Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 9600 x 4800 dpi
THE GOOD
New clear ink cartridge improves print quality; auto-duplexer; dedicated one-touch fax keypad; intuitive photo-printing controls; increased faxing options; very fast photo and graphic prints.
THE BAD
Unwieldy size; text speed hasn't improved; higher price tag might deter prospective buyers.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Canon Pixma MX7600 multifunction is a huge improvement over the previous model. With additional features such as an autoduplexer, increased faxing options, and an upgraded control cockpit, we have no problem recommending the MX7600.
Photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, Super B (13 in x 19 in), Wired, 1 min/page, 1.5 min/page, PC, Mac, USB, Direct print USB
THE GOOD
Excellent color photo printing; big enough for scrapbookers; roll feed capable; long-lived prints; CD- and DVD-label printing; many paper options; new ink set enhances skin tones.
THE BAD
Large footprint; no card reader.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Epson's Stylus Pro R1900 13-inch-wide photo printer is great for scrapbookers who want to print with pigment ink, or advanced photographers who want to print large, but can't justify the expense of a pro-level printer.
Loads of useful built-in hardware including autoduplexer, auto-document feeder, Optical Character Recognition scanner; painless 802.11g wireless setup; excellent quality text, graphic, and photo prints.
THE BAD
No PictBridge support; only three autodial fax buttons; slower than average photo prints.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The HP Officejet J6480 has a lot of built-in features that are rarely found included in a $200 printer. Shoppers looking for an all-inclusive multifunctional unit will be impressed with the robust hardware and rich print quality.
Photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, 4 in x 6 in, Wired, Wireless, 20 pages/min, 14 pages/min, PC, Mac, USB, Infrared
THE GOOD
High-resolution ink nozzles produce excellent prints; significant speed improvements over previous model; retains familiar design.
THE BAD
No Wi-Fi or carrying case options; lacks integrated media card reader; high price tag relative to those of desktop printers.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It isn't cheap compared to standard printers, but the Canon Pixma iP100 has the highest resolution available in the mobile printer market and prints at an impressive speed to boot. If you simply must have a printer with you at all times, the iP100 should be the do-it-all at your side.
Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 2400 x 4800 dpi
THE GOOD
Fast print and copy speeds; great print and scan quality; ADF; two paper sources; preview LCD; memory card slots and PictBridge port.
THE BAD
Scan speeds are just OK; lacks advanced fax features; PictBridge port can't be used for USB flash or HDD devices; no duplexer.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Canon Pixma MX700 is a great choice for small offices with a wide variety of print tasks. This inkjet multifunction beats out the competition with a winning combination of features and performance.
Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 600 x 1200 dpi
THE GOOD
Inexpensive; network-ready; includes ADF and duplexer; can receive faxes in secure memory; consistently good print/scan quality and fast scan and copy speeds.
THE BAD
Scan and fax features are a bit limited.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If your office printing, scan, and fax needs run to the basic, the Canon ImageClass MF4270 is a good fit, with brisk task speeds and consistent output quality.
Large footprint (including paper path) for a "compact" printer; wireless accessories not included; no index view.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Canon Selphy CP760 takes the pain out of printing photos with its plug-and-play design and straightforward usability, and the $100 price tag makes it an excellent companion printer for quick prints in the home.
Workgroup printer - Laser - Monochrome, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Wired, 30 pages/min, 28 pages/min, PC, Mac, USB, Ethernet 10/100Base-TX
THE GOOD
Lightning-fast text speed; excellent text print quality; compact; built-in duplexing; network ready with straightforward setup; comprehensive driver settings.
THE BAD
Expensive; mediocre graphics print quality.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Small businesses should take a serious look at the Samsung ML-2851ND's monolaser because of its excellent print speed, text print quality, autoduplexer, and networking features. It's a little more expensive than the competition, but its chart-topping test results speak for themselves.
Speedy text document printing; modest price tag; compact form factor; wireless option is convenient after initial setup, short initial lag time.
THE BAD
Wireless installation has some difficulty; poor graphics quality; lacks autoduplexing.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Brother HL-2170W laser printer can be the perfect money saving sidekick to your existing inkjet, but don't expect it to handle even the most minor graphic jobs.
Photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Wired, PC, Mac, USB
THE GOOD
Good overall print quality; two paper sources; PictBridge port; built-in auto duplexer.
THE BAD
No preview LCD or memory card slots.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Canon Pixma iP4500 is a bit too expensive for basic home users, but those who do a bit more printing than the occasional e-mail and map will be happy with its speed and quality.
Pleasing color and text prints; dual paper feed trays; best in class Wi-Fi set up; Bluetooth connectivity; direct archiving with built-in LightScribe DVD drive.
THE BAD
Lacks auto-document feeder and fax machine; expensive; very slow prints; grayscale scans lack definition.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The C8180 multifunctional printer is an excellent choice for photo enthusiasts. It prints high-quality text and photos at a heavy price: the printer is s...l...o...w. If you always choose quality over speed, the c8180 will be a worthwhile addition to your digital toolshed.
Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 600 x 600 dpi
THE GOOD
Copier, fax, and scanner function independently of your computer; built-in automatic document feeder; low price for included features.
THE BAD
Graphics prints are unacceptable even for light presentations; printer ships with low-yield toner cartridge; several small design issues.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Aside from a few complaints, we like the Dell 1125's overall package. The reasonable price tag also helps. We would recommend the Dell 1125 as a sensible solution for shoppers in the market for a text-specific all-in-one.
Photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in), Wired, 22 pages/min, 17 pages/min, PC, Mac, USB
THE GOOD
Sleek design folds up for unobtrusive storage; portrait prints display evenly balanced colors; lines of text look sharp; low price for print quality.
THE BAD
Lacks PictBridge port and memory card slot; brighter colors had a slightly gray cast; USB cord not included; exterior is a magnet for fingerprints.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Canon Pixma iP2600 is an excellent option for buyers looking to print their personal photos and text documents. We wish it had external ports for direct image uploading (although we're not surprised it doesn't), but you'll be more than satisfied with this printer's ability to deliver quality photos at a low price.
Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 x 4800 dpi
THE GOOD
Network-ready; auto duplexer; large LCD; control panel is easy to use and menus are well-thought-out; memory card slots and PictBridge port.
THE BAD
Task speeds are slower than the last generation's; print/scan quality is not up to Canon's usual standards and needs improvement across the board; USB port doesn't support hard drives or flash drives.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Canon Pixma MP970 isn't up to the company's usually high standards. You're better off spending more for last year's version.
Compact photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Wired, Wireless, PC, Mac, USB, 802.11b, 802.11g
THE GOOD
Relatively fast; low cost per page; sleek new color scheme.
THE BAD
Poor-quality prints; glitch-prone paper feeder; dSLR owners will miss the CompactFlash port.
THE BOTTOM LINE
HP markets the Officejet H470wbt to the mobile business professional, but it chose aesthetics over performance. The sleek design and cost-effective cartridges give its rating a slight boost, but the degradation of print quality from the previous model is definitely a deal breaker.
Compact photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Wired, PC, Mac, USB
THE GOOD
Relatively fast; low cost per page; sleek new color scheme.
THE BAD
Poor-quality prints; glitch-prone paper feeder; dSLR owners will miss the CompactFlash port.
THE BOTTOM LINE
HP markets the Officejet H470wbt to the mobile business professional, but it chose aesthetics over performance. The sleek design and cost-effective cartridges give its rating a slight boost, but the degradation of print quality from the previous model is definitely a deal breaker.
Compact photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Wired, Wireless, PC, Mac, USB
THE GOOD
Relatively fast; low cost per page; sleek new color scheme.
THE BAD
Poor-quality prints; glitch-prone paper feeder; dSLR owners will miss the CompactFlash port.
THE BOTTOM LINE
HP markets the Officejet H470wbt to the mobile business professional, but it chose aesthetics over performance. The sleek design and cost-effective cartridges give its rating a slight boost, but the degradation of print quality from the previous model is definitely a deal breaker.
Compact photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Wired, Wireless, PC, Mac, USB, 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth
THE GOOD
Relatively fast; low cost per page; sleek new color scheme.
THE BAD
Poor-quality prints; glitch-prone paper feeder; dSLR owners will miss the CompactFlash port.
THE BOTTOM LINE
HP markets the Officejet H470wbt to the mobile business professional, but it chose aesthetics over performance. The sleek design and cost-effective cartridges give its rating a slight boost, but the degradation of print quality from the previous model is definitely a deal breaker.
Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 1200 x 1200 dpi
THE GOOD
Fast print speeds; great print quality; control panel is well-organized and easy to use; feature set is appropriate for small offices.
THE BAD
Slow scans; scan quality needs improvement; a bit pricey for a mono laser multifunction.
THE BOTTOM LINE
In a vacuum, the HP LaserJet 2727nf is a fine mono laser multifunction for small offices. But its price and feature set are out of whack with the competition: you can get more for the same money, or you can pay less for the same features.
Copier, Fax, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 1200 x 1200 dpi
THE GOOD
Fast print speeds; great print quality; control panel is well-organized and easy to use; feature set is appropriate for small offices.
THE BAD
Slow scans; scan quality needs improvement; a bit pricey for a mono laser multifunction.
THE BOTTOM LINE
In a vacuum, the HP LaserJet 2727nf is a fine mono laser multifunction for small offices. But its price and feature set are out of whack with the competition: you can get more for the same money, or you can pay less for the same features.
Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 600 x 2400 dpi, None
THE GOOD
Small footprint for a multifunction unit; accurate character recognition; fast text printing; low cost per page; decent quality black and white scans.
THE BAD
Poor quality graphics prints; unattractive design; cramped paper output tray; slow scanning speed; less than average amount of internal memory.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Brother MFC-7440N prints quickly and is fairly inexpensive to sustain, but we simply can't get behind a printer with poor quality graphics, significant hardware defects, and a boring design.
Fast text prints; new streamlined hardware design; simple wireless setup; inexpensive.
THE BAD
Extremely poor quality print-outs; frequent paper jams; ships with low-yield cartridges; slow photo and graphics prints.
THE BOTTOM LINE
With so many other inexpensive photo inkjets on the market today, we can't recommend the Lexmark z2420--it's prone to paper jams, prints at a snail's pace, and produces unacceptable quality prints.
Kodak's Home Center Software with autoretouch makes photo editing easy; onboard media card bay; compact footprint.
THE BAD
Unacceptable text and graphics prints; awkward mechanical arm; slower-than-average print speeds; buggy Windows Vista drivers.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Kodak ESP 3 comes with great software for editing photos and applying touch-ups to portraits, but printer software is only as good as the physical results, and the print quality isn't nearly up to current industry standards. Your $150 would be much better spent on alternative multifunction printers.
Compact design; offers PictBridge port and memory card reader; PictBridge port supports USB flash drives; wide-screen LCD; onboard handset and answering machine; secure mode lets you receive faxes in password-protected memory.
THE BAD
Average to slow task speeds; print quality needs a lot of improvement; refilling paper cassette and engaging photo tray require you to fully detach the cassette.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Brother MFC-685CW inkjet multifunction printer offers tons of great features at the expense of print speed and quality. If speed and quality are your priorities, look elsewhere.
Digital photo - Thermal inkjet - Color laser paper, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Custom (8.5 in x 17 in), Digital photo, Modem, PC, Mac, 1 year warranty
THE GOOD
Wireless networking with easy set up; Convenient foldout display console for PC-free edits; small footprint.
THE BAD
Print quality and speed are both severely lacking; paper feeds through the copier result in constant jams; single paper tray only holds 100 sheets.
THE BOTTOM LINE
All-in-one printers are a tough sell, and we must insist that manufacturers release machines that produce prints with the same standard of quality as their individual counterparts. With that in mind, we can't recommend the Lexmark x7550 because of its poor quality prints and several mechanical snags.