you may connect HP ’s Photosmart 385 GoGo portable photo printer to your Mac via a USB 2.0 cable , but it ’s really design to print instantly from PictBridge - enabled photographic camera or from most types of camera memory batting order . That intend you may print on - the - blot photos for relative and friends at a child’s play or political party .
The figure and color scheme are a little conservative for a printer with the word GoGo in its name : dress in white and silver , the printer does n’t call a lot of attending to itself when sit closed . But while in operation , it expose an eye - catching , 2.5 - in color LCD at the top of the printer that allows you to preview and opt the photos that you ’d like to print from your television camera or memory card . The screen door also let you preview crops and other edits before printing .
The GoGo is very small and light , and an optional stamp battery ( $ 79 ) makes it easy to take the printer to picnics and parties without having to research for an outlet , though a handgrip surely would be welcome for gentle carrying .
In this era of nine - ink exposure printer ( Epson ’s PictureMate has six ) , it ’s surprising how good the GoGo ’s print look using only a single tri - color cartridge . It prints ordinary snapshots with bright , pleasing color . It also did a very good job on our received Macworld tryout print , displaying acute details and accurate coloring material . Even black and white photos looked very upright , showing fairly neutral grays , even though the printing machine does not have calamitous ink .
It takes just under two moment for the GoGo to print a 4 - by-6 - column inch photo straightaway from a memory card . That ’s about the same as the original Epson PictureMate (; September 2004 ) and a small act slower than Epson ’s PictureMate Deluxe Photo Viewer Edition (; July 2005 ) . Unfortunately , unlike the PictureMates , you involve to let the GoGo ’s prints dry for a while before handling them .
The GoGo can print 4 - by-12 - inch bird’s-eye photos from either a memory scorecard or from your computer . As far as I know , it ’s the only portable photo printer to offer this feature . It take a little over three minute to publish one from a remembering circuit board .
Printing from your Mac
The GoGo ’s software system works well with OS X 10.4 ( Tiger ) . That ’s good , because you ’ll need to let in your Mac in the printing process if you want to use the highest mark resolving , which is not usable in the pressman ’s stand - alone mode . Of course these higher - timbre print take more time , but the standard - resolution print look good enough that most people wo n’t call for the higher - firmness of purpose musical mode .
HP ’s media packs make it well-heeled to figure out an near cost per photographic print , though the price depends on the quantity of media you buy . A $ 29 packet includes 100 sheets of 4 - by-6 - inch Premium Plus picture newspaper and a tri - color cartridge . To keep costs down , you may grease one’s palms a $ 48 sheaf that admit 200 sheet and two tri - color cartridges - making each mark cost about 24 penny .
Macworld’s buying advice
The HP Photosmart 385 GoGo Photo Printer is smaller , light , less expensive , and less visually attractive than Epson ’s PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition . It also lacks the PictureMate ’s quick drying , water - resistant , six - color ink . But its colourful print , and the ability to print panoramas make the GoGo a literal contender in the fast - growing portable photo printer market .
[ James Galbraith isMacworld’slab conductor . ]
