Canon Pixma MP980

The Canon Pixma MP980 lacks a fax and really isn't designed for office work. Rather, it's a printer/scanner/copier for those who take and print lots of photos. It can scan and copy 35 mm film and slides with an included adapter. The Canon Pixma MP980 also has a 3.5-inch LCD screen for previewing and editing photos, and a straight paper path option for heavier stock (like photo paper). Furthermore, reviewers say it prints black-and-white photos especially well because there's a light gray among the six ink cartridges. One quibble in tests is that although there's wired and wireless connectivity, you have to choose -- you can't have both hookups simultaneously. Text printing isn't the Pixma's strong suit, however. If you want a fax and need more of a document printer, the HP Photosmart Premium Fax C309 (*Est. $250) is most frequently recommended in reviews as the best all-around printer, but it lacks film and slide scanning and has a smaller LCD preview screen.

PCMag.com offers the best review of the Canon Pixma MP980 and provides a basis for comparison with other multifunction printers. We'd rank ConsumerReports.org's coverage higher than we do, except it rates the older Canon Pixma MP970, and the big difference between the two is the gray ink for better black-and-white photos. Imaging-Resource.com and TrustedReviews.com test thoroughly but don't make it easy to compare models. There are about 80 owner reviews at Amazon.com for the Canon Pixma MP980 all-in-one printer, but the complaints about compatibility cover just about every operating system, so it's hard to tell what may be user error.