Review: Olivetti Any_Way Photo Wireless multifunction device

Olivetti was one of the first companies to see the potential of inkjet technology.

Back in the early 1980s it produced an angular, all-black printer for connecting to cutting-edge computers such as the Spectrum and BBC Micro.

After a long break, the company is now back in the business with its Any_Way range of multifunction devices. There are several models in the line-up, but here we’re reviewing the Olivetti Any_Way Photo Wireless model.

The square-cut design certainly looks the part, with a row of control buttons along the front edge of the scanner section.

Next to that are memory card slots and a Pictbridge socket.

Down below, set into the foot of the machine, is a colour LCD display, which can be used for previewing photos before printing.

However, its position and inability to be angled upwards mean it's not particularly easy to view.

Up to 70 sheets of A4 paper or a smaller number of 10x15cm photo blanks can be loaded at the back, against a pair of paper feed supports that rise like little antennas.

Pages exit onto a telescopic tray at the front. Printing costs work out at about 5p for an A4 page of text, while A4 colour prints are about 40p.

Both prices are quite high compared to other multifunction devices on the market.

Print times vary considerably. A five-page A4 document takes nearly two and a half minutes to complete, which is OK but not spectacular.

But a 10x15cm photo printed at photo quality takes more than 10 minutes, which is very, very slow.

Things can be speeded up by printing at high quality rather than photo, but it still takes nearly two and a half minutes.

Plus, there's a noticeable difference between the two quality settings, with only photo quality getting close to the colour and clarity of Olivetti's main rivals.

As its name suggests, this version of the Any_Way has built-in support for Wifi and Bluetooth, though you can't use both at once.

For Wifi, you have to set up the device through its USB2 cable before disconnecting and forcing it to make a wireless connection.

Overall, the performance of the Olivetti Any_Way photo wireless isn’t as sleek as its physical appearance suggests, but the built-in wireless connections could prove useful for some.

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Overall The price is high, but in return you get decent scans and panoramic prints, along with wired networking.
Rating 4
Price £150