If you were to apply the old saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover," to the inkjet Kodak EasyShare 5500, you might want to change the verbiage to, "You can't judge a multifunction device by its feature list." The 5500 offers an impressive list of features and specifications, but when it is used under real-world conditions, this unit is a disappointment.

When you consider that this is a multifunction device from Kodak, it's not surprising that the 5500 aims most of its features at creating strong photo prints. Kodak claims that this unit offers a six-ink printing system, but in reality, the 5500 uses a four-ink system to print photos and a separate black tank for text printing, while the sixth tank supplies a coating to improve the final quality of the prints; thus, it's not a true six-ink system. You can print directly from some memory cards and use the unit's 2.4-inch LCD to preview your photos before printing.

The 5500's copier offers a reduction and enlargement range of 10 to 500 percent, which is a much wider range than those offered by most multifunction devices. This unit's fax machine is very limited; if you need to store a lot of numbers or if you need fax features that go beyond the basics, you'll want to look elsewhere. The 5500 does, however, offer a 35-page automatic document feeder, which is handy when working with large documents.

Perhaps the biggest problem of the 5500, however, is its overall slow performance. In real-world situations, the 5500 prints and copies extremely slowly when compared to other units in this price range. Kodak claims a top print speed of 32ppm, but this unit cannot realistically approach that speed. The 5500's scanner is also annoyingly sluggish.

What's more, you cannot use any of the unit's functions after one of the ink tanks runs dry; the unit just locks up. The 5500 just doesn't live up to its superficially impressive feature list.


Pros: Good photo prints, nice copy features, true four-in-one functions
Cons: Very slow real-world printing, claim of six-ink system is misleading, fax functions are very limited, unit locks up when inks are empty

Warranty
1 year, limited