Comments on: The Presto Service and HP Printing Mailbox Review – Part Two http://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/13/the-presto-service-and-hp-printing-mailbox-review-part-two/ Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: joeseitherhttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/13/the-presto-service-and-hp-printing-mailbox-review-part-two/#comment-2198 joeseither Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:53:39 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=1958#comment-2198 Just a few of the notable differences between Presto Service and a fax include: - Faxes deliver loads of spam, Presto is spam-free - Almost none of your family or friends uses a fax machine to stay in touch. Almost all of your family & friends use email to stay in touch. Presto is an email-based solution. - Fax quality is (at best) 200 dpi. Presto is 600 dpi color inkjet quality printing from HP. Imagine what a 200 dpi b/w photo looks like - If a fax machine shares your phone line, you need to be present to accept incoming faxes and incoming fax calls can be a nuisance. This is one reason fax users have a separate line. Presto shares a single phone line without interrupting voice calls, it dials out to retrieve emails, so it never takes an inbound call. Presto delivers new messages automatically; the user doesn't have to do a thing to receive their messages. - Faxes are one-to-one communication. A Presto user has "presto.com" email address that can be added to a distribution list in a many-to-many email conversation just like any other email address. - Faxes are WYSIWYG, no customization options. Presto users enjoy customized message print styles (templates, font size, etc.). - Presto users enjoy receiving their choice of free content from the Presto Newsstand, including newsletters, articles, games, recipes, puzzles and more -- all delivered automatically. Just a few of the notable differences between Presto Service and a fax include:
- Faxes deliver loads of spam, Presto is spam-free
- Almost none of your family or friends uses a fax machine to stay in touch. Almost all of your family & friends use email to stay in touch. Presto is an email-based solution.
- Fax quality is (at best) 200 dpi. Presto is 600 dpi color inkjet quality printing from HP. Imagine what a 200 dpi b/w photo looks like
- If a fax machine shares your phone line, you need to be present to accept incoming faxes and incoming fax calls can be a nuisance. This is one reason fax users have a separate line. Presto shares a single phone line without interrupting voice calls, it dials out to retrieve emails, so it never takes an inbound call. Presto delivers new messages automatically; the user doesn’t have to do a thing to receive their messages.
- Faxes are one-to-one communication. A Presto user has “presto.com” email address that can be added to a distribution list in a many-to-many email conversation just like any other email address.
- Faxes are WYSIWYG, no customization options. Presto users enjoy customized message print styles (templates, font size, etc.).
- Presto users enjoy receiving their choice of free content from the Presto Newsstand, including newsletters, articles, games, recipes, puzzles and more — all delivered automatically.

]]> By: Judiehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/13/the-presto-service-and-hp-printing-mailbox-review-part-two/#comment-2163 Judie Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:59:03 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=1958#comment-2163 airwick, The option you present is a <strong>very</strong> good one, and definitely something that anyone considering this device and service should consider. :-) airwick, The option you present is a very good one, and definitely something that anyone considering this device and service should consider. :-)

]]> By: airwickhttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/13/the-presto-service-and-hp-printing-mailbox-review-part-two/#comment-2160 airwick Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:09:51 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=1958#comment-2160 I have to disagree on the "nothing to improve" angle ... while I can certainly see the advantages on this product for a certain demographic - it is vastly overpriced! What on earth can justify $100 a year for an "ISP" that only lets you dial in to get incoming-only email? I think it would be much more practical to get Grandma and Grandpa a decent quality color inkjet fax machine? You'll end up spending about the same on device+ink ... but no service fee. Is there any computer left that doesn't have a built-in fax modem for free for sending the messages to Grandma and Grandpa? A fax machine could even allow the Grandparents to easily handwrite a response to send back to the family! I'd love to see some more competition in this product area bring the price down ... but until that happens, I doubt this type of product will catch on widespread ... I have to disagree on the “nothing to improve” angle … while I can certainly see the advantages on this product for a certain demographic – it is vastly overpriced! What on earth can justify $100 a year for an “ISP” that only lets you dial in to get incoming-only email? I think it would be much more practical to get Grandma and Grandpa a decent quality color inkjet fax machine? You’ll end up spending about the same on device+ink … but no service fee. Is there any computer left that doesn’t have a built-in fax modem for free for sending the messages to Grandma and Grandpa? A fax machine could even allow the Grandparents to easily handwrite a response to send back to the family!

I’d love to see some more competition in this product area bring the price down … but until that happens, I doubt this type of product will catch on widespread …

]]> By: Mitchell Okehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/13/the-presto-service-and-hp-printing-mailbox-review-part-two/#comment-2143 Mitchell Oke Sat, 13 Jan 2007 22:16:47 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=1958#comment-2143 This is such a great idea, and even better that it works in practice! I know my dad is interested in this if they make it available here in Australia. This is such a great idea, and even better that it works in practice! I know my dad is interested in this if they make it available here in Australia.

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