Notebook computers have given business people the ability to prepare written information from any location, but no roving executive can claim to be fully operational without a device on hand to actually print these documents. Portable printers of varying size and quality are already available, but the BJC-80 takes the concept of the portable office one step further by incorporating an integrated scanner into its architecture.

Although the device?s dimensions are only slightly less than those of a notebook PC, the lack of densely-packed components means the printer is more than 50 per cent lighter at just over 3lb, with a similarly lightweight power supply. As such, the BJC-80 will fit comfortably into a shoulder bag or briefcase.

The device has a maximum print resolution of 720x360 dots-per-inch (dpi) for black-and-white images and 360x360dpi for colour output. Canon claims the BJC-80 is capable of printing four pages of monochrome text inside a minute, but the relatively modest rate of two pages per minute was achieved in our tests.

Graphical images were relatively quick to appear but colour rendering was poor and pictures displayed evidence of colour spots and banding. The smaller the image being printed, however, the less noticeable these defects were. Another thing we discovered, particularly when printing graphical or photographic images, is the advisability of leaving a document to dry for a minute or two before picking it up, otherwise your immaculate presentation may be marred by a series of smudges.

Unfortunately, printing and scanning functions are not available concurrently. The BJC-80 uses a system of cartridge replacement to alternate between the two capabilities. The printer is converted to a colour scanner by replacing the printhead with a special scanning cartridge that can copy documents at resolutions of up to 360dpi. This component isn?t included as standard and will set you back an extra #89 should you choose to buy it separately, but both the printer and scanner options are available for #259 if bought together.

One of the BJC-80?s other advantages is the presence of an automatic sheet feeder that can handle up to 30 sheets of A4 paper. Also, the replacement ink cartridges are no larger than a matchbox.

The BJC-80 comes with an IrDA port that enables cable-free Infrared communications with suitably specified PCs.

Canon facts

R Contact: Canon on 0121 680 8062

R Price: #199; #259 for printer and IS-12 scanner cartridge bundle.

R Applications: letters, memos, reports and other documents.

The business verdict

Compact and portable, the convenience of a printer/scanner that fits into a briefcase is the best thing the BJC-80 has in its favour. Text printing is slow and there?s only average quality graphical output to show, but for inputting and printing documents on the fly, there?s no genuine alternative.