EmailBest Reviewed
Inkjet Printers
- Best general-purpose inkjet printer Canon Pixma iP4700 *Est. $100
- Basic inkjet printer HP Deskjet D1660 *Est. $30
- Budget inkjet printer with LCD HP Photosmart D7560 *Est. $150
- Best photo quality, but expensive Epson Stylus Photo 1400 *Est. $275
- Office inkjet printer with networking HP Officejet 6000 Wireless *Est. $90
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- Good value
- Good job on text, graphics, photos
- Can print straight from camera
- Duplex printing ability
- No LCD preview screen
- No memory-card slot
- Slow duplex printing
Reviews say the Canon Pixma iP4600 is the best general-use inkjet printer overall. While it is part of Canon's photo-printer genre, reviews say it produces text and graphics with enough quality and economy to make it sensible for daily needs. Replacing all five inks, which include two blacks -- longer-lived pigment for text, dye for photos -- will cost about $60. You can print directly from your camera as long as it's PictBridge compatible, but there is no LCD preview screen and no memory-card slot. Some reviews complain about slow printing speeds, particularly when printing on both sides of the paper (called duplexing). Duplex printing is a plus for the price.
PCMag.com and ConsumerReports.org offer thorough, up-to-date ratings based on testing, and they do the best job of making it clear which printers rank highest with them. Reviews at ComputerShopper.com and TrustedReviews.com, both based in the U.K., are fine, but be aware that references to the ability to print directly on some CDs and DVDs don't apply to the iP4600 sold in the U.S. We also found helpful owner reviews at Amazon.com and Newegg.com.
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This review, based on thorough testing, says the Canon Pixma iP4600 is slower than the iP4500 it replaces and is prone to paper curls on graphics-heavy pages. Still, it earns a Good rating because of high-quality photo reproduction, the ability to print directly from cameras and duplex capability -- a rare feature at this price.
Review: Canon Pixma iP4600, M. David Stone, Nov. 3, 2008
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org includes the Canon Pixma iP4600 among the approximately dozen inkjet printers tested. Editors test printers for text and photo printing, as well as ease of use, and ratings are easily compared. However, you must be a subscriber to read the report.
Review: Ratings: Printers -- Regular, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Dec. 2008
TrustedReviews.com does thorough testing, but beyond the numerical scores (seven out of 10 overall, eight on photo quality and value), the review is more descriptive than analytical. Still, when considered alongside other reviews of the Canon Pixma iP4600, this article is a worthwhile read.
Review: Canon Pixma iP4600 Inkjet Printer Review, Simon Williams, Sept. 19, 2008
This review is brief, but based on obvious hands-on testing. The chief insight is that you're better off buying the older Pixma iP4500 if you can find one because it is faster and cheaper to operate. The noted capability to print on CDs and DVDs is not true in the United States; only the European version of the iP4600 can do that.
Review: Canon Pixma iP4600, Kat Orphanides, Dec. 2008
5. Amazon.com
About 60 owner reviews combine for a good score for the Pixma iP4600, with just a few rating it less than three out of five stars. Complaints include slow printing, poor or mediocre text printing, high ink usage and inability to print on CDs or DVDs (a feature available on the European version of this printer).
Review: Canon iP4600 Inkjet Photo Printer, Contributors to Amazon.com, As of Oct. 2009
6. NewEgg.com
About three dozen owner reviews are posted and only a few give the Canon Pixma iP4600 fewer than four out of five stars at this writing. Pros and cons are part of the format, though, and complaints include slow speeds, ink use and difficult replacement, and the black, glossy surface being prone to fingerprints and smudges.
Review: Canon Pixma iP4600, Contributors to Newegg.com, As of Oct. 2009
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