Printers/Scanners

This is the third in their range of All In One devices, reviews of the ESP3 and ESP5 can be found via the search function above. This looks a little more professional by having the screen on the front edge of the unit.

While many users will be content with the scanner module that forms part of an All-in-One device, better quality can be achieved with a standalone model.

Canon has recently made some changes to the line-up of its PIXMA range of products. One of these changes involves the entry-level All-in-one device. This position is now taken up by the PIXMA MP190 model.

It is mainly silver but sad to say still unlikely to pass the lounge police, this is a neat and tidy All In One unit and little bigger than a standalone printer. It features the recently introduced idea of a built in tray underneath for documents and the rear tray for photographs.

Say the word ‘A3’ and most immediately think too big or too heavy or probably both. Well it will not fit where I review A4 units – no surprise there – but it sits in the doorway to my office quite happily and it just needs an extension on the USB lead, I am no superman but I unpacked and moved it into place on my own.

Lexmark has added wireless connectivity to the normal print, scan and copy aspects of a multi-function device.

I find it surprising that it is 11 months since I have reviewed an ink jet printer, by that I mean a printer as opposed to an all in one or a multi function unit. Unlike most inkjets it has two proper trays so you have far more control from the computer.

This is a multi function machine (includes fax) that can be connected via USB or wirelessly. My own opinion is that very few still use fax but as these machines (with fax) are still produced I must by wrong.

Unlike the various types of printers which tend to arrive without the required USB lead for connecting to the computer, scanners are more fortunate in this respect.

A 15x10cm (post card) sized printer, however instead of the normal box shape this is rather like a radio or cassette player as it has a built in handle and is a very thin shape the card (printing stock) handling is unique.

Whereas Canon uses the i-SENSYS brand name for its laser multifunction devices, when the all-in-one device makes use of inkjet technology then the brand name changes to PIXMA.

It is small, pocket-size and can deliver printed images of your digital photos almost as soon as they are captured.

Lexmark does have a tendency to change the appearance of its various offerings making up its ranges of inkjet printers and all-in-one devices.

While colour does give documents eye-catching appeal and helps emphasize points of importance; not all documents require this feature.

I first saw a pre production unit of this tiny printer at the start of the year, I got a working unit around a month or so ago, here just in time for the Christmas party season is my review.

Routers, and often wireless ones, are increasingly being used for broadband access and often enable more than one PC to access the internet. Consequently, it is only a relatively small step to add a network printer which can be shared by all users on the network. The Brother HL-2170W, weighing just a few pounds and having a footprint of less than 15 inches square, is ideally suited for moving around the house or small office.

This has been a long and frustrating review. The first unit was incomplete so it was replaced. The second had several paper jams and then decided ‘cannot detect edge of paper’ was it’s message of choice, so it was replaced so this is unit number three.

A laser AIO has a huge advantage for those needing to print a lot of documents, it always prints at the stated speed. It can copy without the PC being connected and of course the scanner does its work in colour.

Anyone needing to print a little, scan a little and copy a little then this small light All In One unit from Lexmark may be the answer you are looking for and with its predominately white colour it may just sneak past the lounge police.

Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to look at a number of multi-function or all –in-one printers from various manufacturers. However this is the first time that the product comes with the Kodak brand.

This is a rather neat looking AIO (all in one) unit. However being black I doubt it will pass the lounge police. However for those making their own decisions only two things matter, quality and speed.

Rather like their cameras I suspect this AIO (All IN One) unit is aimed at the novice and occasional user. While not doing anything special it works reasonably efficiently and perhaps most useful has some acceptable hand holding software.

A mono laser is the often forgotten workhorse. One thing you always get from a laser is the stated print speed, in this case 28PPM, something all but never achieved from an inkjet printer.

With the MFU (multi function unit) or AIO (all in one) taking up little more space than a scanner and providing the functionality of three or four products then the scanner needs to do extra things to consider a stand alone product. There are units that read vast numbers of textual pages at 16 or 20 PPM. Here it can read slides and transparencies.

While a multifunction device can cover a range of eventualities, sometimes you just need the scanner element.

This is a multi function unit (as it has fax) but for me anyway the major selling point is it’s ability to print A4 photo quality borderless images in 68seconds, yes I do mean one minute and eight seconds.

"It ain’t heavy, it’s my Brother" could well apply to a new desktop mono laser printer from Brother.

A 15x10cm photo printer with a tiny footprint. It does not use conventional printer ink so the output is always dry when it emerges, it also prints onto postcards – remember them – so ideal to send from your holidays.

This is a small All In One unit, meaning it can scan, copy and print. It has a small TFT screen so it is possible to print images direct from either of the two card slots or even from a USB stick.

This is a rather squashed looking grey unit, but it does have some surprises, it is an All In One unit, it can print direct onto CD’s and DVD’s and while on printing, in custom mode you get close to 30PPM.