I've been on the road for nearly a month and of course there is always something I forget to bring. Too many withdrawals from the memory banks and... well, you know.When I travel for work I usually bring one of my collection of printers for printing documents and junk I need.Well, I forgot. I need to print a building permit app and send it in.....So I go to the local place and buy a nifty little portable printer to carry in the truck and RV.A Canon iP100. This thing is small, nice and compact, and it is also battery powered if needed. Cool! I have wanted one for a long time.Really a nice little unit. Google it and have a look. Perfect for the RV, and also battery powered for boondocking.I get back to the TT and start unpackaging this thing.Good friggin grief man!! I cannot believe the absolute total waste of packaging materials. It is ridiculous! All this custom formed cardboard to hold the thing in the oversized box. The plastic bags that everything was wrapped in, the plastic stuff all over the unit to protect it, and then the documentation. All I can say is wow! Just wow! There was more paper than I could imagine possible. And all written in who knows how many languages. There was paper after paper after paper about all this crud that nobody gives a hoot about. Piles of it! And advertising junk to buy more stuff.Well after peeling this thing out from all the wrapping and setting it up, I threw every single last piece of paper and documentation it came with into the big oversize box and tossed it in the trash pile. I don't need any of it. Not one piece! User manual? If I can't figure out how to print something I should sell my computer!I kept the driver CD, thats it. Wow! What a waste.OK! rant over! :B:B

Thanks for the heads up on the model number and the fact that it will also run on battery power!WoodGlue

WoodGlue wrote:Thanks for the heads up on the model number and the fact that it will also run on battery power!WoodGlueYou're welcome!It's been around a while and I have wanted to buy one for a few years. I had a hard time justifying it before, as I own a gob of printers at home.But I could buy something twice the size for half the price, but I wanted something small for the RV. I paid 200 bucks for it. however it really is a nice little unit.It has a smaller footprint than my laptop.

$200!!??? you can buy an all in one printer for that kind of money. this thing you bought must be some kind of wonder printer. that's a lot of money for a battery and ac printer.

old guy wrote:$200!!??? you can buy an all in one printer for that kind of money. this thing you bought must be some kind of wonder printer. that's a lot of money for a battery and ac printer.Small portable printers are expensive because there is a very limited market for them, therefore, amortized cost is much higher than a AIO that sells hundreds of thousands of units. Sort of like patented medicine. And $200 for an AIO inkjet is pretty high, you can now buy lazers for less than $200.

old guy wrote:$200!!??? you can buy an all in one printer for that kind of money. this thing you bought must be some kind of wonder printer. that's a lot of money for a battery and ac printer.Yeah but an all in one occupies a pile of real estate in the TT. And you need a fork lift to get it in there!You get what you pay for - this thing is small and only takes up a corner of the tabletop.Sometimes you have to fork out a bit to get what you want!

Bought a cool portable printer but whata WASTE of packaging!

26 Replies

BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Dec 11, 2013
Redsky wrote:
The real waste is when 12 months from now the printer ends up in the local landfill. I stopped using anything but laserjets for printing. I have an HP that has been in continuous use for more than 15 years and is used on a daily basis.

I don't put electronics in the landfill.

There is a recycle depot close to where I live and they take all electronics for recycling. And it is free dropoff too.

Laserjets are fine but for an RV they are way to big and heavy. I have 3 laserjets at home, one color and 2 mono. But I have a big office so no problem with room to put them. Almost need a forklift for my color laser. What a pig that thing is to move!
Redsky
Explorer
Dec 11, 2013
The real waste is when 12 months from now the printer ends up in the local landfill. I stopped using anything but laserjets for printing. I have an HP that has been in continuous use for more than 15 years and is used on a daily basis.

None of my inkjets at any price lasted more than 2 years and most lasted only through the warranty period after which repair costs were more than the price for a new printer.

Anything that needs to be pretty I upload to the nearest Costco to where I am or where we are heading and get the prints an hour later. Much cheaper on a per page basis and no waste.
Duane
Explorer
Dec 11, 2013
BobsYourUncle wrote:
1775 wrote:

If you are in-between trips follow the recommendation of printing a page at least once each month to keep the ink flowing. Just run a test page and you are good.

thanks, I appreciate the tip from you and up above where someone else mentioned it.

I'm looking forward to utilizing the small footprint and also the battery power feature for when I'm boondocking.

X2 on this printer!

I too have had this model for several years. I use it for work, in the RV and at our church as well. This thing has been all over the country in the RV as well as with me on plane trips. The outer case is all scratched up, but this thing has printed thousands of documents without any issues.

Not only does it do a good job for printing documents, but I think you will find it does an awesome job of printing photos.
BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Dec 09, 2013
1775 wrote:

If you are in-between trips follow the recommendation of printing a page at least once each month to keep the ink flowing. Just run a test page and you are good.

thanks, I appreciate the tip from you and up above where someone else mentioned it.

I'm looking forward to utilizing the small footprint and also the battery power feature for when I'm boondocking.
1775
Explorer
Dec 09, 2013
We have had the Canon IP100 for several years. It is a great small printer to use when traveling. It will handle anything and the print quality is very good. Ink cartridges are easy to find. We keep it in a laptop case and just grab and go when we are leaving on a trip. Despite all of the packaging you will find that you made an excellent choice.

If you are in-between trips follow the recommendation of printing a page at least once each month to keep the ink flowing. Just run a test page and you are good.
BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Dec 09, 2013
realter wrote:
The reason for all that packaging is that the printer came from China. With so many people handling it and tossing it about on its journey of 20,000 miles, it it didn't have all that padding it would have been broken long before it got to you. Then for all the languages, not everybody knows English. China exorts all over the globe.

Yeah I know the reason, but I had to have something to whine about! LOL!
:B
realter
Explorer
Dec 09, 2013
The reason for all that packaging is that the printer came from China. With so many people handling it and tossing it about on its journey of 20,000 miles, it it didn't have all that padding it would have been broken long before it got to you. Then for all the languages, not everybody knows English. China exorts all over the globe.
BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Dec 09, 2013
powderman426 wrote:
HappyKayakers wrote:
BobsYourUncle wrote:

Well after peeling this thing out from all the wrapping and setting it up, I threw every single last piece of paper and documentation it came with into the big oversize box and tossed it in the trash pile.
:B:B

What a shame you didn't put all that cardboard and paper into a recycling container instead of the trash.

X2

Well, I totally agree with all of you on the recycle.

But I'm on the road, there was nor a recycle bin to be seen anywhere. I saw many others put all the recyclables in the trash. I am not about to drive all over Calgary looking for a recycle depot to put it in.
I am willing to do my part and I always recycle when I can, but sometimes you have to draw a line. Company I am working for keeps a large trailer there for all trash, recyclables, everything. I tossed it in there with the rest of it.
FlatBroke
Explorer II
Dec 09, 2013
I bought a Cannon MG3222 AIR/All in one printer a couple of months ago for home and to take with us to AZ. At the time is was $50 and is the smallest printer I have ever owned. And you can put it anywhere you want from the storage bay to your bedroom closet and it will print. Not much real estate used up that way.
Yaj
Explorer
Dec 09, 2013
powderman426 wrote:
HappyKayakers wrote:
BobsYourUncle wrote:

Well after peeling this thing out from all the wrapping and setting it up, I threw every single last piece of paper and documentation it came with into the big oversize box and tossed it in the trash pile.
:B:B

What a shame you didn't put all that cardboard and paper into a recycling container instead of the trash.

X2

I have watched our recycling pickup company throw all our carefully recycled items in the big truck with all the regular trash many times. And their service costs us a extra $200 per year! When we complained they solved the problem by not picking up any of our garbage. It took a couple of weeks, many phone calls and my promise to the guys on the truck to not complain again before pick up was resumed.

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Bought a cool portable printer but whata WASTE of packaging!

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