How to Shop for Mobile Printers on EBay

Filed under: Computers

There are a lot of mobile printers today that sometimes you might find it difficult to make choices. Each one of the models available on eBay has their own strengths and weaknesses. In order to make an informed decision, this article will go through some features that will make a printer from eBay worth buying. We will also go through tips on how to look for them on eBay. For this article, we will refer to the Canon Pixma iP100 as a reference since it is the latest mobile printer model from Canon.

Using the Right Keywords
When looking for a mobile printer, it is very important to consider the keywords you use when searching. Typing in the words “mobile printer” will not screen out all mobile printers. You need to widen your searches to other keywords such as “portable printers”, “travel printers”, or sometimes “light printers”. The reason for this is that not all printer companies use the same keywords in promoting their printers. Some use mobile printers and some use portable printers.

Printing Resolution
It is important that you must choose the printer with very good resolution. A Canon mobile printer is no good if it cannot print documents or graphics worthy of presentation. With today’s printers, a minimum resolution of 600 x 600 dots per inch should be enough, and that is for monochrome. Printing in color is a different matter. If you are planning to use the printer for printing photos, then a much higher resolution will be more suitable. One printer that excels in this aspect is the Canon Pixma iP100. It has a very high resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi, which is currently the highest resolution for a mobile printer.

Lightweight
For a printer to be easily carried wherever you go, it is important to consider the weight of the printer. Light printers’ weight range is within 9lbs. The lightest printer available in the market is Brother’s MW260 printer and it weighs only about 1.2lbs. however, due to its size and printing technology, it does not offer the same output as other heavier printers. One Canon mobile printer which offers better print quality and is still considered light is the Pixma iP100.

Printing Speed
It is important that the printer you are looking is capable of printing at a higher speed. A speed of 3 pages per minute is not suitable for a printer if this printer is bought for the purpose of complementing your portable lifestyle. High speed portable printers are capable of printing up to as high as 22 pages per minute. This record is currently being held by HP’s OfficeJet H470.

Technical Details
Unfortunately, not all technical details are displayed on eBay. It depends greatly on the seller if he posts all the technical details of a certain model. In order to compensate for this lack of information, it is recommended that you search the models available from their respective sites. Currently, HP and Canon are the leading brands for mobile printers and they have their own website which contains all the product specifications. It will be a good idea to start by checking the technical specifications in order to make an informed decision.

Certainly, shopping online is one of the great conveniences in today’s time, even if you are just shopping for a Canon mobile printer.