HP's answer to the rapid growth of smartphones and other internet-but-not-USB-connected devices? Printers you can email your print jobs to.
Web-connected printers are nothing new. HP and Lexmark both launched printers last year with built-in Wi-Fi, large touchscreens and limited web functionality. The big change with the Photosmart lineup HP announced this week is what those technologies let you do.
For the first time, Wi-Fi isn't limited to printing from networked devices that explicitly support it (namely PCs, Macs and iPhones courtesy of a special app) anymore. HP has thrown the door wide open to let you print files from any email-capable device by sending the photos, documents or web pages directly to the printer's unique email address. Since the jobs are all processed through HP's cloud-based ePrintCenter system, you can be anywhere in the world when you send files to print to it. Alas, the printer doesn't also come with homing pigeons to carry your photos or documents to you wherever you happen to be — you'll still have to be in front of the printer to pick up your printout.
HP has also taken a leaf out of the Apple playback by creating a third-party app ecosystem to enable printing directly from online services. Already, there are apps available from content providers including Google, Snapfish and Web Sudoku, and HP is expecting more partners to come on board in the coming months.
Four Photosmart e-All-in-One printers will be released in Australia this year, each of which come with 802.11n wireless Internet connectivity, colour touchscreens, inkjet printing and scan and copy features. The main difference between the printers is the size of the LCD touchscreen, which makes sense as it'll be easier to access the apps and content with a larger display.
The HP Photosmart Wireless e-All-in-One B110a is the entry-level model that will be available in July, with a 2.4-inch touchscreen and $129 pricetag — quite an attractive price point, given that previous models with Wi-Fi and web connectivity debuted for nearly three times that amount.
The other models don't have Australian pricing yet, but they are confirmed for release later in the year. The Photosmart Plus e-All-in-One is the next one up from the basic Photosmart (hence the 'Plus'), with an iPhone-sized 3.5-inch LCD and US$149 pricetag. An even larger 4.3-inch LCD can be had with the flagship of the range, the HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One, for US$199. Both of these will be available in October. If you're after a true multi-function with fax capabilities, HP is also offering the Photosmart Premium Fax e-All-in-One for an extra US$100 over the non-fax Premium model, but the extra functionality comes at the expense of a smaller 2.4-inch touchscreen.