I have to admit, when the idea of the PrinterStick was brought to me, I was very intrigued. I like the idea of total portability and this is really portable. I’m going to introduce you to the PLANon PS905 Printstick. This device takes printing with you wherever you may be.
The PRINSTICK PS905 Mobile PrinterME (Mobile Enhancer) is a pretty neat device. It came in a box that I thought would be larger, and it turned out to be much smaller once I opened it.
The box comes with the following contents:
- PRINTSTICK printer
- Paper Cartridge
- Nylon Zipper Case
- Wall Charger
- Quick Start Guide
- Installation Diskette with User Manual
- USB Cable
These are the specifications of the device:
- Compatibility: XP, Vista, Windows Mobile, Popular BlackBerry Smartphones
- Size: Approx 25mm x 48m x 280 mm (~1″x1.9″x11″)
- Weight: 1.5 lb. (513 g) including paper cartridge
- Resolution: User selectable up to 400dpi
- Planon Advanced Thermal Technology
- Self-contained paper roll (7 year quality)
- Paper feed for single sheets
- USB/Bluetooth/Rechargeable Li-Polymer Battery
- Print Speed: 3 PPM
System Requirements to install the printer are as follows:
- CD-ROM
- 32 MB RAM Minimum
- 60 MB Hard Drive Space
- Windows Vista (32 bit)
- Windows XP
The description on the box states:
Redefine the way, where, and how you work. Mobile printing is not a new concept, and has, up to now, been an inconvenient option for people seeking printing-on-the-go solutions. PlanOn has now designed the perfect travelling office partner. We have not only designed the PRINTSTIK to be very small, but to also have a 20-page self-contained roll of paper, rechargeable battery with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, making the PRINTSTIK the smallest, most convenient printer on the market. Planon brings the convenience of your office in a pocket so you can print anywhere from your computer or your smart phone. Print emails, attachments, documents, boarding passes, web pages, maps, etc. from any location in seconds. Planon markets the Docupen Full Page ‘pen-size’ scanner to complete your office in a pocket solution.
When you open the box, the white box within has the contents. There are different plug ins for your wall charger, making it perfect for the world traveler. There is a card that states: PrintStik QuickStart can be found on included installation disk inside the manual directory. There are four interchangeable plugs for your wall charger, the USB Cable, the wall charger, the nylon zipper case, the paper and the printer, and the CD.
So step number one is to familiarize myself with the printer. Now in the case, it’s very small. It could fit in a purse, a laptop case with a laptop, just about anywhere. The power button sits on the top left. The paper feed is right next to the power button. There is a panel of lights next to that which are power on, data rate, and battery. The cartridge is easy to change out in a self-contained paper cartridge.
Now the disk. Because this is BlackBerry Sync, I’m going to go more into the details of how to use it with your phone than with the laptop or computer. The User Manual is on the CD. The instructions on how to install are on there. Simply connect your BlackBerry up with your BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and then go to the Application Loader/Add Remove Applications, and search for the files from the CD in the BlackBerry portion of the CD. Once they are chosen, click done, and let them install. After installing them, wait a few minutes, unplug your phone, then look in the Downloads folder of your BlackBerry for the two files: PrinterDriver Setting Manager and the BlackBerry File Explorer. Run the Printer Driver Setting Manager and click on the Printer Server Settings and select, you will see “host name”, select and click save. Next go to Options/Advanced Options/Applications or Options/Applications and go to the printer drivers and printer files, set all the permissions to allow. Go to the Bluetooth settings last, enable and find the printer, and pair. The pair mode of course is 0000. That’s it.
For 5.0 OS, you will have to go to the following Planon support site to download the drivers as the the BlackBerry file on the CD does not include 5.0.You will do this via pc online, as it is a zip file. Unzip or extract the files to your desktop. Run the BlackBerry Device Manager, The Applications Loader, and do the same.
Download the 5.0 drivers for your BlackBerry from the Planon Support here
After this you are able to print from your BlackBerry. I did find that when my Tour had the software 4.7, it worked flawlessly. When the Official Software update of 5.0 came out, my Tour would no longer pair with the Planon Printer, even with updated drivers. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling for three hours, to no avail. My guess is that it’s the software upgrade responsible for Bluetooth issues. I wouldn’t recommend using this printer with the Official 5.0.0.591/BlackBerry Tour 9630. It works with other current devices, just not this software for some reason. If you’re able to use the 4.7, it works flawlessly.
These are the options you will have for printing:
- Print Email
- Print Email List
- Print Memo
- Print contact list
- Print Task List
- Print appointment List
- Print task detail (for chosen contact)
- Print contact detail (for chosen appointment)
- Print memo list
- Print Text Message
- Print PDF document
- Print Image file: bmp, jpeg, png, gif, wbmp
- Print webpage
- Print Microsoft office Documents: word, excel, power point.
- (Note: Compatible for 2003-2007 Microsoft Office)
Printing has never been easier. You can print attachments, emails, contacts, pictures, you name it. You choose the settings, you choose what to print. Never miss out on those documents ever again. Especially the contact list. Or a shopping list, whatever you may want to carry with you.
I can see this being beneficial to the person on the go, the business person, anyone who wants convenience. Don’t run to find a printer, have yours on hand. You have your BlackBerry, why not your printer? Your hotel room, the airport, the park, the hospital, school, anywhere you go.
CONS: Worked with 4.7 on Tour, but not 5.0. The issue was the printer driver would not install to the downloads as it is supposed to, so while it would pair, it would not print.
PROS: The portability and the convenience. Easy to carry, small, and lightweight. Fits anywhere you go. I really loved it up until I did the software update. I don’t believe it is the printer or the drivers, I think it’s just one more glitch to this particular OS as it worked fine before hand. Prior to the update I had printed an attachment, email, contacts, and it worked amazingly well.
Now the PrintStik is available from Planon for the price of $299.99 and it comes with everything I showed you and stated. PrintStik paper refills are only $22.99 but you can save with a three pack of $59.99. A low price for convenience and reliability.
You can purchase your PrintStik by Planon, extra refills of paper, all from the PlanOn website here
Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Again, I can’t hold it against a great printer that worked amazing until the update of the OS on my phone.
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Review: PrintStik By Planon, The World’s Smallest Mobile Printer
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