Multifunction Printers: Reviews

Canon's Pixma MX882 has a surprising number of features for its price and is a solid choice for a home office, according to reviews. In addition to printing, scanning, copying and faxing capability, the Pixma MX882 also… expandprovides automatic duplexing (which minimizes waste by printing on both sides of paper), a 35-sheet automatic document feeder and wireless networking. Its five individual ink tanks offer superior photo quality, and save money, since you need only replace one color at a time as it runs out. Reviewers say output, including photos, is superb, and print times are pretty good. Although its copy quality is merely average, reviewers still say this printer offers great value for the price. collapse

The Brother MFC-J825DW offers more than most printers in its price class, including a built-in fax, wired and wireless networking, web connectivity, PictBridge and memory card slots and a 3.3-inch LCD display. Reviewers… expandare divided over this printer's performance; some find its print quality uneven, while others say quality is fine. They also disagree about the printer's speed. One says it's fairly zippy at 9 ppm for text and about a minute per photo, but another points out that long warm-up times and slow wireless connections can slow it down significantly. However, for its combination of features and price, it's hard to beat. collapse

Canon's Pixma MG8120 rates highly in reviews that focus on photo printing. The inkjet all-in-one printer's features include the ability to scan and copy 35 mm film and slides, plus a large 3.5-inch LCD screen for photo… expandpreviewing and editing. The Pixma MG8120 can print directly from memory cards as well. It can even print stills from video files. The Pixma MG8120 has six ink cartridges (including light gray), which all critics agree results in superb printing of monochrome photos. Business features include network connectivity and duplexing. Reviewers say text printing isn't top-notch, but photo quality is excellent. Most users love this printer as well, though we did see some complaints that it is an ink hog. collapse

If you can live without a built-in fax, you have more options for choosing an all-in-one printer on a budget. The Canon Pixma MG5520 is a scaled-down version of the top-rated MG8120, with many of the same features, such… expandas an automatic document feeder, auto duplexing and support for a wide range of memory cards. However, it lacks touch controls, has lower scan resolution and uses fewer individual ink cartridges. Reviewers say the MG5520 produces beautiful text and photos, though some say it's not especially fast. Like its higher-priced cousin, this printer does get some complaints about its heavy ink use. Also, it can't connect to a network via Ethernet, and some users say its wireless connectivity can be a bit shaky. collapse

Laser printers can't hold a candle to inkjet printers when it comes to photo quality, and their edge in text quality for all but the smallest character sizes is largely gone. However, when it comes to big print jobs and… expandspeedy output, lasers still hold most of the cards compared with inkjet all-in-ones. Printing costs are also lower, especially for monochrome printers such as the Brother MFC-7460W. This printer can output about 24 pages per minute, and its monthly toner and paper costs are under than $3 -- less than half the cost for most inkjets. Its speed and low cost -- plus copying, scanning and faxing abilities -- make it ideal for busy offices that don't need color printing. However, this printer does have its limitations: It can't connect to a wireless network, it can't print from a USB key and its scanner can be a nuisance to use. collapse