Canon LR1 PrintStation

Description

It's time to take your Internet experience to a whole new level. Introducing the sleek, innovative Canon LR1 PrintStation. It's the printer that looks like a VCR, but delivers all the power and capability you need to print whatever you see on your TV screen during your Internet travels. Print e-mail or your favorite Web pages, including recipes, activities for the kids, product catalogs, maps, travel guides and more - using any Internet-appliance remote control, right from the comfort of your living room.The Canon LR1 PrintStation works with any USB or parallel port desktop PC, but it was designed especially for your Internet TV setting. With a compact, stylish look that matches today's DVD players and VCRs, it fits nicely in any entertainment center. And because paper loads easily from the front, rather than the top, you can place it in locations with overhead shelving. The Canon LR1 PrintStation connects to your Internet appliance in seconds, automatically loading the software you need to begin printing high-quality black text, brilliant colors and photos. Load your choice of paper, such as plain paper, Canon Bubble Jet Paper or Canon High Resolution Paper, then download pages for future printing or print as you go. Because it's from Canon, you can expect exceptional quality, performance and convenience. After all, isn't that what Internet TV is all about?

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

The Canon LR1 PrintStation provides clear and colorful Web and e-mail printing. Designed to work with both PCs and WebTV, this printer offers high-quality photo and black printing at a maximum resolution of 720 x 360 dpi. The Bubble Jet design ensures quiet printing, while the 64 KB buffer allows for data transfer. Printing speeds range from 4 ppm (pages per minute) for black-and-white documents to 2 ppm for color documents.

For added convenience, the Canon LR1 features low-ink sensors for both the black and color ink cartridges. This printer also features front loading for convenient access when your unit is housed in an entertainment center. USB and parallel port (IEEE) compatibility makes hooking up to your television or computer simple. An AC adapter, a power cord, printer cable, manual, and ink are all included with the Canon LR1, as is a 1-year warranty.