By Andrew Liszewski
Digital photo frames have never been at the top of my gift recommendation list. Too much of a unitasker for my liking. But you slap a printer on there like Epson has done with their PictureMate Show, and you’ve got yourself a decent gift idea for those who like to share their memories. As digital photo frames go it does gobble up a bit more desk/fireplace mantle/dresser space, but sending a copy of a photo home with a loved one is as easy as them hitting the print button.
You are limited to 4×6 prints though which take about 37 seconds to spit out, but if there’s a specific part of a photo you want to concentrate on you do have the ability to maximize those 24 square inches thanks to cropping functions accessible via the included wireless remote. Yes, a touchscreen interface on the 7-inch LCD would have probably been far more intuitive, but at least you don’t have to worry about constantly buffing out fingerprints.
Photos can be loaded onto the PictureMate Show using its built-in SD card slot, or you can attach a flash drive or digital camera directly to its USB port. And an optional Bluetooth adapter presumably lets you send them straight from a camera-equipped phone. At $299.99 it’s more expensive than buying a printer and digital photo frame separately and then taping them together, so I guess you’re paying a premium for a slightly sleeker form factor.
[ Epson PictureMate Show Digital Frame & Printer ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]
