Features:
- Works with Internet TV (WebTV, NCI) and PCs
- High-quality photo and black printing of Web pages, e-mail, and your documents
- Front loading
- 720 x 360 dpi resolution
- USB or IEEE parallel interface
Description:
The Canon LR1 provides WebTV users with a sleek, color printing device that's easy to install and fits well with other components of a home theater system. Because it's about the same size and shape as a VCR, it slips easily into a standard audio/video rack or cabinet. All the major controls are located on the easily accessible front panel. The LR1 doesn't need any special software if you're connecting it to a WebTV system, but to test it with a PC we had to download drivers from Canon's website. Otherwise, the printer comes with everything you'll need to get up and running, including a bidirectional printer cable, a power supply, and ink tanks. Even novice users should have the device installed in less than 10 minutes, thanks to the clearly written documentation and the huge, full-color quick-start poster. In our tests of the Canon LR1, we were able to produce some nice text, but color performance suffered compared to better color ink jets we've worked with. The 720 x 360 resolution appears to be more of a marketing gimmick than a truly useful print mode, as the print quality was comparable to ordinary 360 x 360 resolution ink-jet printers. The text wasn't as sharp as it should have been, but it was still legible at even small font sizes. Complex color graphics also suffered from less-than-expected quality. The quality of photograph printouts was wholly dependent on the type of paper we used. We saw terrible results on plain paper but observed some nice images when we used high-grade glossy paper that was specifically designed for ink jets. The LR1's biggest drawback is its slow speed. Plain text pages were produced at anywhere from two to four pages per minute, but when color was involved, the printer took up to a full minute for a single page. If you do only light-volume printing from the Web, the LR1 is an acceptable solution, but for high-volume or high-quality printing, there are many options that are faster, cheaper, and have better specifications. If only the print quality and price matched the ease of use, this would be an ideal solution for WebTV users needing printouts. --T. Byrl Baker Pros:
- Sleek design, doesn't look out of place with VCR or DVD player
- Easy to set up
- Comes with a printer cable
- Good plain-text quality
Cons:
- Relatively expensive
- Color output is slow
- Color prints looks good only on expensive, glossy paper
- Slow printing speed
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