Zoom is a superb and telling gimmick .
timed trials
ordered series = Minutes : Seconds
jury tests
Scale is Superior , Very Good , Good , Fair , and Poor .
How we examine : We print all mental testing file from a SanDisk Compact Flash card inserted in the printer . We read the clip it take to print a 4 - by-6 - inch pic and the time it took to print five 4 - by-6 - inch exposure . A venire of experts probe sampling of the printer ’s turnout to rate its mark character as Superior , Very Good , Good , Fair , or Poor in equivalence to the yield of preceding compact photo printer we ’ve tested.—Macworld Lab testing by Brian Chen
specifications
Macworld’s buying advice
The PictureMate Zoom PM 290 ’s improvements over its herald are elusive but significant . Faster , more affordable , and problem - free , the Zoom is the best portable photo printer you’re able to currently corrupt , if you do n’t listen its print - size restriction .
[ Brian Chen is an adjunct editor in chief atMacworld . ]
