A Guest Post review of the Polaroid PoGo Printer by Chris Folsom.
I really shouldn’t like the Polaroid PoGo printer. I can easily list off a number of problems with the device… small image size, average print quality and relatively expensive print media.
In spite of all of the valid complaints I have with the device, I find myself enjoying this little printer quite a bit actually. While all of these negative details remain true, they miss the point of this printer: instant gratification. There are certainly a multitude of very practical printing options available, but none of them feel as quick and fun as using the PoGo.
Part of that fun comes from its extreme mobility… the device itself is about the size of a 3×5 card and maybe an inch thick. Small enough that it could easily be carried in a jacket pocket or camera bag. The printer also includes a rechargeable battery, so no power cable is required for making a print on the go. The 2×3” photo paper is internal to the device as well, making the entire package a self-contained printing environment.
The paper used in the Polaroid PoGo is not your average glossy sheet. The PoGo uses a special zero ink paper that requires no ink cartridges. Much like the Polaroid cameras of old, all of the chemicals necessary to produce an image are inherent to the paper itself. This helps minimize the moving components in the printer (and likely helps keep the unit size so small) but also adds to the costs of the prints as you will have to continually buy the special ZINK paper refills. A 30-pack of paper can be had for about $9… a cost of about 30 cents per printed image. As an added bonus, you can peel off a thin sheet of paper from the back of the photo to reveal an adhesive surface, turning every image you print into a photographic sticker of sorts.
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