Multi-function or all-in-one printers, that roll a printer, scanner, copier and, sometimes, a fax into one neat box, have been around for a few years now.
It is only in the last year or so that they have come somewhere close to the realm of affordability in India. Most of the printer-makers -- Hewlett Packard, Canon, Epson, Brother, Sony and Lexmark -- have models that start from $150 going up to nearly $1,000 (depending on whether you want InkJet/BubbleJet or LaserJet variants).
I am a satisfied user of Canon printers, preferring it to the more ubiquitous HP machines. I have in office an earlier generation multi-function printer from the Canon stable: the Multipass C555, which performs four functions -- print, copy, scan and fax -- with remarkable versatility. It is the perfect machine for a small office or family that is techno-savvy. At $155 (on Amazon.com) it is decent value for money if the customs officer at the airport is nice to you.
Canon has introduced a new-generation multi-function printer in India -- the Canon ImageClass MPC 200, which I got to review last week. The MPC 200 is a compact box weighing about 7 kg that Canon says is the smallest multi-function machine in its class. It comes with standard inkjet printer, flatbed scanner and colour copier functions, plus direct photo printing from a flash memory card.
Unlike multi-function devices that allow faxing besides printing, copying and scanning, the MPC 200 has replaced faxing capabilities with photo-quality borderless printing. Not having fax functionality is missing one important feature. But then, consumers are increasingly doing away with fax communication and those who do feel the need for faxes are increasingly relying on computers to do so.
The photo-quality printing of the MPC 200 is superb. The sharp prints it delivers on normal paper get enhanced on photo paper. The print resolution is 2,400 dots per inch, producing brilliant images and crisp text. It can even read the conditions set when the image is taken and print photos according to that setting. I printed some pictures I had taken with a digital camera earlier and they came out so beautifully, I intend framing couple of them.
The machine delivers results at a print speed of 14 pages per min for monochrome and 10 ppm in colour. Full colour borderless 4R-sized photos take about 1.5 minutes while an A4-size photo is printed in less than five minutes.
Unlike the Multipass C555 and other similar models, the MPC 200 has a flatbed scanner mounted on top, which is a big help. The flatbed scanner (similar to the top of a photocopying machine) lets you to scan or copy pages from a book or thick document. This was not possible for the earlier multi-function printers which need sheets of paper or photographs to be fed into the "roller suck-in" tray.
The MPC 200's flatbed makes it easy to scan images and documents. Scan resolution is 600 x 1,200 dpi. The enlarge, reduce and mirror options are useful. This scan/copy functionality would have been enhanced if Canon had fitted the machine with a paper feeder for copying multiple pages.
The copier, which uses the same flatbed, functions well with the 100-page built-in sheet feeder making it easy to quickly print those fliers. Itcan handle a variety of media including banner paper, transparency and T-shirt transfers, according to the printer manual, but I didn't try them out.
The MPC 200 can be picked up at under Rs 21,000 (with a two-year onsite warranty), although competing products like HP's PCS 2110 are priced lower.
Canon believes the performance and quality of its products warrant a price slightly more than competition, a stance I'm inclined to agree with -- at least for the MPC 200.
