Dymo LabelManager PnP Review

DYMO PnP (Plug and Play) Label Manager. This device enables you to make and print labels using your computer interface and prints directly to the label maker tape device.

Remember the old days in label making?  They weren’t necessarily good old days either.  For those too young to remember, skip this review because I think Spongebob is on.  For those old enough to remember when The Partridge Family was cool and a job at Burger King was the bomb, stay with me.

You remember the colored tape on the name badges of yore…different colors (mostly red or blue) and a label maker (or label puncher rather) with the big dial that punched the letters through the plastic on the label tape and the white impression against the colored background formed the letters.  You could only have uppercase letters in those days and you had to punch out your name or what you were labeling letter by letter.  And the tape didn’t always stick either.

Well, we’ve come a long way, baby. Now we have the Dymo Label Manager PnP (plug and play) for your PC or Mac.  Now, sure, there are hand held label makers and if you’re a expert thumb texter and you like tiny keyboards, cool. And Dymo makes plenty of them.  But the PnP allows me to make all kinds of labels at once using a QWERTY keyboard and a screen I can actually see.  Hey…you’ll understand once you hit 40.

And for those of us who’d rather NOT continue to burden our computers with downloading the software that usually comes with label making devices, Dymo cuts us a break there too.  It’s actually quite sweet.  The software is built in to the label maker. The interface pops on to your screen and you’re off to the races.  It’s no sweat to your workspace real estate either. The actual labeling device is no taller than 5.6″, sits quietly and neatly on your desk, and all you do is plug it in to the USB port on your computer.

That.  Is. It.  I Swear.

This device showed up at 4:00 pm on April 12, 2011.  At 4:39, this not-so-techie-as-most-techies-go-reviewer had already unpacked it, taken pictures, uploaded the pictures, printed her first label, realized she misspelled “Gadgeteer” and had to reprint the label, got a Diet Coke from the kitchen and sat down to write this review.

This label printing device is so easy it’s ridiculous.  It’s almost a point of honor for tech devices to be more complicated.  The one thing I am ashamed of is that a five year old could probably have done all of this faster.  Kids, these days.

So here’s what you get:

DYMO Device, USB cable (PC and MAC friendly) lithium-ion rechargeable battery, Quick Start guide, warranty card and your first cartridge of label tape.

Slimline label maker. Seriously… fits anywhere. It’s 5.6″ high, 2.1″ wide at its widest.  If you can’t make this fit…you need a new work space.  USB cable (very important) and it should be noted that this device will work with Mac or PC, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, your first tape cartridge (black letters on white tape), a Warranty Card thingyand your Quick Start Guide.   If the Quick Start Guide is no help (please… really?) just look at the back of the box.

And you don’t have to just label things… you can print logos, stuff from database files, pretty much anything.  You can change fonts, add graphics, it’s pure madness.

The Dymo PnP also uses three different sizes of tape so you’re not stuck with just one size.  1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″ Dymo D1 label cassettes are your choices and what you will want to ask for when purchasing refills.  You’re not stuck with just black letters on white tape either.  More madness ensues…DYMO features adaptable tape cassettes in various color tapes and lettering.  These tapes are also extremely adhesive (they like to stick) but they’re easily adjustable too.

Battery installation.

This is me installing the battery.  Real tough, right?

Very quick and easy tape cartridge installation.

Installing the tape cartridge.  No sweat, no mess, snap and go.

DYMO USB Plug in.

Plug into the device and then plug into your computer.

Start Labeling....

Let your labeling imagination run wild….

Plug and Print. It's that easy. After all, I managed to do it.

And that’s all she wrote….or labeled.

The Dymo PnP retails  for about $60.00 or so depending on where you purchase it.  Amazon.com is currently listing this device for $53.24 and somebody on Ebay is auctioning it for $42.99.  It’s not a bad price for nifty little handy device such as this.

In the past, my experience with Dymo label makers has been nothing but positive.  I’ve done all sizes of labels and address labels without having to go through all the rigmarole of sheets of address labels and printer queues for just one or a couple of address labels.  It’s clean, it’s neat, it sits on your desk for your use.  I know that the hand held devices are currently very popular but I like the ease and use of creating my labels on my computer screen and just zipping it out right there.

Tagged as: built in software, DYMO, label, label maker, mac, PC

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