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Manual/Quick Start Guide (6.5)
The quick start instructions are simple and logically organized, guiding the user swiftly through setup. The manual comes in printed form and is also accessible via a web link in the Windows Start Menu’s program list. The printed manual’s information is conveyed clearly, logically, and graphically, which is where it gets into a little bit of trouble. All the chapters are coded with colored text in no discernible order. One presumes that it’s to make navigation through the book easier since all the page numbers are colored the same as the Chapter titles and main text headings. But with some chapters coded the same color as other chapters with no direct connection, it becomes confusing to figure out what chapter you’re in without flipping back to the beginning.
Out of the box (7)
The Epson PictureMate Snap PM240 comes with a power supply, quick start guide, printer manual, and CD with software. Epson included enough paper and an ink cartridge for about 20 4x6-inch prints, making it possible to print straight from the package. A USB cable is not included, so users will need to provide one or just use the built-in memory card slots to transfer photos. In a perfect world, this printer would come with a battery– but it doesn’t. With its compact size and enormous lunch box-like handle, the Epson PM240 is designed to be the ultimate portable printer, except for that pesky optional battery problem.
Setup (7.50)
Setting up the PM240 was a breeze. Plugging it in, turning it on, and inserting the ink cartridge for charging were all the physical setup required—a total of 6 minutes. The cartridge is installed into a slot behind a door at the rear bottom of the printer. A locking lever needs to be moved out of the way, then used to push the cartridge into place once it's inserted. Software setup took about 5 minutes more. The CD guides you through the installation process for printer drivers. It also provides options to install additional software and the user’s guide.
Drivers & Administration (7)
The driver utility is composed of two tabs, Main and Maintenance. Layout options in the main section include bordered or borderless prints and the Expansion tool. These options provide a way to crop an image, then automatically expand it to fill the paper for a borderless print. There are four color editing options—No Correction, Auto Correction, Sepia, and Black and White. Quality settings are simply check boxes for Digital Camera Correction ("minimizes common digital flaws") and Enhance Fine Details, which processes the image to bring out details. Maintenance provides access to typical nozzle check, head cleaning, and alignment functions. The Speed and Progress button at the bottom of the Maintenance tab allows users to select settings for monitoring printer status. One of the default settings, which can be deselected, is to create a temporary file of the image to be printed to facilitate faster printing.
 Software (7)
The PictureMate Snap ships with ArcSoft Photo Impression 5, a handy little program that is easy to use for first-timers, but it also provides a fair amount of tools and functionality. Images can be simply rotated, zoomed in upon, or flipped, but there are also Photoshop-like tools for selection and cropping. There are also "Fix" tools for red-eye removal, adjusting brightness/contrast, color, and sharpness. Images can also be re-sized.
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