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Canon Pixma MP480

Discontinued

Reviewed July 2009
Canon Pixma MP480

Best budget MFP, no fax

pros
  • Good text, photo prints
  • Low price
  • LCD preview screen
cons
  • Slow speeds
  • Copy, scan quality could be better
  • No fax
  • High ink replacement costs
 
 
 
 

Reviews say the Canon Pixma MP480 is the best choice if you don't want to spend more than $100 on a multifunction inkjet printer without a fax. Testing indicates slow print speeds, and reviews don't rave about the scanner. But experts say the Canon Pixma MP480 is fine as a basic inkjet printer and copier, producing good photos and very good documents. There are two ink cartridges, one black and one tricolor -- replacing both costs about $80, about the same cost as the printer. Owner reviews are pretty realistic about what they get for the price. If you can spend more, reviews suggest the HP Photosmart Premium Fax C309 (*Est. $200) as the best all-in-one printer; this is a faster all-in-one printer with many more features.

We found the best reviews of the Canon Pixma MP480 at Macworld and the Australian version of PC World magazine, the latter being a bit more critical. ConsumerReports.org reviews its very similar predecessor, the MP470. We found a good number of owner reviews at Amazon.com, almost all of them highly complimentary.

     
 
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Our Sources

1. Macworld

Macworld publishes results of its numerous lab tests and assigns an overall score (the Canon Pixma MP480 gets four out of five). Print quality is judged "very good" for photos and graphics and "superior" for text, James Galbraith says. Drawbacks, he says, are "no support for film or slide scans; no high-bit scanning."

Review: Review: Canon Pixma MP480, James Galbraith, Oct. 9, 2008

2. PC World (Australia)

The Australian version of PC World does its own review and gives the Canon Pixma MP480 3.5 out of five stars. James Hutchinson says the print quality is fine: "There is no evidence of banding or gradient problems, which is quite a feat for a unit at this price point." But it's slow, and the scanner isn't great.

Review: Canon Pixma MP480, James Hutchinson, Jan. 8, 2009

3. About.com

Peter Piazza, About.com's guide to printers and scanners, gives the Canon Pixma MP480 3.5 out of five stars, saying it's good for occasional use. Heavy users will be annoyed by the lack of an automatic document feeder. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Review: Canon Pixma MP480 All-In-One Printer Review, Peter Piazza

4. ConsumerReports.org

The older Canon Pixma MP470 is among the approximately 40 multifunction printers that ConsumerReports.org tests and ranks, but it's similar enough to the Canon Pixma MP480 to be of value. Only subscribers have access to the ratings chart and brief review.

Review: All-In-One Printer Ratings, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

5. Amazon.com

More than 80 owner reviews weigh in on the Canon Pixma MP480, with all but a handful giving it four or the maximum five stars. A few wish there were an auto on/off function instead of having to do it manually.

Review: Canon MP480 All-in-One Photo Printer, Contributors to Amazon.com

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