CNET Editor's rating: 7.4 out of 10
Reviewed by
Jeffrey Fuchs
Review date: 03/03/05
Release date: 01/05/05
The good: Good print quality for graphics and photos; portable; built-in infrared and PictBridge ports; battery and Bluetooth add-ons.
The bad: Low-volume ink cartridges; so-so text quality; pricey extras. For true cordless portability, you'll need a battery that costs $100.
The bottom line: Ever printed on an airplane? What about from a cell phone? The go-anywhere Canon iP90 offers worlds of possibilities--for a price.
Like the popular i70 and i80 models before it, the Canon Pixma iP90 is a sleek, lightweight, go-anywhere portable inkjet printer that creates full-size documents and color graphics, as well as 4x6-inch color photographs. Thanks to built-in PictBridge and infrared (IrDA) ports, you can print directly from your digital camera, PDA, or cell phone without a computer. You can also add Bluetooth functionality, a battery, or a power adapter for your car. However, even one add-on brings the iP90 up to the $350 price of the mobile HP DeskJet 450wbt, which already has Bluetooth capability. But if you're looking for a speedy printer that can work in cars, hotels, and airports, the Canon iP90 beats the HP 450wbt on speed, plus it offers a PictBridge port so that you can print a snapshot straight from a digital camera.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Great quality in a small package but pricey
If the ip90 came standard with the bluetooth and battery it would be a dream. Once you've purchased these ...
If the ip90 came standard with the bluetooth and battery it would be a dream. Once you've purchased these items it IS a dream, although it is an expensive one. The printer is $250, add the battery kit for $100 and the bluetooth for $70 and well, you add it up. I bought it because I like gadgets and I figured I could tote it with me to print photos on the weekend, when I have most of my free time. I read on here about some print quality issues- DO NOT REPEAT DO NOT BELIEVE THEM! You just have to make sure your settings are on the highest quality. I have an HP Photosmart 7550 which is a behemoth compared to this printer, and the photo quality- even at 8x10- rivals that of the excellent HP 7550. I had because of this considered the HP's compact competitor to the ip90 but the Canon is slightly smaller and that's what I was after. Plus as another reviewer said it matches my 17" Powerbook LOL! Which is another thing, the bluetooth feature is great and worked right away. My mac recognized it and I was printing in a few minutes. It's great to not have to have yet ANOTHER cable to carry around with you. One thing to beware of though is the casing. It is very prone to scratches. I carried it out of town this weekend and somehow managed to get two small scratches on the outer case and one small gash (yes, a GASH) about 1/10 of an inch on the side casing. No idea what it hit, and they're not that noticeable, but this baby gets it's own carrying case from now on. Overall, an excellent road warrior. And if you're concerned about life expectancy get the extended warranty (mine was $29 for 3 years- or was it 4?- at Best Buy) and you're worry-free. One last thing- it's FAST.
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by gregj777 (see profile) -
March 20, 2005
21 out of 21 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular great printer faster than older models
I like this printer and as for the ink cartridge size I was able to find some on line very ...
I like this printer and as for the ink cartridge size I was able to find some on line very cheap so it is not a problem at all.
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by tededminster (see profile) -
April 23, 2005
9 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
This is, hands-down, the most amazing printer I'...
I seriously had to scrape to write any "cons" in that segment...
This is, hands-down, the most amazing printer I've ever bought. I've used every major brand, previously used a great little Epson, and frequently have to use my Dad's HP "all-in-one", and this thing makes them all look like garbage.
When I shopped for a printer, my top priority was that it would have affordable ink. That obviously left HP completely out of the equation, since their ink, per ounce, now costs the same as cocaine. (OK, so I wouldn't know, but I'm sure it's gotta be close!)
I found the Canon cartridges, though small, to be quite affordable in comparison, and my printer tends to print between 150 and 300 pages before needing a black ink change. When printing color flyers (in a mix of color/photos and black text), it can print about 100-150 without needing a color cartridge change. Both types of cartridges come in 2-packs and the black ends up being about $6.50 for one and the color $11.00-12.00 for one (for Canon brand, not knockoffs). Find a price like that for HP-brand ink! And you can carry extra cartridges for this printer easily in your purse or computer bag.
A few times in the last 2 months it's pulled more than one page through at a time, but that's a regular thing for my Dad's HP machine. That thing has to be constantly supervised and often pulls 3-5 pages in at once while faxing or copying. That's the ONLY problem I've ever had with the Canon iP90. The software installation was smart and easy, the machine itself is a hard-worker, and I feel the price is more than worth it. After all, the gimmick with most printers out there is that they're cheap - till you go to buy ink! Consider how much you'd save with one of these - it's a no-brainer!
My advice: If you do buy the iP90, shop around. Best Buy did a price match with a major online retailer for me, so I was able to get it for a good price. The sad thing is that the price on this printer has NOT changed in over a year. But if you shop around or haggle, you can get it for under $200. Seriously consider getting the extended warranty from the store where you purchase. That way, if another model comes out and this one has any problems, you can get the newer one! I've had mine for 18 months and never had a single problem.
Also, I would seriously recommend NOT buying any non-Canon ink for it. I tried that one time and although I saved a few bucks, the cartridge just didn't work. It printed 4 pages and then stopped working. The ink is already affordable anyway! It may just take you a while to get used to not taking your cartridges to some dirty little local store to get the tank refilled with low-grade ink.
Canon photo paper is also great - use the Matte Photo Paper for your prints and you'll be AMAZED. Other photo papers will vary widely and you'll need to adjust your Canon printer settings to make sure the colors come out right.
I'm a Realtor by profession, and this little guy has saved me in many situations. I've corrected and reprinted contracts at my client's worksite, printed at Starbucks, created flyers at the office, and even printed a few times in my car.
My decision to replace my home printer with a portable was a smart one - this printer is THE BEST!
Updated OK, so my first review was pretty long, but a few other notes on the iP90:
-There's a reason it's $200-250. It's WORTH it! -It works extremely well with a Canon digital camera. You won't need to use a computer at all - just plug directly into the printer and use your camera screen to set up the print job! -If your computer uses infrared, you won't ever need a USB cable. It's just as fast printing via infrared as it is by cable. Just make sure your infrared port is conveniently located, as the iP90 has the port on it's right side toward the rear.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Perfect for students with academic accomodations
When I got this little printer last week I wasn't even sure I would keep it but figured I ...
When I got this little printer last week I wasn't even sure I would keep it but figured I may as well take advantage of a 15-day satisfaction guarentee and gave it a try.
I fell in love with it from the first printout. It prints way faster and with much better quality than my older desktop printer and parent's new all-in-one.
As a student with diabilities I have an accomodation to type all of my class assignments and exams. The problem I experinced in class is when we have to share our work with other students I would have to either pass my laptop arround or run down to the computer lab to print off a copy of my work. The Pixma iP90 is heaven sent in that it easily slides into my backpack and sets up in minutes when I need to print something in class.
Even on a student budget, this printer is definitly a keeper for this type of use.
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by knerissa (see profile) -
September 18, 2005
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good depends on what you use it for
Great printer, small enough to fit in laptop bag. Good quality prints. Text, not so good. Slow.
I bought this ...
Great printer, small enough to fit in laptop bag. Good quality prints. Text, not so good. Slow.
I bought this though to use on audits so I basically use this at hotel or at client's office. Most of the time I'm only using black ink since i'm printing documents or spreadsheets so the color is wasted on me. Pictures? I have a great printer at home to do that. Print at airport or on planes? Why would ya want to?
I do find that i have to replace the black ink a lot. And its slow.
What I would recommend for the professionals who want a portable printer (as in my situation) is to do what I did. Get a HP 1012. It's a small laser printer but very fast, laser quality text, cheap on toner, and reliable. While its bulky, you can still find a case to store it in and although its another case to drag on wheels its worth it. Maybe not ideal for some, but i'm much more happy with it.
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by cardfan1212 (see profile) -
July 18, 2005
10 out of 10 - Perfect Purchased over the HP 460C
Like the summary says, I picked this over the 460C. I went to staples where they had the 460C on ...
Like the summary says, I picked this over the 460C. I went to staples where they had the 460C on sale for 199.99 and the IP-90 for 209.99. I almost went with the 460C for that reason, but I'm glad I didn't. I purchased it for use on the road. It took all of 5 minutes and I was up and running. The IR works flawlessly with my Treo, and the IR on my tablet PC (HP TC1100). I compared everything between the two, but overall I wanted the smaller of the two, and I don't regret it. It prints awesome, does it at great speeds, and the quality is very impressive. My friend has the 460C and is happy with it, but even he was enviousa of the IP-90. I highly recommend it!
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by firefinder24 (see profile) -
November 1, 2006
up to 12.7 pages/min - Black normal - A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in),
up to 16 pages/min - Black fast - A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in),
up to 7.2 pages/min - Color normal - A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in),
up to 1.2 pages/min - Color best - A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in),
up to 0.8 min/page - Photo - 3.95 in x 5.9 in,
up to 12 pages/min - Color fast - A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in),
up to 0.6 pages/min - Photo - A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in)
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