What's especially nice is the unit's powerful 16K to 48K input buffer, which lets it print full-page graphics with no extra memory necessary. As with all ink-jets, the price of print cartridges and specialized paper can be high. Citizen America Corp. takes another route with its PN 50, PN 60 and PN 60i portable thermal fusion printers, which melt dry ink before applying it. Like the DeskJet 340, these units come with both PC and PowerBook connectivity options. A 12-volt car adapter is also available.
None come with sheet feeders.
Available type fonts, pitches and type styles are fairly limited, and all operate at an unimpressive 2 ppm maximum. Supplies for thermal fusion printers are costly, so per-page costs of these portables are high as well. It's hard to believe that a printer as small as Pentax Technologies Corp.'s PocketJet and PocketJet IrDA qualify as full-page printers. These direct thermal printers weigh only 17.5 ounces including battery, and they come with just about everything you need to print full-page text, graphics, photos and transparencies right out of the box. Quiet heat Direct thermal technology, an offshoot of early fax technology, uses heat to set images on special thermal paper and has improved greatly.