Multifunction Printers

Multifunction printers use either inkjet or laser technology. Inkjet all-in-ones are cheaper and print in color, but they are also slower. Laser MFPs are faster, and color models cost significantly more than monochrome units. Some MFPs have an integrated fax modem, which allows you to fax hard copies as you would with a regular fax machine. Models without a fax modem can't fax hard copies, but you can scan a document and then fax it electronically through the computer. If you send faxes regularly, you might really appreciate the convenience of having an MFP with fax capability, but you can save money on your printer by skipping an internal fax modem. All-in-one printers with fax modems generally also take up more desk space.

If you are one of the four of every ten home Internet users who are using a dial-up connection, be aware that your computer already has a fax modem you can use to send faxes. Windows includes faxing software and all multifunction printers can scan documents, so you have everything you need to fax. The same applies if you upgraded to broadband during the life of your current computer. Because of the increasing popularity of broadband, some computers sold in the past couple of years don't have internal modems, or offer them only as an option. If you need to receive faxes, you can get software for that as well, such as efax.com.

While it is certainly possible to send and receive faxes without having a dedicated fax machine or all-in-one, if you do any volume of faxing, it can be simpler, faster and more convenient to do so directly from a multifunction printer. Because e-mail and other digital technologies are replacing faxing, fewer models in each generation of MFPs include the capability. Deciding on whether you want the fax component is probably your first consideration in choosing a multifunction printer. After that, you'll need to decide whether photo printing is a priority.

Multifunction inkjet printers with fax

As with standalone inkjet printers, manufacturers engineer multifunction printers to produce either very good text quality or very good photo quality. Experts agree that no printer excels at both tasks, so consumers must establish priorities. Editors at BeHardware.com found that Canon multifunction printers have the best all-around performance, and many reviewers agree, but most Canon models are photo-oriented and do not produce the finest text quality. Nearly every reviewer agrees that Epson's Stylus Photo models produce the best photo quality overall. HP makes two lines: the general-purpose Officejet all-in-ones are engineered for the best text quality, while the Photosmart multifunction printers are photo-oriented. As a generalization, general-purpose models have modems while photo multifunction printers do not. These distinctions create a split between home-oriented and small-business-oriented products.

Two nearly identical Hewlett-Packard models top the rankings among full-service, office-oriented multifunction printers that can print, copy, scan and fax. Reviews of the HP Officejet Pro L7680 (*est. $330) and HP Officejet Pro L7780 (*est. $400) apply equally to either.

The HP Officejet Pro L7680 multifunction printer is honored as an Editors' Choice by PC Magazine and CNet.com. Hewlett-Packard claims that this model is as fast as a laser printer, and that text quality is just as good. Reviewers find neither claim to be entirely true, but nonetheless, this all-in-one printer performs very well in both regards. CNet's Felisa Yang summarizes that the HP Officejet Pro L7680 works well for small offices. PC Magazine's M. David Stone also likes the Pro L7680, but says it's not as good as a color laser multifunction printer. Reviewers note that photo quality is pretty good, but not the point of this product. User reviews of the HP Officejet Pro L7680 are mixed. While many owners have some complaints, we couldn't discern a clean pattern, but several owners complain that the automatic document feeder didn't work properly, causing paper jams.

The Officejet Pro L7680 multifunction printer features built-in wired networking and wireless options. An Ethernet cable is included. The HP all-in-one printer can automatically print on both sides of a page (the feature is called duplexing). A 2.4-inch display shows text information and can be used when printing directly from a digital camera. The scanning bed fits up to legal-size documents. The HP multifunction machine can fax in color and will store up to 100 faxes. One-touch buttons simplify copying, scanning and faxing. You can trigger those functions without using the computer. The input tray holds 250 pages. You can add a 350-sheet tray, but if that's of interest, stepping up to the HP Officejet Pro L7780 (*est. $400) makes more sense. It's the same unit but already includes the extra tray, which is a $100 option with the HP L7680.

The HP Officejet Pro L7780 earns a maximum 6/6 rating from editors at PCPro.co.uk. Reviewer David Bayon says, "The price may seem expensive -- as might the cartridges -- but they last a huge number of pages, so it's economical to run." An evaluation at IT Reviews says the HP multifunction printer is a good choice for small businesses, and that the HP all-in-one is well built.

The less expensive but older Canon Pixma MP830 (*est. $245) multifunction printer has pretty much all the bells and whistles, including fax capability. In an older review, PC Magazine's M. David Stone calls it "quite simply, the fastest inkjet AIO I've yet seen," but that was before editors had evaluated the pricier HP Officejet Pro L7680.

The Canon Pixma MP830 is aimed at ambitious home offices or small businesses. While the HP Officejet all-in-one comes with a 50-page automatic document feeder, the Canon multifunction machine has a 35-page ADF, which lets you make double-sided copies and faxes and prints automatically. Media-card readers let you print directly from a digital camera's memory cards, and there is a 2.5-inch color LCD screen for previewing and editing images. The fax machine has a 100-number speed-dial memory, and it can store up to 250 fax pages in its memory. Speeds are much better than those of cheaper multifunction printers, but they do fall short of a laser multifunction printer's. CNet.com measured text printing at about 7.7 pages per minute (ppm), which is faster than the speeds it measured on the Officejet Pro L7680. However, in more comprehensive testing, PC Magazine measured that HP is faster at printing most types of documents. While it's clear in reviews that the HP Officejet printer edges out the older Canon multifunction printer, the Canon model sells for about $80 less, so it's a good budget choice.

Photo printing is not the strong suit of the more office-oriented HP and Canon all-in-one printers above. The higher-end multifunction machines in HP's Photosmart line attempt to bridge the gap between everything-but-the-kitchen-sink business products and multifunction photo printers. Reviews say they are very good in some ways, but you'll have to make tradeoffs. The HP Photosmart C6180 (*est. $280) doesn't win any awards, but it earns high ratings in many reviews.

HP claims the C6180 is the fastest all-in-one in the world, capable of printing 32 pages per minute (ppm). However, editors at BeHardware.com measured speed at just 6.5 ppm. Still, for most printing tasks, the HP C6180 is the fastest of 16 tested multifunction printers, though the Canon MP600 (now updated as the MP610) scans and copies much faster. Reviewer Vincent Alzieu says photo quality is excellent, but scan quality is not. Scans have too much contrast, are oversaturated, and colors are unnatural. A BeHardware.com Flash video demonstrates that the HP Photosmart C6180 is noisy.

CNet.com likes its features and print and scan quality, but thinks the only thing exceptional about the HP Photosmart C6180 multifunction printer is that it can accomplish so many tasks. Reviewer Felisa Yang writes, "The HP Photosmart C6180 all-in-one tries to be everything to everyone, and ultimately it fails to meet this lofty goal." IT Reviews says integrated networking and "superior photo print quality" are assets, but it's slow for a business device. PC Advisor's critic recommends the HP C6180 all-in-one for home use, but thinks a multifunction laser printer would make more sense for business use.

The HP Photosmart C6180 is capable of wired or Wi-Fi networking. It can fax in color and block junk faxes. It includes automatic duplexing and has a 50-page ADF. The HP multifunction machine has a 2.4-inch color LCD display to facilitate direct printing from a camera, as well as connectors and card slots for that purpose. It has an automatic "picture fix" button that aims to clean up photos. The HP C6180 uses HP's long-life Vivera inks, which are rated to last over 100 years in archival conditions.

The more expensive HP Photosmart C7180 (*est. $350) is very similar. It has a bigger display (3.6 inches) than the C6180. The chassis is very different looking, but other features and specifications are the same. Macworld reviewers say the features are great, but that the multifunction printer is too expensive; the magazine's panel of evaluators determined that print, scan and copy quality are at least good in all categories. PC Magazine equates the HP Photosmart C7180 with a Swiss army knife. Critic M. David Stone sees text quality as exceptional. He rates the Canon Pixma MP960 more highly overall, but notes that the Canon can't fax or connect to a network. CNet.com's Felisa Yang disagrees with Stone about text quality and also complains that the HP Photosmart C7180 is slow.

We found only one professional review of the HP Photosmart C7280 (*est. $250) , but it was exceedingly brief and shed little light on this multifunction printer. This model appears to be very similar to the HP Photosmart C6180, but includes a duplexer; that's only an add-on option for the C6180 or C7180. The display is the same as that on the C6180.

Among budget all-in-one printers with fax models, the Brother MFC-440CN (*est. $130) is inexpensive and receives mixed reviews. All reviewers cite key disadvantages, yet the most credible reviews identify a couple of significant strengths along with the obviously very good price. It's network compatible, which is rare for a low-priced, full-featured all-in-one. BeHardware.com's Vincent Alzieu finds that font rendering is very precise and clean. PC Magazine's M. David Stone agrees that "the 440cn's text-output quality is as good as or better than that of most other ink jet AIOs."

While text quality is considered excellent, reviewers at BeHardware.com, PC Magazine, CNet.com and IT Reviews all measured that the Brother multifunction printer is considerably slower than competing all-in-ones. Reviewers also agree that graphics quality isn't good, and except for Tom's Hardware, reviewers aren't thrilled with photo quality either. BeHardware.com's testers complain about the printer's whiny noise.

The Brother MFC-440CN multifunction printer is loaded with features, including an automatic document feeder (but it only feeds ten pages), a 2-inch color LCD display, faxing features, and a 4" x 6" bypass tray. It's compact, measuring about 16" by 14.5", quite a bit less than most models, which tend to measure at least 17" by 17". There are a small number of other budget all-in-ones with fax modems out there, but the Brother MFC is the only one that gets passing scores in reviews. If you need a fax and can't spend more, the Brother is your best choice.

Photo all-in-one printers without fax

Instead of a fax, multifunction photo printers have enhanced photo printing and scanning features. Those may include larger preview screens, more ink cartridges, borderless printing, and adapters for scanning slides and negatives. These multifunction printers are aimed at families and photographers as opposed to offices.

The Canon Pixma MP600 all-in-one has been championed by reviewers as the best in its class. But while the Canon MP600 is still available from some retailers, it has been replaced by the Canon Pixma MP610 (*est. $200) . The good news according to all of the reviewers who have reported on it thus far is that the MP610 retains all of the MP600's positive traits --in fact, many say that it is essentially identical to its predecessor, with a few minor added refinements.

At 15.3 x 17.7 x 7.4 inches, the Canon Pixma MP610 is unusually compact for a multifunction printer. It has an impressive array of features for the price. That includes direct printing from a digital camera or most memory cards (though some memory cards require the use of an optional adapter). It has a 2.5-inch color display for previewing photos and a scroll wheel for that purpose. The Canon MP610 includes two paper trays and is capable of two-sided printing and copying. It can reduce or enlarge copies from 25 percent to 400 percent. The printer uses five ink cartridges.

Canon claims a very slight speed improvement over the Canon MP600, but lists the same features for both. Both PC Magazine and TrustedReviews.com say the new model outshines comparable multifunction printers as much as the MP600 did, and both give it appropriate honors. PC Magazine's M. David Stone summarizes, "Given that no other AIO has managed to challenge the MP600's balance of speed, quality, features, and price, the MP610 is an easy pick to replace the MP600 as Editors' Choice." Simon Williams of TrustedReviews.com finds, "Print quality from the PIXMA MP610 is very good, with black print coming through clear and strong and with very little feathering."

Key differences, reports say, are well hidden. In fact, Dave Stevenson at Britain's PCPro.co.uk says "our only complaint is that not quite enough has changed to justify the price hike." Still, he likes the Canon Pixma MP610 well enough to call it "a fabulous buy" and make it one of the magazine's A List winners. PC Magazine's M. David Stone says that some of the improved specifications don't translate into real-world results. For example, monochrome print speed is rated at 31 ppm, one page faster than the MP600, but that difference does not show up in PC Magazine's speed tests. Likewise, the increase in nozzles to 4,608 doesn't translate to any noticeable improvement in output or speed. Scanner resolution is upped to 4,800 x 9,600 pixels, but, as Stone points out, that's overkill for most applications.

The higher-end Canon Pixma MP960 (*est. $400) is somewhat of a specialty product. All reviewers criticize the price, but most think it's at least a very good toy for serious photographers. The Canon MP960 multifunction printer has business features, too, including duplexing and two paper feeding options. The special feature is the ability to scan 35 mm film and transparencies. A film adapter unit is included. The Canon MP960 can print directly from film as well as digital cameras. It has a 3.5-inch LCD preview display and lots of connection options.

PC Magazine selects the Canon MP960 as an Editors' Choice. Reviewer M. David Stone loves the unit's versatility and print quality, as do testers at Steve's Digicams. Macworld editors give it a high rating for the same reasons. PC World praises fast printing and scanning. Only Consumer Guide gives the Pixma MP960 an average rating, but the magazine does not appear to have tested the printer.

While reviewers are enamored with the Canon Pixma MP960, they struggle to make a case for buying it. PC Magazine's M. David Stone notes that three other Canon printers are faster, but that the MP960 has better print quality. CNet.com's Felisa Yang says it's better than the competition in the same price range, including the HP Photosmart C7180 (*est. $350) , which incorporates wireless networking and faxing capabilities. Unfortunately, no reviewer directly compares the Canon Pixma MP960 to an Epson multifunction photo printer.

Epson just turned over its entire line of multifunction printers. The new models have not been reviewed yet, but some of the outgoing printer models are highly recommended in recent reviews. Be aware, though, that Epson's entry-level all-in-ones are not recommended in any reviews. In head-to-head tests, reviewers often find that Canon's multifunction photo printers produce very good photos, but that Epson's are judged even more accurate. In the middle and high ends of the price range, BeHardware.com recommends the European versions of Epson multifunction photo printers for those who are primarily interested in exceptional photo quality.

If you can still find one, the Epson Stylus Photo RX580 may be a great deal at a clearance price. Macworld reviews seven multifunction models in its March 2007 issue, and finds nothing better than the Epson RX580. A Macworld panel rates image quality as superior and text quality as very good. PC Magazine downrates the Epson RX580 for its minimalism, but concedes output quality is exceptional, especially for photos.

The Stylus Photo RX595 (*est. $160) multifunction photo printer is the RX580's replacement model, and it should perform similarly. It is a six-color printer that uses Epson's Claria inks, which can last 100 to 200 years under the right conditions. The Epson RX595 has a 2.5-inch color LCD display to facilitate direct printing from digital cameras. Software enables users to restore old, faded color photos. The Epson RX595 all-in-one printer can print on specially made CDs and DVDs. User reviews, while limited, have been largely positive.

The step-up Epson Stylus Photo RX680 (*est. $195) multifunction photo printer has additional features. The display isn't any larger, but you can view edits on it before printing. That feature also works when you use the integrated auto-correction adjustment. The Epson RX680 has two adjustable paper trays and is capable of duplexing. The previous-generation Epson Stylus Photo RX700 had similar features. It received a favorable but unenthusiastic review from PC Magazine, and the highest rating of all multifunction printers reviewed by Business Week Online. User reports, though again limited thus far, are mixed.

Hewlett-Packard invented multifunction printers and continues to sell about half of all units. The company produces two lines: the Officejet line is business-oriented and the Photosmart line is family-oriented. The Officejet line receives many favorable reviews and its business features are regularly commended. However, the Photosmart line does not fare nearly as well.

Reviewers consistently rate the cheapest Photosmart all-in-one printers as below average. Mid-priced models are average to good. Expensive models are good to very good, but no reviewer picks one as the best in its class.

The entry-level HP Photosmart C4280 (*est. $80) is only reviewed by CNet.com. Felisa Yang concludes, "HP tries to offer the most basic users an inexpensive all-in-one with the Photosmart C4280 multifunction printer, but we find that for roughly the same price, you can get an all-in-one with more compelling features and better print quality." Yang says the same thing about the step-up HP Photosmart C5180 (*est. $180) . PC World likes the HP C4280's features, including six ink colors, an Ethernet port for networking, and a snapshot feeder. However, the magazine's rating places the HP Photosmart C5180 in the middle of the pack. PCPro.co.uk has a nearly opposite opinion, but the same bottom line. Reviewer Dave Stevenson criticizes the all-in-one printer for lacking features. He says "print quality is superb" and printing costs are low. Yet, he concludes, other multifunction printers offer more for the money. IT Reviews says the Photosmart C5180 is hindered by poor scanning quality. Colors are inaccurate and look faded. What Digital Camera, a UK review magazine, notes that photos printed on HP's Advanced photo paper are good, but not quite as "punchy" as those from competing Canon and Epson multifunction printers.

Several higher-end HP Photosmart multifunction printers fare much better in reviews. Those models having integrated fax modems are discussed in the section above. A basic fax modem adds little to the cost of any product (although software and extra capabilities might). If you want a photo printer that can be all things to all people, the higher-end Photosmart models are worth considering.

Budget multifunction inkjet printers without fax

Reviewers sometimes see qualitative differences in print and scan quality between budget and more expensive multifunction machines, but more often, they find that more money buys speed, in particular, and features. And many people are willing to pay for conveniences like one-touch copying and printing and business features like duplexing and networking. Printing directly from a digital camera, camcorder or cell phone is both convenient and simple, but gives users little control over quality. Models with LCD displays have some basic built-in editing capabilities. If you're sure you won't use some of those types of features -- though some budget choices now include those as well -- reviewers cite few other disadvantages to budget models from reputable brands.

The Canon MP160 multifunction printer had been widely recommended as a basic model with good performance and a hard-to-beat price. That printer is now discontinued, though you might be able to find it in some stores. In its place, Canon has two basic multifunction printers that critics say are worth consideration.

The Canon Pixma MP210 (*est. $70) gets good if unenthusiastic reviews from a host of reviewers. The most positive evaluation comes from TrustedReviews.com, where Simon Williams writes that the Canon MP210 offers "all the copy and scanning advantages of its bigger siblings at a true budget price." Felisa Yang at CNet.com is more restrained, complaining about the Canon Pixma MP210's dearth of features, but that's a little unfair, we think, given that she says that the MP210 provides the best print and scan quality from a budget multifunction printer.

In her review for PC World, Melissa Riofrio has more substantive issues with the Canon Pixma MP210, saying that the "inscrutable control panel" could give novice users some problems. She also is less than thrilled by the limited copying capabilities. She says that you can't reduce or enlarge, and that the only sizing option is "fit to page." In addition, high-speed copying is available on letter and A4 paper only, you can't change copy brightness and the maximum number of copies is limited to 20. However, after all of that, she says that copies "come out reasonably fast and look pretty good."

The limited copy and scan features are noted by CNet.com's Felisa Yang as well, and she also bemoans the lack of memory card slots. Yang adds that the Canon Pixma MP210 isn't particularly fast, but what "it lacked in speed, it made up for in quality." Black text print is called close to perfect, and color graphics print quality is "great." Scanning is also good in most respects, with colors that are true and details that are sharp.

Design-wise, critics say the Canon Pixma MP210 is a chip off the MP610 block rather than a successor to earlier budget models like the MP160. Paper handling is similar to many Canon printers, with a 100-sheet paper tray that folds out from the rear and a foldout front tray for the output. PC Magazine's Melissa Riofrio complains that the trays are flimsy and seem to rattle. She also does not like the design of the ink-cartridge bays, saying that their shallow slots provide minimal guidance for seating the tanks correctly.

You can connect a PictBridge compatible digital camera to the Canon Pixma MP210, but the unit has no LCD for previewing images, so it's poorly suited to printing directly from a camera. The MP210 only uses two cartridges -- one black and one tricolor. Canon makes both regular- and high-capacity cartridges for the Canon MP160 all-in-one. At about 18 inches wide x 14 inches deep, the MP210 is even smaller than the MP160.

While the Canon Pixma MP210 is a good budget choice, many feel the Canon MP470 multifunction printer (*est. $90) is an even better option. CNet.com's Felisa Yang, for example, says that the MP470 "trumps all of its budget competitors."

The printer is not without its problems, however. The chief issue is speed. In tests at CNet.com, the Canon MP470 trailed the competition -- including the MP210 -- in printing text, though graphics and photo-printing speeds are more competitive. Print quality compensates, with text print called dark, sharp, clean and legible down to very small point sizes. That said, Yang concedes that very close inspection reveals some minor jagged edges. PC World's Melissa Riofrio is somewhat contrarian in saying that black-and-white text print speed is "competent" at 8.7 ppm, but that text is "slightly fuzzy" but "certainly readable." Riofrio repeats her design and construction criticisms of the MP210 here, but is far more pleased with the user interface, saying buttons are "clearly labeled and sensibly arranged."

The Canon Pixma MP470 has other features that set it apart from the MP210. The copying functions are far more robust. You can reduce or enlarge from 25 percent to 400 percent, and there are a host of copying functions such as borderless copy, sticker copy and more. Memory card slots are provided for most current types of memory, though CNet.com notes that you need to purchase an adapter for some. A small 1.8-inch LCD makes computerless photo printing possible. Otherwise, the MP470 is strikingly similar to the Canon MP210, even sharing the same footprint.

The Canon Pixma MP520 (*est. $135) has only received a couple of reviews, but it's worth mentioning based on the popularity of its predecessor, the Canon MP510. CNet.com gives the multifunction printer a high rating, but criticizes it for lacking features found in similarly priced competing models. Reviewer Felisa Yang identifies great print quality and decent print speeds as the major reasons to buy this product. The previous-generation Canon Pixma MP510 received all kinds of awards for value and performance, but it's not quite clear if the Pixma MP520 will carry the legacy.

Cheapest ink cartridges

Kodak made headlines earlier this year when it announced new printers with cheap replacement cartridges. Black cartridges (*est. $10) and color HP cartridges (*est. $15) for these new printers cost far less than those of competing brands. Cost of use is such a controversial concern that the Kodak EasyShare 5300 (*est. $200) piqued the curiosity of 16 reviewers. Most reviewers attempted to answer whether this new model succeeds as a printer, and whether it lives up to its low-running-cost claims.

Reviewers say the Kodak EasyShare 5300 is a pretty good printer. The consensus is that photo quality is great, but only if you use Kodak's expensive top-of-the-line photo paper. PC World's Danny Allen attempted to measure the true cost of use. Although he believes the price of the unit is high, it can be as cheap to use as Kodak claims. Yet, Allen reports that printing at the maximum quality more than doubles the cost per print. Popular Photography conducts the most comprehensive test. Executive technology editor Michael McNamara found that Kodak's claim of 4 x 6-inch color prints at 10¢ each is not achievable. Even for low-quality prints, he calculated a still impressively cheap 11.5¢ per print. Using the more expensive Kodak paper raises the cost to more than 35¢ each, which matches what Allen reports.

McNamara compares the Kodak EasyShare 5300 with comparably priced multifunction printers from Epson, HP and Canon, concluding that the subsequently discontinued Epson Stylus Photo RX580 produces the best print quality and is the best value. David Bayon of Computer Shopper (UK) also makes direct comparisons. He summarizes, "You'll be able to recoup some of the huge purchase cost only if you're happy to print on the cheapest paper. If you prefer the best possible quality, you should look instead to Canon's Pixma MP510." Nearly all reviewers think this is a very family-friendly multifunction printer. One review essentially recommends it for children because it can be cheap to use.

Best multifunction laser printers

Laser printers are generally more expensive than inkjet printers, but have three major advantages. Text printing is much finer than what inkjets can produce. The best inkjets can't beat any laser printer at producing crisp text at smaller point sizes, although inkjet text quality is generally very readable for any nonprofessional purposes. The cost per page of output from laser printers is much lower, and purchase price differences are not huge. Also, laser print speeds are faster. Laser printers can have duty cycles of 10,000 pages or more per month. Most inkjet multifunction printers are made to print fewer than 5,000 pages per month.

The major advantage of an inkjet printer is photo quality. Even inkjets that are not photo-oriented can produce better photographs than laser printers. Color laser printers tend to print photos with visible dot patterns or blurred details. Color laser printers are best for printing color graphics, newsletters, circulars and sales materials. Monochrome laser machines only print and copy in black (with illusions of grayscale). They are less expensive than color laser printers, smaller, and usually produce better text quality.

As mentioned earlier, inkjet multifunction printers usually do not provide perfect performance from each of the built-in functions. Laser printers come closer. Nearly all laser MFPs include faxing capability along with the standard print/copy/scan functions, perfect for many small businesses, as well as a home office that requires high volume output capability. Extra or high-capacity input trays are included or are an add-on option. Most laser multifunction printers take up a lot of space and are very heavy, so make sure your furniture can accommodate one.

Multifunction laser printers receive a fraction of the reviews that multifunction inkjets do. That implies that they aren't consumer products, but the prices say otherwise. PC Magazine and CNet.com are the only reviewers to cover more than two current models. PC Magazine picks the monochrome Canon imageClass MF4150 (*est. $240) as best. Reviewer W. David Stone raves about the relatively compact form factor. He also says it's the fastest all-in-one he's seen in this price range. Image quality isn't great; Stone indirectly makes clear that's the sacrifice for the great price.

We found more than 100 user reviews for the Canon imageClass MF4150 at Amazon.com, and owners give it an average 4-star rating. Many owners complain about using it with Macintosh systems, saying that compatibility is incomplete.

The Canon's input tray holds 250 sheets and the automatic document feeder holds 35 sheets. The MF4150 can do duplexing. Canon touts that the toner, drum and moving parts are integrated into the cartridge. That does improve reliability, but adds to the cost of replacement cartridges (*est. $70).

The more expensive Canon imageClass MF4690 (*est. $400) monochrome laser all-in-one has received mixed reviews. For example, PC Magazine's M. David Stone says, "The MF4690 offers enough speed, output quality, and features to make it well worth considering for personal use or in a two- or three-person office," but he finds too many faults with it. Features aren't implemented well. The Canon MF4690 was reviewed more recently than the Canon MF4150, so Stone obviously sees the cheaper model as the better value.

CNet.com also gives a high rating to the monochrome Canon ImageClass MF4270 (*est. $300) . Print and scan quality are described as good in all categories, and it's fast at printing, scanning and copying. It has an automatic document feeder, built-in networking and a duplexer, but the faxing features are said to be very basic and not a good match for offices.

If you need color printing, CNet.com honors the Brother MFC-9440CN color laser multifunction (*est. $560) . Felisa Yang says print and scan quality are both great, and that it's very fast. She says her criticisms are trivial, and that the Brother executes most of its functions better than comparable models from Lexmark, Xerox or HP. However, Yang says the slow HP Color LaserJet CM1017 (*est. $470) outputs better print quality overall. We did not find another review of this model or a meaningful number of user reviews, but we can tell you that Brother laser printers in general have topped more reviews than any other brand. In addition, Brother earns the highest scores in laser printer categories in the 2006 PC Magazine Satisfaction & Reliability Survey.

Like many color laser multifunction printers, the Brother weighs a whopping 72.6 pounds, and you'll definitely need to measure your desk to see if it will fit. The Brother laser all-in-one uses four color cartridges, which accounts for a chunk of that weight. The main tray holds 250 sheets and the multipurpose tray holds 50 sheets. The Brother MFC-9440CN is not capable of duplexing automatically; however, the monthly duty cycle is 35,000 pages. Features include built-in networking, direct printing from digital cameras and USB flash drives (but it doesn't have a color display), optional high-capacity input trays, main-tray feeding of legal-size paper, color faxing and many other fax features. It can reduce and enlarge documents from 25 to 400 percent.

CNet.com likes the relatively affordable HP Color LaserJet CM1017 (*est. $470) , but Felisa Yang thinks it's expensive for what you get. Print quality is excellent but slow, and scan quality isn't great. It has an Ethernet port, but no fax modem. Editors say it's best for small businesses that are primarily interested in print quality and don't need to print in high volume.

Important Features: Multifunction printers

Experts say you should consider the following issues and features when shopping for a multifunction printer:

• Consider your faxing needs. Some all-in-one printers have a modem, which enables them to fax. Other printers have software that lets you scan a document, then fax it from your computer. If you plan to send more than the occasional fax, that process can be cumbersome. For light faxing, you can use your computer or an online faxing service.

• Think about how often you'll print photos. If you want to print photos directly from a camera, look for a good-sized LCD preview screen, memory card slots and PictBridge capability. If you'll be printing a lot of snapshots, choose a model that tests better with digital photos.

• Scrutinize your desk space. Multifunction printers take up significantly more desk real estate than regular inkjet printers, but of course use less desk space than separate devices. In general, models without an automatic document feeder take up less space.

• Be aware of bloatware. Many multifunction printers require the installation of a lot of always-on software. These applets must load every time you boot your computer. Standalone printers don't have this issue.

• The paper path matters if you print on heavier media. If you plan to print labels, card stock, envelopes or other challenging media, a printer's paper path should be a consideration. Look for a straight-through paper path option.

• Archival inks ensure print longevity. Epson's UltraChrome inks are well regarded for longevity, as well as water and smudge resistance. HP's Vivera inks are also rated to last decades, but are not smudge-proof. Canon's ChromaLife inks are rated to last 100 years without fading in a photo album. If long-lasting prints matter to you, you should confirm that the model you are considering uses long-lasting inks and check the length of time they are rated to last.

• Volume (duty cycle) matters for offices. Businesses that need a high volume of prints should consider the printer's monthly duty cycle. This figure is created by the manufacturer as a guide. If you exceed a duty cycle, the manufacturer can use that as a reason for voiding your warranty.

• Paper capacity is important for volume printing. If you do a high volume of printing, you should get a printer with high-capacity input and output trays/drawers to save yourself from constantly reloading paper. Some manufacturers sell high-capacity paper trays as an option for certain multifunction printers.

• Duplex printing cuts down on waste. This is a time-saving convenience that allows automatic printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Some printers offer a duplex tray as an optional accessory. Duplexing, though essential in a busy office, may not be worth the additional expense to home users, who can do it manually by printing odd pages first, then flipping the stack over and printing even pages.

• If you plan to connect to your printer through a network, make sure that the printer is network compatible. Many multifunction printers have Ethernet ports for wired networking, and some also have wireless networking capabilities.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Canon Pixma MP610 (*est. $200)	details
3	HP Officejet Pro L7680 (*est. $330)	details
2	Canon Pixma MP470 (*est. $90)	details
2	HP Officejet Pro L7780 (*est. $400)	details
1 each	Brother 440CN , Brother MFC-9440CN , Canon Pixma MP210 , Canon Pixma MP830 , Canon Pixma MP960 , HP Photosmart C7180 , HP Officejet Pro L7580 , Samsung SCX-4725FN , Canon imageClass MF4150

Canon, HP and Epson each have champions among reviewers. Some of the most prolific reviewers are clearly partial to either HP or Canon models, but nearly all reviewers agree that Epson's photo multifunction printers produce the most accurate photos. Canon introduced new models in August, and Epson recently turned over its product line. At the time of this report only the new Canon multifunction printers have been reviewed, though it is expected that the Epson printers, such as the Epson Stylus Photo RX595, will perform very similarly to their predecessors. Reviewers like the all-around performance of the Canon Pixma MP610, but are disappointed that it is not more of an upgrade over the MP600 it replaces. It's marketed as a photo printer. HP's Officejet line is engineered for text quality, while the Photosmart line is oriented to photo quality. The new Canon Pixma MP210 is a good performer, but lacks some important features. The Canon Pixma MP470 adds many of those features and costs just a little more. The only difference between the HP Officejet Pro L7680 and HP Officejet Pro L7780 is that the L7780 has an additional paper tray for higher-capacity input.

Inkjet multifunction printers are reviewed radically more often than laser multifunction printers. The reason is undoubtedly that many of the latter are just marginally consumer products. Laser models are big and bulky, and reviewers say they are loud. Still, many are moderately priced and appropriate for people who won't use their MFP for photos. No individual laser model is a consensus favorite, and we'd have to stretch to identify a single brand as most recommended in reviews. Brother comes closest.

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