Recently, Julie posted that she still gets a lot of interest in the old MailStation email device more than ten years after it was reviewed. People still want to provide some method for getting email to older relatives who have no interest in using a computer. The HP Printing Mailbox uses the Presto service used by the MailStation. You simply send an email to Grandma’s Presto account, and it is delivered to her HP Printing Mailbox through her analog phone line. The HP Printing Mailbox can only receive, not send. The Printing Mailbox uses regular printer paper and HP ink cartridges found in most office supply stores. Presto is currently offering the Printing Mailbox for $49.99 when you sign up for the service. A yearly subscription is about $150; monthly service is $14.99.
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We use this Mailstation and Presto Service to send emails to my wife’s elderly parents and they love it. They look forward every day to checking their printer to see if they have any messages. We tried setting them up with a computer and teaching them how to use it to send and receive emails, but it became a frustration as they soon forgot and kept calling us and asking us questions, etc. The Presto solution helped solve that problem. While the ongoing cost is steep, we believe it is worth it. The Presto service keeps us informed of the status of their printer, such as when it is low in ink, so I can order more. The only drawback is they can’t send emails to us, but for sending emails to them, it is great.