Slightly more expensive than Epson's original PictureMate photo printer, the PictureMate 500's most notable improvement over the older model is the 2.4" colour LCD display that flips up from the top of the printer for viewing and editing photos.

The PictureMate 500 is also faster. When we connected our shipping unit to a PC, our test photo printed in 1 minute and 39 seconds--37 seconds faster than the original PictureMate, and swifter than many of the other desktop photo printers we've tested. The quality was excellent, too. Our photos appeared bright and sharp, with plenty of shadow and highlight detail. Part of the reason for the speed increase may be the printer's USB 2.0 high-speed port.

While the original PictureMate's handle makes it easy to carry, the new PictureMate 500 becomes truly portable with the addition of an optional rechargeable battery. It slots away neatly inside the printer, but it's a pricey optional extra. A Bluetooth adapter, for cable-free printing, is also available for purchase.