WHAT goes around comes around. A few decades ago, instant photo print was all the craze and the brand Polaroid was a household name.

Now, it seems Polaroid is again taking bold steps to turn its once-iconic brand into a new product that produces?yes, you guessed it?instant photo print.

The concept behind the Polaroid PoGO instant digital camera does not differ much from that of the original Polaroid instant camera?except that this time it has a built-in printer inside (hence, it?s hefty size).

Plus, you don?t have to shake the output to make the image appear.

In this modern version of the one-step instant film camera, Polaroid uses a special photo paper called Zink?short for ?zero ink,? which a group of former Polaroid employees developed?that reacts to heat as well as the printer head in the digicam.

Dye crystals

The printer inside PoGo activates the billions of dye crystals embedded in the glossy side of the photo paper, which contains three layers of primary colors suspended in the paper itself. After about a minute, a print measuring 2 inches by 3 inches, comes out of the device.

A protective polymer overcoat protects the prints from scratching and fading, and makes the image both smudge-proof and water-resistant.

Each package of Zink photo paper is individually sealed. A pack of 10 sheets may be worth P180. Once you open the package, there?s an accompanying blue card, instructing users on how to insert the paper into the printer.

There will be no confusion over the glossy side up or down since the blue reminder card will come out of the PoGo as a confirmation.

The PoGo can print up to 20 photos per battery charge. It also gives you the option to save the photo to an SD memory card. It also offers users the option to print photos on larger sheets of paper.

Digital border

Apart from basic photo editing tools that lets the user crop, rotate, and correct red eyes before printing, the PoGo also offers the option to add digital borders, including the classic white Polaroid frame for a more old-school feel.

Like most digicams, the PoGo no longer has a viewfinder and instead uses a large, 3.0-inch LCD screen. Ease of use was probably the PoGo?s main attraction since Polaroid did not equip the digicam with other features, save for a digital zoom, a basic user setting, a program AE, video mode and 16 scene modes.

Having a 5 megapixel sensor may not be enough for most users. Also, this particular Polaroid model may be outclassed by a lot of digicams out in the market today. But the PoGo definitely has something to offer party people and those looking for a functional P9, 000 toy.

While the rise of digicams has allowed users to instantly review their photos, the experience pales in comparison to having a Polaroid snapshot develop right before your eyes.