My cell phone photos live in limbo. I like to take them, and occasionally show them off, but I rarely manage to transfer them anywhere for permanent keeping. So when I saw a tweet recommendation from Brad Linder for a refurb Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer on sale for $25, I gave in to impulse and ordered one on the spot. (Thanks, Brad)
The PoGo printer performs as advertised. It’s got an AC power adapter for charging, and connects to your mobile phone via Bluetooth or USB. After years of owning phones with the Bluetooth disabled, I still tend to forget about the short-range wireless option. But my Droid Eris paired with the PoGo over Bluetooth immediately, and after less than a minute of processing, I saw my first cell phone photo on a 2″x3″ printout.
The Pogo prints are decent quality, and the no-edge format distinctly reminds me of a Moo card. That said, the colors did seem to fade a bit after the first printing, and you certainly wouldn’t use a PoGo printer to win any photography prizes. For casual or craft use, though, the PoGo is great. Want to include a photo with a thank-you card? Or make a family-tree pictorial for a school project? The PoGo printer is a handy solution.
As with any photo printer, the big catch in the deal is the cost of the photo paper. Luckily, the no-ink Zink paper that goes with the PoGo Printer isn’t overly expensive. The cost for a 30-pack of 2″x3″ paper seems to range from just under $9 to $12. The Pogo Printer itself ships at regular price for $39 from Amazon.
Yeah, I first saw this thing a while back when a friend had one out at a baby shower so people could take photos and instantly print them for an album. When I saw it on sale for $25, it was too good a deal not to pass it on. Glad you’re finding it useful!
Would be a great tool for events. I think every preschool should own one.
I was thinking about buying one of these, or the camera/printer combo to use as a makeshift photobooth at our wedding in Oct. I will have either a bunch of blank photobooks or poster boards for people to stick the pictures on and sign/leave notes.
I’m not sure if it would be easier for people to use the camera (that has mediocre specs) with the printer built in, or have either my canon p&s or dslr attached via PictBridge with the standalone printer.
jon- Got any junior-high or high-school relatives who might want to man the photobooth for a period of time at the wedding? Your guests could take pics with their own cameras and cell phones and then have your young resident expert upload and print the photos. Not knowing how tech savvy your guests will be, the help might be appreciated.
I was excited when I first heard about this device (http://rake.sh/blog/2008/01/17/polaroid-inkless-printer/), but now that it’s out, I just wish it supported the iPhone (http://www.polaroid.com/Products/Polaroid+PoGo/Compatibility/Compatibility/1390). Oh well, I might still just have to get one of these things.
That is one of the nicest gadgets I’ve seen in a long time! I’m not generally into buying gadgets, but I could definitely see myself buying this. Unbelievable price too.
I’ve thought about it, but we all just put our photos on [flickr|picasa|facebook|posterious|twitpic|etc] so why bother.