Buy Now...

This is the Epson PictureMate 500 the updated and enhanced version of the first PictureMate reviewed 4/11/04. Dimension wise it looks little different, and the only outward sign is a TFT display that the first unit did not have. However tucked in the back is a battery pack (optional item) and this means that you really can print your images wherever you like. Image printing is quicker - especially when printing direct - with an image from a card, stick or transferred from a phone via Bluetooth (optional item) printed 15x10cm borderless in around 80 seconds.

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When carrying the unit is 26x15x18xm and weights around 2.8kilos. In use the middle figure the depth will probably double as the paper to be printed sits in the back at about an 80 degree angle and the front folds down to accept the output.

This unit only prints on 15x10cm photo sheets borderless. It has a single cartridge with six inks and the normal way to buy is, one cartridge and 100 sheets of 15x10cm photo paper normally sold for around £25.

I made the effort to use this for a week before installing the software on the PC just printing images from cards and memory sticks. I also printed images from phones and PDA's using the optional Bluetooth adapter. The only real problem with this is that you need to print the whole image, for manipulation you need the excellent range of software provided by Epson and a PC to manipulate this.

For people wanting to print direct from cards, sticks, phones or PDA's then providing you want the whole image this is fast and easy even if you want to print away from electricity.

Should you need to manipulate, crop or otherwise enhance the image then the PC is where to do the work. The software provided is on the CD is a special version of the excellent software provided with most of Epson's printers. This will work on Windows 98 or later but needs around 850MB of hard disc space.

When I first switched on nothing happened and I thought DOA, I checked and removed the optional battery and it worked, I replaced the battery and it did not work, I left it on for a while and the battery charged and since then over several weeks I have used it with and without battery with no problem. So maybe a flat battery means the unit will not work on the mains but removal is easy so this is not a problem. I tried running on battery till the indicator said close to empty and then did not use it for several days (wrongly thinking the battery was faulty) expecting the fault to reappear but it did not and the indicator was at the same near empty point but it still worked.

The Bluetooth adapter is around £69 and the Battery around £50 while the printer is around £150 only slightly more than the first PictureMate that did not have the TFT. The link describes it as PictureMate Mobile Phone Edition but PictureMate 500 is what is on the box. Now if someone was to bundle everything for around £200 that would an item to put at the top of a shopping list for anyone who prints a lot of photos especially if they do not always have access to a PC.

http://www.epson.co.uk/products/inkjet_printers/PictureMate_Bluetooth.htm