Canon Debuts Printer & Scanner

By Greg Scoblete On Jan 6 2005 - 8:00am

Canon will introduce a new portable printer to replace its i80 and a scanner with a new lid design for four different scanning options at CES.

The Pixma iP 90 will be compatible with existing accessories for the i80, but the company will offer a new battery pack to match the new finish of the i90. The model adds two printing modes: a long life mode produces 50 percent more pages versus the normal printer mode while offering a higher quality than traditional “draft” modes; and an emergency mode which kicks in when a user runs out of black ink. When the black tank is depleted the printer switches to a process black created from the cyan, magenta, and yellow color tanks to finish the printing job.

The i90 produces 16 pages per minute (ppm) black and 12 ppm color. It uses a new color ink cartridge — the BCI 16 — previously found on the company's photo printers.

The unit can print from wireless devices via infrared or an accessory Bluetooth dongle. It produces 4,880-by-1,200 dpi prints with a 2-picoliter droplet size and can print borderless photos. The printer ships in January for a suggested $249.

The company's new CanoScan LiDE 500F can scan 35mm film (unmounted positive or negative) and photo prints and features a new lid design for four scanning options. The unit can be stood upright and the lid opened 40 degrees for “drop-in scanning” with no photo placement necessary. In the landscape position the scanner lid can open 110 degrees for a traditional placement; the lid also expands like the company's previous “Z-Lid” expansion top or can open 180 degrees for scanning odd-sized objects.

It uses USB 2.0 for connectivity and drawing power, and features 2,440 by 4,800 resolution. It ships in mid-January for a suggested $129.