Canon PIXMA iP90v – Expensive Vista-Enabled Variant Of iP90

Pros

The Canon PIXMA iP90v delivers improved text print quality over its precursor; it has really compact design that makes it easy to carry; the printer is IrDA and PictBridge enabled and lastly, the ink saving modes of the printer can save a lot for you.

Cons

The Canon PIXMA iP90v is somewhat expensive and the add-ons like the battery packs make it even more; the photo print speed of the printer is also slower than its previous models.

Introduction

The Canon PIXMA iP90v is the revamped variant of Canon Pixma iP90 launched in the year 2007. The all new iP90v has a strange drop in photo print speed and support offered by Windows Vista, but apart from it the printer is pretty much the same. Even the cost of the printer is the same $428.99 of its older model. So, if you already have an iP90, don’t bother upgrading.

Even if you don’t have a portable printer and are looking for one, consider whether you need this one or not, because, this printer surely is not cheaper, particularly with its add-ons. But, if what you need is a petite inkjet printer, than you definitely will be pleased to see the print speed and quality of Pixma iP90v. The closes competition of Canon iP90v in the very same genre is the HP DeskJet 460 series.

Design

The Canon PIXMA iP90v is a really compact printer which can easily slip into any small bag like a laptop bag, and can be used for printing from anywhere. But, considering the fact that it is a single-function printer, the price tag of $428.99 is a tad too much for it, especially when you’ll have to spend additionally on the add-ons like the optional battery pack that you will actually require if you want true “anywhere” printing. The battery kit for the printer can cost you anything from $90 to $140. That said, the printer comes with a USB port to print photos from an IrDA port or PictBridge cameras for wireless printing. Canon also offers an optional Bluetooth adapter with the printer, for facilitating prints from any Bluetooth-enabled device like a PDA and laptop.

The Canon iP90v makes use of the same ink cartridges like its previous model, and delivers almost the same print costs. Just as its precursor the iP90v presents two alternatives for normal printing. The good thing here is the Save Black Ink mode (just like draft), which delivers dark gray text as opposed to black. There also is a Composite Black mode, which mixes all the colors in the color tank and generates black ink, when you run out of inks. The resultant text here is a light purplish-gray, which clearly is not suitable for any sort of official or final documentation, but can be used for some sort of casual prints and can be a decent option in a pinch.

System Configuration

Price: $428.99
Manufacturer: Canon
Part Number: 2238B002
Printer Type: Ink-jet – Color, Photo printer
Operating System Supported: Microsoft Windows XP ,   Microsoft Windows 98 ,   Apple MacOS X 10.2.8 – 10.4.x ,   Microsoft Windows Vista ,   Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition    and Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Copier Type: None

Dimensions (W x D x H): 12.3 x 6.9 x 2.1 inches
System weight: 4 lbs
Supported Media Type: Photo paper,   Envelopes and Plain paper
Direct Printing Specifications: PictBridge
Ink Palette (Colors): Cyan, yellow, magenta and black
Software Included: Canon PhotoRecord, Drivers & Utilities, Canon Easy-WebPrint and Canon Easy-PhotoPrint
Connectivity Technology: Wired and Wireless
Expansion Slots: None
Microsoft Certifications: Certified for Windows Vista
Printer Features: Borderless printing
Service & Support: Limited 1 year warranty, Phone consulting with Technical support for One year

Performance

The print speeds for Canon PIXMA iP90v is the same what we got from Canon iP90, except for the photo printing. The printer delivered black text prints at the rate of 6.23 pages per minute (ppm), which again was the same as the iP90. While printing color graphics, the iP90v delivered scores of 1.42 pages per minute. For photo print test, the iP90v delivered a meager 0.68ppm for 4×6 photo print, while for the same the iP90 delivered  scores of 1.05ppm for an 8×10 photo print, though our methodology was different for both the tests, but still the iP90v was a lot slower.

Though, for the quality test the iP90v delivered pleasing results and delivered slightly improved quality over the iP90, which made us tolerate its slightly slow print speeds. The black text print was nice and dark with consistently formed characters. Though, the close inspection revealed tad raggedness on the edges. The results for graphic tests were even better, with smooth gradients, imposing details and pleasant color saturation in the photo elements. The only downside that we found here was a slight blue cast on the grayscale elements. Considering the fact that it basically is a convenience printer, we were impressed with the photo quality of the printer as well. The photos had sharp details and soft color blocks. On a whole we were satisfied with the print quality, or can even say that it impressed us a lot.

Support

The PIXMA iP90v gets a one year standard warranty from Canon, and the toll-free phone support is available from 8 a.m. to midnight, ET, on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. For online support, there is Canon’s website offers FAQs, manual/driver downloads and e-mail support.

Word from the Experts

The Canon PIXMA iP90v is the successor of Pixma iP90 from 2007, and this Vista-enabled system offers the same print quality and speeds. It’s a decent option for the people who need a printer when they travel and can’t do without it, but go for the printer after checking the price, as the printer is really expensive.