New Gadget 2011

Xerox claims a 3.2-cent cost per page (based on the ISO/IEC standard) for color with the 8860. Few color printers even break the 10-cent mark. The next-lowest claim among color lasers I’ve tested is 8.7 cents per page for the Konica Minolta magicolor 5570. That’s a minimum savings of 5.5 cents per page with the 8860, which would pay for itself in three years should you print 1.275 color pages per month. The 8860’s 1.7 cents per monochrome page is also very attractive.

The 8860’s rated print speed is 30 pages per minute (ppm) for both monochrome and color at its top speed, and 16 ppm for both in default (enhanced) mode. This is a little slow for the price-though it’s tempting to quip that you could use the extra waiting time to calculate your cost saving. In absolute terms, though, the 8860 is none too slouchy. On our tests, it turned in reasonable times in default mode.

Text is a touch below typical laser quality, though fine for most uses. The text’s clean, crisp edges give it a professional look. A few small or stylized fonts suffered on our tests, but most were easily readable at 6 points, and some at 4. Graphics are better than I usually see from lasers, despite some graininess. They’re fine for in-house use, as well as mailings and simple brochures. Photo quality is typical of lasers.

Equipped with a standard 525-sheet drawer, a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, and a duplexer, the 8860 does well at paper handling. You can also add two more 525-sheet drawers ($400 each) for a maximum capacity of 1,675 pages.

Even if it were a mediocre printer, the operating cost savings alone would make the Phaser 8860 well worth considering. Adding In the strong output quality, ample paper handling, and acceptable speed should be enough to convince you to Ink the deal.

Xerox Phaser 8860 Color Printer Review
Price range: $2,500 street

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The Duo is made mostly of grey, glossy plastic and is relatively thick. Still, its 2.2-inch, 320-by-240-pixel screen is bright and easy to read. Both keyboards feature recessed button. The larger ones on the numeric keypad are easy to use, but the QWERTY keyboard is cramped and uncomfortable.

A 416-MHz Xscale processor powers the Duo, giving Windows Mobile 6 the juice it needs to run at a reasonable clip. Over AT&T’s 3G HSDPA data network, browsing the Web felt speedy but slowed considerably when rolling back to EDGE. And there’s no Wi-Fi. Also noticeably absent in built-in GPS.

The Duo integrates an outdated 1.3-megapixel camera, which takes poor photos. And the device doesn’t do a great job with video. Clips viewed in Windows Media Player looked blurry and choppy, and often froze up.

I can see some buyers choosing the Duo on looks and speed alone. 3G support and a speedy processor are enough to make Windows Mobile 6 Standard feel responsive for basic functions like e-mail and Web browsing, but there are better do-it-all device out there.

Pantech Duo Short Review
Price range: $249 with 2-year contract

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In our labs, the TH-42PZ700U turned in solid performance when fed quality 1080i/p video sources and made standard-definition programming look better than it does on most HDTVs I’ve seen. The set’s screen resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels progressively scanned produced a crisp and detailed image; the default picture size mode with this video resolution eliminates image overscan. Unfortunately, the TV overscanned 720p video by 5.5 percent, sacrificing detail around the video’s border and slightly softening the picture due to increased scaling of the remaining video information.

I used satellite television, DVD video, HD DVD, and Blu-ray media for standard and high-definition video trials. I was particularly impressed with the TH-42PZ700U’s treatment of DVD video delivered at 480i resolution via component video cable. The TV took about 5 seconds to detect film-sourced movies such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, but once it had finished processing, it revealed subtle shadow detail and facial features. The greens in Raiders’ jungle scenes appeared almost electric, but disabling the TH-42PZ700U’s color management feature, as the manual suggested, restored the foliage to a more natural color. The set’s color tracking across dark-to-light intensities was admirably linear and among the best I’ve seen, particularly in the darkest portions of the picture, where the eye is most sensitive to error.

Motion performance with sports and action sequences was as good as on any HDTV I’ve seen to date, and there was no detectable controller input lag when playing Xbox360 games.

In terms of viewability, this TV is an excellent example of plasma’s advantage over LCD and rear projection sets on the task of providing a consistent image at the widest range of horizontal and vertical viewing angels. And the antireflective screen coating proved effective at reducing harsh reflections-in contrast to the highly reflective gloss-finished bezel.

With a street price of around $1,400, Panasonic’s TH-42PZ700U is a steal of a deal for a talented set with full 1080p resolution. That’s quality plasma at an amazing price.

Panasonic TH-42PZ700U Review
Price Range: $1,999.95

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Small and stylish, the 520 is comfortable to wear and features an ingenious soft-rubber ear loop that’s clear after the point where it reaches the ear, so it’s not at all unsightly.

The Voyager 520 gets plenty loud. In testing, the 520’s sound quality was outstanding, too. I drove around Manhattan and Queens with the car window down on a breezy day: Not only was I able to make calls successfully (with all the construction, engine noise, and car-horn din in the background), but callers on the other end were surprised when I told them I was using a Bluetooth headset.

At $99.95, the Voyager 520 costs about $30 less than the Aliph Jawbone, our previous Editors’ Choice Bluetooth headset. The Voyager 520 is also a bit smaller. Although it lacks the Jawbone’s sophisticated noise canceling, the 520 still has excellent noise rejection. On top of that, it offers superb sound and impressive battery life, making it a better choice.

Plantronics Voyager 520 Short Review
Price range: $99.95

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Available in 4GB and 8GB capacities, the flash memory based P2 is a devilishly handsome gadget with a sharp 3-inch screen, FM radio, and the usual quality array of excellent Samsung user controls (like a seven-band EQ). The high-res touch screen looks fantastic, but the iPod touch’s screen is definitely easier to navigate.

File support is so-so. For audio, you get MP3, OGG, and WMA (with AAC support to come); MPEG-4 and WMV for video (though you get conversion software on the included CD) and JPEG for photos, Album art, photos, and video clips look fantastic on the horizontal 16:9 screen.

The P2 is a less-expensive yet elegant alternative to the iPod touch, but I’d hold off on buying one until those firmware upgrades unlock the Bluetooth capabilities.

Samsung P2 Short Review
Price range: 4GB, $200 list; 8GB, $250

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