Canon Pixma MX330 All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer

An outstanding, low-end all-in-one printer from Canon--what else needs to be said? For about $100, you get all the features you could want, plus the quality and dependability of Canon. Sure, the LCD is a bit small and it doesn't network, but nevertheless, this is certainly a best buy.

In its marketing literature, Canon asks if your home office is in need of a productivity boost. If so, the Pixma MX330 will fit the bill, it says. But that's certainly limiting the audience for this multifunction printer. Given the $109 price tag, this could be the right printer for anyone on a tight budget (and who isn't?) who needs it all.

Initial warm-up took some time, with the first page of a six-page Word document taking just over a minute. After that, color pages took about 11 seconds per page at a normal setting (once the printer is warmed up, first page takes about 26 seconds). The speeds aren't record-breaking but they're certainly fast enough to compete with any other printer in this price range. Black-and-white print quality was very good. The blacks looked sharp and clear, though not as crisp as with some higher-end printers.

Colors on graphics pages looked true; Canon ses two Color FINE Ink Cartridges which provide nicely nuanced colors. A 4x6 color photo took just under a minute to print. Colors were very good, if a trifle darker and less sharp than with a printer like the Epson Artisan 800. The LCD screen is a bit small to allow for easy photo fixing.

The printers other functions (copying, scanning, and faxing) all worked smoothly. Like most all-in-ones, all the options are available on the machine itself, making scanning a breeze. The machine is a bit on the large side, typical for an all-in-one, so if you're very short on desktop space, consider carefully if you need all the options a multifunction printer offers. I know, I know; for a hundred bucks, you're likely to go ahead and buy more than you need, but don't say I didn't warn you.