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By Heather Camlot

I’ve been in the market for a new printer for about, oh, five years now. Friends and family hear me talk (okay, complain) about it constantly. And they tend to roll their eyes and say, “Well, just go to the store and buy one.” But I don’t work that way. I have to list my needs, my wants and then do the research to see which machine fulfills my printer desires.

But who has time?

So when Kodak offered its ESP Office 2170 to test, I jumped.  A detailed press kit, a new machine, a pair of 3D glasses delivered to my door. Who says procrastination doesn’t pay?

The needs

There were a few things based on my old printer that I already knew I needed in a new printer, and they were non-negotiable:

• Wi-Fi. Have laptop, will travel seems to be my work motto. I tend to change work locations depending on space, temperature, view, time of day, meetings. But I hate having to drag my laptop to the home office from the dining table, for example, every time I want to print.  
• Fine-detail printing. As a writer, my printer doesn’t really have to deliver, but as a mom who takes lots of photos of her kids and as a crafter who does a good bit of designing on the computer, I need a printer that can accurately and brilliantly reflect what I’ve created or perfected onscreen.
• All-in-one functionality. I use my printer for everything; printing, scanning, copying and occasionally faxing.

The nice-to-haves

• Cheaper ink cartridges. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to Staples to buy ink for my printer, only to have the cashier look at my purchase and then say, “You know, you can buy a new printer for the cost of those ink cartridges.” I nod politely and reply, “I know, but I haven’t done the research.” After a staring contest, she rings me through.
• USB port, memory card slot and display screen. I usually go over all my photos on the computer before printing, to do some tweaks and edits, but the port and slot seem helpful, especially if I want to print photos from a camera not recognized by my computer or from a press USB key.

The didn’t-know-I-needed-or-wanted

• 3D printing. I’m having trouble jumping on the 3D bandwagon – it just seems to be everywhere these days – but with so many cameras on the market offering 3D capturing, 3D rendering seems like a necessary extension.
• Smartphone app. I don’t take many photos with my BlackBerry, mostly because I never bothered to buy a memory card for it and I have a camera with me everywhere I go. But the idea of zapping pictures from my husband’s BlackBerry (who does have a memory card) to a printer is appealing.  

The Kodak offerings

The Kodak ESP Office 2170 delivers beautifully on all my needs and nice-to-haves. Colours pop, graphics are admirably translated to paper and I can print from anywhere in the house. Ink cartridges start at $10 for black and white, and $18 for colour – together that’s less that one cartridge for my old machine. It comes with a USB port, memory card slot and 1.5-inch display screen, and a Kodak Pic Flick App is available for BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.  Plus, the 3D capability is pretty amazing; when I printed Kodak’s 3D test photo and put on the glasses, my first reaction was, “Okay, that’s cool.” The kids agreed.

Some other 2170 features: an intelligent paper sensor that automatically adjusts printer settings based on paper size and type, built-in document templates, perfect page technology to make scans look better than the originals, and the ability to print from video and social media sites. 

While the Kodak ESP Office 2170 provides impressive home-office versatility for such a low-cost machine ($150), it’s nice to know that it also delivers on the homefront, with excellent picture quality (which you’d expect from the Kodak name), true-to-life design rendition, and a spate of fun tools.

Wonder what the cashier at Staples will say to me now when I buy a brand new printer.

Looking for more?

• How to recycle used technology
• Green gadgets for Earth Day
• Bring your home office outdoors

Do you have a printer you’d like to suggest? Let us know by leaving a comment below.