Looking for a decent printer please help.

[Big Fat Fish]

I am in the market for a new printer. I am looking for a specific feature set that will match my needs. This is what I need...

1. Ethernet Port
2. Efficient use of ink
3. Scanner, printer combo ( I do not need fax )
4. Does not have to be very fast
5. Good picture quality
6. Great Text Quality
7. Easy to use.


My budget is under $200 which I know limits me, but I would like to do the best I can with what I have.

I was considering the Canon Pixma MX700.

 

[Zepper]

Staples was clearancing the Canon 600 (not sure of the prefix) multifunction. IDK about the Ethernet part. The Brother MFCs are known for great networking - most have an Ethernet port and some have wireless too, but their output has not been up to the standards of the top brands like Canon. You'd probably have to use a print server box to network the 600 model unless you wanted to collocate it near one of the PCs on the net and share it. I suppose that can get irritating having everyone else's print jobs in your ear all day...

Some multifunction printers can't share all functions on a network - the big selling point of the Brothers is that they can.

.bh.

 

[jimbofoxman]

My Brother Multi just died on me and was thinking of getting the Mx700 myself. But after some searching I have been seriously thinking of getting the Canon Pixma MP970 All-In-One. Amazon has it on special right now, cheaper than NewEgg and plus you get a $100 rebate, making it $144 plus the free shipping. So initially you outlay $244, but you will be getting $100 back.

 

[Big Fat Fish]

Well thanks for that info, I ordered the MP970 off of Amazon.

 

[Zepper]

AFAIK, the 970 lacks Ethernet.

.bh.

 

[jimbofoxman]

According to Canon's website it does have ethernet.

 

[Zepper]

Well, the intro says yes, the Specs page doesn't mention it. Natural to confuse people.

.bh.

 

[bruceb]

Hard to see it in the User Guide, but the Network Cable Jack
should be on the Right Side of the unit, just above the USB jack

 

[bahi]

The MP970 has an ethernet port. Oddly, it requires that you set it up over USB for the first computer you attach it to (even if you intend to print over Ethernet) but after the setup is complete, you can lose the USB cable and switch. There's no requirement to use USB again when getting other computers to print to (or scan from) it. Network scanning works well, and includes negatives and 35mm slides @ 4800 dpi, optical. There's a light for transparent media built into the lid, and an adapter is supplied. Duplex is slow but works well. Photo quality using Canon ink and media is outstanding - there's a wide gamut (the extra colour ink tanks help), particularly on Canon Professional photo paper. I'm curious to try third-party rag paper but haven't yet. I don't intend to try third-party ink. There's a CD/DVD tray for use with media that supports direct inkjet printing. It's quiet and feels like a pleasing, well thought out scanner and copier and an outstanding printer.

 

[bendixG15]

Originally posted by: bahi
There's a CD/DVD tray for use with media that supports direct inkjet printing.

Is that right ...print on media.??
Last time I looked, that was only for Canons sold outside the US (Thanks to Epson patent thingy). Canon USA could not sell with media print capability.

Do I need updating ??

edit ..........Your profile is blank so I don't know where you are.

 

[Big Fat Fish]

So was this printer a good choice?

 

[Zepper]

You can get the tray and other things around the web if you want to do CD printing.

At the amazon price with rebate, it's hard to beat. It is heavily oriented toward photo output with 6 color ink tanks plus one text ink tank, so it'll keep you in the poorhouse from buying ink if you do a lot of photo output. Even at the obscene prices that OEM Canon tanks cost, it still has a lower TCO than most others. And you'll be hard pressed to find better photo output from any other.

.bh.