Inexpensive Ink. Great Quality. Lots of Features. Am I Getting a Dell? Heck, No!

I am sitting here typing this review on my Dell keyboard, staring at my Dell monitor, using Microsoft Word from Dell. But not this review nor any other Epinions’ reviews will ever print again from the free Dell printer. After spending upwards of $40 a month on ink that we could only buy from guess where? Dell – I decided to invest in a new printer that didn’t cost so much to operate.

Like many I used Epinions to research my new printer. I had three requirements for a new printer:

► Must be in All-In-One model: printer, scanner, copier.
► Quality good enough to print my own pictures.
► Cost of ink less than what I was paying Dell.

After looking at countless models I settled on the Canon PIXMA MP500. Besides being stylish, it fit all three of my requirements and offered a whole lot more all for the bargain price of $149 from Amazon.com. In addition Canon offered a $30 rebate for a limited time.


WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT

Print Resolution. Up to 9,600 x 2,000 dpi color and 600 by 600 black. Besides printing pictures once in a while the printer is primarily used for printing black and white text on standard paper. When we do print pictures they come out looking those we would pay a lot more for at the 1 hour photo developer places. The black comes out looking very crisp. Unlike the Dell there was no blurring of text or streaks on the page.

Print speeds. Up to 29 pages per minute for black and 19 for color. It does take a few seconds when you first start printing for the printer to warm up but once warm it shoots the pages out at a nice high rate of speed.

2.5 digital screen. This little screen which can be flipped up acts as the visual display for the menu commands but it can also display pictures before they are printed. However, and I found this out after I bought the printer is that pictures will only be displayed from memory cards. You cannot send a picture from the PC to the printer and see it on the digital screen. Speaking of memory cards:

Memory Card Slots. Supports CompactFlash, Micro Drive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick Pro, SD Card, and MultiMediaCard. Located on the front near the base of the printer is a panel that opens exposing slots for the larger memory cards. I have not used these features since my digital camera plugs directly into my PC but in addition the printer also supports optical input where you can beam pictures from such devices as cell phones to the printer.

Dual Sheet Feeder: There are two sheet feeders for this printer which can work together or separate. The larger slot located on top of the printer in the rear holds the standard paper while the bottom slot which slides out from the bottom of the printer can be configured to hold different sizes of paper, envelopes, or photo paper. I store our Canon photo glossy paper down there so I can easily switch between printing paper and printing photos. There is an Auto Feed button located on the top of the printer that allows the selection to easily be changed. The feed can also be changed using the software. In addition, paper can be removed from the top feeder and it can be closed to prevent dust from entering into the printer.

Copy: Located on top of the printer are buttons to copy in both black and white and in color. I don’t copy that much for I have a tendency to scan my documents first and then use the software to crop or alter them before I print the final.

Flatbed Scanner: The top of the printer flips up to expose an 8.5 by 11 inch scanner. The lid also has a joint that allows the lid to fall back allowing better scanning of thick items like books.

Extendable Tray: The output tray expands three different levels allowing large documents to print without falling or hanging off and potentially falling off the printer. This material has a bit of a cheap feeling to it and could easily be broken if it is not handled with care. Best of all, the output tray closes completely up into the body of the printer which helps prevent dust from entering into the inside of the printer perfect for those who live in dusty environments like the desert as I do.

Ink: Perhaps the number one reason I bought this printer! The Canon PIXMA uses five different ink cartridges so that if one type of color goes out you only have to replace that one cartridge instead of the whole color cartridge like I had to do in my old Dell. Unlike the Dell where ink could only be purchased directly from Dell online – Canon ink is available at most stores including Best Buy. After owning the printer for almost 6 months now I have not had to change the color ink yet but we did run out of black. My total purchase price with tax was under $20 to replace it.

Easy of Installing Ink: When installing the ink there are little LED lights which illuminate red when the ink cartridges are installed correctly. This makes it extremely easy to know that the ink is installed correctly before the access panel is closed.

Stylish: I didn’t set out to by a printer on looks but the Cannon is nice to look at. It is mostly black surrounding by gray tones. The entire body is very slick and fits perfectly into our office for the computer is also black.


WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT IT

Just a couple of dislikes, unlike my old Dell the printer is not powered on automatically by the computer when it starts a print job. Likewise, when the computer is shut off the printer will remain on. There is a little On/Off button that controls the power for the printer.

The bottom sheet where I store the photo paper is under pressure from the printer above so it is a little hard to pull out and even harder to put back in. Sometimes I have to lift up on the printer to slide in the drawer. And…

It has happened just once that when I lifted up on the printer to put back in the bottom tray, the USB cable fell out the back of the printer and I have to pull the whole thing away from the wall, locate the USB cable, and plug it back in.


SOFTWARE

I very impressed with the software that came with the printer. The best is the EasyPhoto Print software that makes it a breeze to print glossy pictures. The three step process begins with selecting an image, layout (which includes standard 4 by 6 with or without borders, full page, wallet size, and even thumbnail), and paper selection. Red eye can be removed with a quick click of the mouse too.

PhotoStudio: Is a pretty impressive photo studio software included with an inexpensive printer. Not as good as Photoshop of course, but you can edit pictures, add effects, and even work with layers. I use it not just to print pictures but also in my web page designs since I am too cheap to buy Photoshop.

MPNavigator: An okay piece of software for scanning images. After previewing a scan you can easily change the image quality, scanning area, and output quality. The only bug I have with the software is that it will not “remember” where I last saved a scan to. I scan all my bills (an electronic filing cabinet) but each time I have to use the standard Windows menu screens to navigate to where I want it to be saved – it won’t remember where I last saved a scan to.


OVERALL

The Canon PIXMA MP500 is perhaps one of the best pieces of electronic devices I have ever bought – perhaps capped only by our Tivo’s. The price was unbelievable and so far the talk of spending less on ink has been a reality. I would say that this printer is good for small offices or for people in school and in college. It isn’t really an office printer primarily because there is a delay at the start (and after the printer goes into standby mode) where it takes a couple of seconds to warm up before it begins to print. But having dual output trays is a big plus allowing us to print a lot before we have to add more paper. Finally, I really love the printer for its ability to close up preventing it from getting dusty inside. Living here in Las Vegas our apartment can become very dusty very quickly. It is nice to be able to close it up and help keep it clean. Desert or not if you are tired of paying a lot for ink you should really consider this printer – it does not disappoint.