Gizmo

By Andy Walker, Cyberwalker Media Syndicate

Whether your destination is across the planet or across town, lugging a printer or scanner with you is a hassle.

However, Canon is innovating in this arena to bring printing and scanning to your briefcase.

The BJC-55 is a portable printer scanner about the size of a man's large shoe. The 2.1 lb rectangular gadget attaches to a computer via a USB connector, common on most systems built since 1998.

It produces printouts in colour at speeds of up to two pages per minute. Monochrome prints can be cranked out at up to 5.5 pages per minute. The system can print at a resolution of up to 720 x 360 dots per inch, about half that of a desktop printer.

The gizmo uses tiny ink cartridges about the size of a matchbox. These come in colour or black-only. What's clever about this system is that they can be popped out of the print head and be replaced by a similar sized scanner unit. So in a pinch, the device can be used as to scan images on the go.

The system can also be snapped into a page feeder appliance so that when you bring back to your desk, you have all the comforts of a desktop printer.
It works with Windows or Mac computers as well as handheld computers that run Windows CE.

Mobility comes at a price, but for those that need a mobile office on the road, the BJC-55 is a heck of a convenience. Travelling professionals and students will find great utility in it.

Price:
Printer (BJC-55): $499 CDN, $349 US
Scanner head (IS-12): $112 CDN, $99 US
Desktop page feeder (ASF-50): $62 CDN, $50 US

More info: http://www.canon.com
Buy it: In Canada, at Staples, Future Shop, Office Depot. In the U.S. at CompUSA, Circuit City and Staples. Retailers can also be found by enter a postal code at Canon.com. Or buy it on-line at: Amazon.com

Search for more gadgets at: The Sharper Image