Eric Mack On-Line

I've tried (and tossed) a variety of so-called "portable" ink jet and thermal printers over the years. Unfortunately, though small, I've not found them to be worth the quality, trouble or expense to make it worth the effort. I need a high-quality solution for printing while on extended road trips.

This week, I found a quality solution that I can use when I travel by car.

Many of my clients are within a few hours drive of where I live. (In Los Angeles, that means 2-6 hours away, depending on traffic.)  When I stay at hotels near these clients, I'll often return to the hotel to do work on the afternoon/evening. When I'm on the road, I often miss having a printer close at hand. While I work digitally most of the time, I still use a printer to print reports & diagrams, client invoices, mindmaps and the like.

This week, I saw a small LED laser printer at Best Buy - the Samsung 1740 ($89 after rebate). It's small and light - it's half the weight of my first "portable" computer - and holds 250 sheets of paper - more than adequate for my travel needs. I promptly bought it.

Now, when I travel for extended periods, I have a mobile office again. It may seem like a lot to carry, and it is, but this gear allows me to be almost completely self-contained. (Sorry, no fuel cells yet)

My current "road kit" for extended trips

• ThinkPad, soon to be replaced with a Tablet PC
• Treo 650 on SprintPCS for wireless Notes, & Internet access from anywhere
• Portable scanner
• Portable laser printer
• 2-Line VOIP Gateway/Firewall/WAP