Polaroid launches mobile, inkless printer

Tag : printer battery

The marketability of this product will be limited, like its size(check out Polaroid's iZone camera). However, the premise is a goodone. With no ink and no toner, people will be interested because ofthe convenience of it,provided the resolution is good enough - wellmaybe not this specific one. If they can make a larger version withgood resolution and have it becost-effective for the owner, themarket will bite. Most of the non-technical people would love apicture printer where they don't have to futz with changing inkcartridges or toner. To be a real success they have to achieve acost per picture of $0.24 - $0.28 at 4x6.

Polaroid used to be a good company, but what it is now is notrooted in its former self. That Polaroid has died and by its ownleadership's hands, too. My father used to work there as anengineer (I followed in his foot steps for a profession), luckilyhe passed away before seeingthe companycompletely fall and take hisretirement with it. Polariod had digital imaging way before itbecame popular, but the leadership had absolutely no foresightandfailed to utilize it as a consumer product, until it was too late.Sothe leaders tried to push their new instant camera - Polaroid'sCaptiva (or Craptiva), company code name Joshua, that was acomplete flop (This is the camera that spawned the iZone typecameras). The company spent a lot of R&D money creating a camerathat no one really wanted. It was big, but took tiny pictures thatslide into a small compartment in the back during development.After that, the company was stuck in a death spiral. They got a newCEO from Black & Decker who was as good or mediocre as Booth. Addin some difficult economic times and you have Chapter 11. Today, Iwouldn't trust Polaroid for any technical support, as their productline is typically just a repackaging of someone else'stechnology/product.

I remember my father bringing home some of the coolest holographicpictures, a technology that Polaroid was pretty good at, but thattechnology/business was sold off and hasn't really been seen since.- sorry for the partial rant.