The $400 Canon PIXMA iX7000 is a large format business inkjet printer that can roll out professional-looking posters, documents, brochures and marketing materials. It features auto-duplexing to help you save paper, prints output as big as 11”x17” and 13”x19” in size, and you can share the printer with a workgroup via Ethernet. In other words, the specs sound interesting, but does the printer come through under real-life office conditions? The critics have spoken, and the PIXMA iX7000 gets good marks all around.

David English of ComputerShopper.com gives the PIXMA iX7000 an Editors’ Choice worthy 8.7 out of 10. He calls it “one of the most versatile single-function inkjet printers you can buy” with its three paper input paths, and maximum paper size of 13”x19”. Ink cost per page is affordable, and while print speed isn’t exactly blazing, “the quality of its prints are among the best we’ve seen, especially for text on plain paper.” English notes that this printer is big and bulky, so smaller offices may need to plan ahead to properly accommodate it.

M. David Stone of PCMag.com gives the PIXMA iX7000 an Editors’ Choice worthy 4 out of 5. He classifies it as one of a new breed of “budget tabloid printers suitable for a small office on a tight budget,” comparing it to the Epson WorkForce 1100 and HP Officejet 7000. Stone notes that the PIXMA iX7000 is the “most expensive of the three, but also the one with the fewest compromises.” The three paper trays give you extra flexibility, print speed is decent, and photo quality is very good. Stone also likes the auto-duplexer and Ethernet.

Peter Piazza of About.com gives the PIXMA iX7000 a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. The 13”x19” max paper size is a plus, and photo quality is “excellent.” On the other hand, Piazza would’ve liked memory card connectivity, and the lack of Wi-Fi coupled with the printer’s big size makes it feel like office furniture – you’ll need to plan out where you put it in order to comfortably connect via Ethernet.

Jerry Jackson of PrinterComparison.com gives the PIXMA iX7000 a good 3.5 stars out of 5. He echoes the sentiment about the large size and advises you to set aside “at least 30 by 40 inches of office space for this printer.” Jackson also notes that with six ink cartridges, it’s nice that you “only have to replace the specific ink color that runs out,” which minimizes waste. Setup and operation are easy, paper input capacity is high, and output quality is good. On the other hand, print speed is notably slow, and the lack of Wi-Fi compounds the printer’s size issue. Regardless, Jackson calls the PIXMA iX7000 “the ideal wide-format printer solution for small and medium sized businesses.”

Overall, the experts agree that the PIXMA iX7000 isn’t the fastest inkjet printer around, but it’s affordable, and it can save you a trip to the print shop if you need good-looking graphics output and promo materials. Just be sure to reserve some extra office space near an Ethernet port for this sizable device.

The Canon PIXMA iP2702 is an inkjet photo printer with a low MSRP of $49.99. It weighs 7.5 pounds, and comes with software to help you edit photos and print webpages. Other than that, the spec sheet is short and sweet, which makes it that much more important for the experts to fill in the blanks for us. So does the PIXMA iP2702 deserve a spot on the desk in your home office? A few online reviews are in, and the reception is lukewarm.

Susan Glinert of ComputerShopper.com gives the PIXMA iP2702 a below average 5.4 out of 10. On the positive side, MSRP is low, setup is easy, print speed is decent, and text quality is pretty good. However, color documents and photos are disappointing, and cost per page for ink is on the high side, which you expect for a budget-level printer. Also, it uses two ink cartridges – a black cartridge, and a tri-color cartridge. So if you run out of one color in the tri-color cartridge, you’ll have to throw it away, which seems a little wasteful. Glinert concludes that if you’re not planning to print much, the PIXMA iP2702 may be worth a look, but she recommends spending a little extra and getting something better.

PCWorld.com gives the PIXMA iP2702 a mediocre 2.5 stars out of 5. The review cuts to the chase by saying “it delivers what you can reasonably expect for that price: adequacy.” Cost per page for ink is predictably high, which makes it best suited for the occasional photo or short text printout.

Jan Hughes of MacLife.com gives the PIXMA iP2702 a decent 3 out of 5. Regular black text output is very good, and the printer is easy to use. On the flipside, photo print quality is disappointing, and having to throw away the tri-color ink cartridge after one color runs out is eco-unfriendly and expensive. Also, the lack of an output tray means printing can get a little messy.

Overall, the experts seem to agree that the PIXMA iP2702 delivers decent performance for the $50 price tag, but if you’re printing more than the occasional photo or webpage, you should spend a little extra and get a better printer with more features. For a more detailed comparison of this printer versus other models in its class, check out PrinterInfo.com’s tests and review of the PIXMA iP2702.

The Canon PIXMA MX870 is an inkjet all-in-one that prints, scans, copies and faxes. In addition, it features auto-duplexing, a 35 page ADF, a 2.5” LCD, and Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity. You can also print from your iPhone or iPod Touch with the Easy-PhotoPrint app, and you can print PC-free via memory card and PictBridge. So while the MSRP isn’t exactly cheap at $200, you get pretty much every feature you could ask for in a home or small office inkjet all-in-one printer. But is the PIXMA MX870 as good in practice as it should be in theory? Some online reviewers have tested it for themselves, and they like what this printer brings to the table.

Sarah Meyer of PrinterComparison.com gives the PIXMA MX870 a strong 4 stars out of 5. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and print quality is excellent for both text and photos. On the other hand, print speeds are on the slow side due to processing delays when “printing larger documents or when waking up from energy saving mode (being idle).” She also finds that scan quality can be uneven for letter-sized text documents. But despite the shortcomings, Meyer concludes that “in a small business, small workgroup in a larger office, or a home office, I think the MX870 could really shine.”

ComputerShopper.com gives the PIXMA MX870 a very good 7.5 out of 10. The extensive feature set is impressive, and everything works reasonably well and intuitively. The problem is that while other inkjet all-in-ones have evolved, with some of them offering touchscreens and web connectivity, the PIXMA MX870 is too much like its predecessor, the PIXMA MX860. Plus, the scanner lid is heavy, and print speeds are nothing to write home about. The review does note that auto-duplexing for printing and scanning is convenient and easy to use, and output quality is very good.

Finally, Kristofer Brozio of TestFreaks.com gives the PIXMA MX870 an excellent 9 out of 10, making it worthy of a TestFreaks Recommended seal. On the negative side, scanning can be a little dicey, and its bigger size won’t save you as much space in the office. That said, it’s easy to use, the range of features is impressive, and output quality is very good for text and photos. In addition, print speeds are fast, and cost per page for ink is affordable.

Overall, while it may not be the fastest or most advanced MFP around, the experts seem to give the Canon PIXMA MX870 a collective thumbs up for its output quality and overall functionality.

The $200 Kodak ESP 7250 is an inkjet MFP that prints, scans and copies. It features auto-duplexing, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, and the ability to print from your iPhone, iPod Touch, or Blackberry Smartphone. You also get PC-free printing via PictBridge and memory card, a 40 sheet dedicated photo tray, and a 2.4” color LCD. So based on the specs, the Kodak ESP 7250 strikes a good balance between office- and photo-friendly features. But do the experts agree? A couple of them have tried this printer out for themselves, and they like what it has to offer.

MySentimentExactLee.com has an interesting take on the printer from a stay-at-home mom who’s been a longtime fan of Kodak brand cameras. She likes the easy Wi-Fi setup and the ability to scan directly to a memory card. In addition, she likes the convenience of having 3-in-1 functionality at home without having to tote the kids around to the local library to make a copy. Interestingly enough, while the review agrees that ink cartridges are affordable, they run out too quickly, which seems to go against Kodak’s low cost per page ad campaign. Regardless, the Kodak ESP 7250 has a reasonable MSRP and a comprehensive, easy-to-use feature set, which should be enough to satisfy your average home user.

Peter Piazza of About.com gives the Kodak ESP 7250 a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. He likes the Wi-Fi, low cost per page for ink, dedicated photo tray, auto-duplexing, and good photo and text quality. On the other hand, Piazza isn’t blown away by the print speed, and an ADF would’ve been nice. Keep in mind that while he talks about liking the standard Bluetooth, the product page for the ESP 7250 says Bluetooth requires an “optional accessory.”

Finally, Jason Gillard of Gadgetboyz.net labels the Kodak ESP 7250 as Highly Recommended for the same basic reasons the other reviewers endorse it. Gillard adds that it’s easy to set up, easy to use, and photos are “stunning, very vivid and sharp.” The ESP 7250 is a little noisy, but the affordable MSRP, solid performance, and low cost per page make it a very good buy.

Overall, reviewers seem to agree that the Kodak ESP 7250 delivers almost everything it says it will in its spec sheet. So unless you’re a stickler for faxing or an ADF, this printer is a capable and complete inkjet MFP that makes it easy to execute everyday office and photo printing tasks.

David English of ComputerShopper.com gives the PIXMA MX340 a very good 7.9 out of 10. The printer is generally well-designed and easy to use, and print quality for text and photos is top-notch. That said, print speeds are slow, and the LCD is harder to read because of its smaller size, lower resolution, and lack of backlighting. In addition, cost per page is on the high side. But given the outstanding output quality and low price tag, English considers the PIXMA MX340 a very good all-around value.

M. David Stone of PCMag.com gives the PIXMA MX340 an excellent 4 out of 5. He agrees that print quality is impressive, and the ADF and Wi-Fi are nice to have. On the other hand, Stone doesn’t like the slow print speed, high cost per page and low 100 sheet paper capacity. In addition, the lack of auto-duplexing and Ethernet limits its utility in certain work situations. But despite the shortcomings, Stone likes the solid balance of home- and office-friendly features for the price.

Kristofer Brozio of TestFreaks.com gives the PIXMA MX340 an outstanding 9 out of 10, making it a TestFreaks Recommended printer. According to the review, setup is simple, print quality is very good, print speeds are fast, and cost per page is reasonable. In other words, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Brozio doesn’t see the flaws that Stone and English see.

Overall, the PIXMA MX340 gets plenty of acclaim from the critics for its excellent output quality and versatile feature set at a low price. Print speed is a little slow, and cost per page is a little high, but the experts seem to agree that it’s a very good value for a home office.

David English of ComputerShopper.com gives the PIXMA MX350 an excellent 8.3 out of 10. He likes the design, ease of use, and comprehensive feature set. On the other hand, English says print speeds are notably slow. Also, cost per page is on the high side, although it’s somewhat justified by the high print quality. If you don’t need a big LCD screen or flash card connectivity, he recommends saving $50 and getting the PIXMA MX340 instead.

Sarah Meyer of PrinterComparison.com gives the PIXMA MX350 a decent 3 stars out of 5. Setup is straightforward, and the features and included software are easy to use for the most part. Print quality is good for both text and photos, and print speeds are in line with Canon’s reported numbers. Using the OEM PG-210 and CL-211 standard ink cartridges, the printer printed 230 pages before a ‘low ink’ warning popped up, and 271 pages before the black ink ran out. According to Meyer, there are two things holding the PIXMA MX350 back from being a viable workplace printer – the low ink yields that result in higher cost per page, and “lengthy processing times ranging from 30 seconds to more than a minute.”

Overall, the consensus is that the PIXMA MX350 is a capable all-in-one that doesn’t quite cut it in a workplace environment. But if you’re a home user who doesn’t print a ton of pages and doesn’t need blazing print speed, this printer is a pretty good bargain.

As we noted in our preview back in December, the $130 Pandigital Portable ZINK Printer is apparently the first device to expand the size of inkless ZINK output from 2”x3” to 4”x6”. But is bigger really better? A couple of experts have examined the Pandigital ZINK Printer firsthand, and while they like the printing technology, the rest of the features need some work.

M. David Stone of PCMag.com gives the Pandigital ZINK Printer an unimpressive 2 out of 5. He likes the portability, easy setup, ease of use, PC-free memory card and PictBridge connectivity, print speed, and ink-free printing technology. But while it’s an improvement over previous ZINK printers like the Polaroid PoGo and Dell Wasabi, the Pandigital model just doesn’t stack up against traditional inkjet printers. The 1.4” color LCD is small, there’s no photo editing, and photo quality is subpar. Also, despite the fact you don’t have to buy ink, cost per photo for the special ZINK paper is an expensive 40 cents.

Melissa Riofrio of PCWorld.com thinks ZINK technology is interesting, but she’s less than enthused about the Pandigital ZINK Printer’s feature set and performance. Photo quality is low, speed is slow, and cost per photo is high compared to its inkjet competitors. Paper loading is tricky, even after you try to read the instructions, and photo editing options are limited to adjusting contrast and adding in some colored text from your PC.

Overall, the consensus seems to be that the Pandigital ZINK Printer is the best ZINK printer on the market. Unfortunately, ZINK printers still don’t measure up to inkjet printers in terms of performance, functionality, and cost of consumables. So think of the new model as a promising second step in the evolution of an intriguing new printing technology.

Steven Leckart of Wired.com and Eli Milchman of CultofMac.com take a less technical perspective on the HP Photosmart A646. Milchman gives the printer a solid 3.5 black turtlenecks out of 5. It’s easy to carry, easy to use, produces decent photos, and most importantly, it’s fun. In fact, the printer makes Milchman want to start “compulsively printing photos – for no apparent reason other than the sheer joy of cradling images in my hands.” That said, you apparently can’t print directly from your iPhone, and ink cost per photo is on the high side at around 40 cents (under 25 cents if you buy compatible ink). Leckart generally echoes Milchman’s review and gives the HP Photosmart A646 a 7 out of 10, adding that a “lobotomized hamster could set this thing up.”

Susan Silvius of PCWorld.com gives the HP Photosmart A646 a decent 3 stars out of 5. She agrees that it’s a cool printer with its ease of use, PC-free photo printing connectivity, and creative photo editing options. In addition, Silvius likes how you can print photos on multiple paper sizes. But for all its portability, she wishes it had a battery, and cost per photo is high.

M. David Stone of PCMag.com gives the Photosmart A646 a 3.5 out of 5. He likes the ability to print on different sizes of photo paper, and the touchscreen is cool, but the “A646 falters badly on some usability issues, giving the impression that it was rushed out the door without a final polish.” First off, Stone notes that error messages popped up in a couple routine printing situations, although he learned to ignore them and just let the printer run. He also found that when he printed a 5”x7” photo in default mode from Photoshop, the printer “took a 4-by-6-inch section from the center of the image and expanded it to fill the 5-by-7-inch page.” In addition, Stone wishes that the Photosmart A646 could read CompactFlash cards. But despite the quirks, he likes the general performance and print quality.

Peter Piazza of About.com gives the Photosmart A646 an impressive 4 stars out of 5. He’s a fan of the touchscreen and portability, and connecting from your phone via Bluetooth is a snap. The creative photo editing options are fun and photo quality is good. While Piazza agrees that cost per photo is high, and that a battery would’ve been nice, he considers the Photosmart A646 a “best buy” with the $50 rebate from hp.com (which brings the price down to $99.99).

Susan Glinert of ComputerShopper.com gives the Photosmart A646 a mediocre 6.2 out of 10. While she likes the touchscreen and multiple photo sizes, photo quality is inconsistent and cost per photo is high. She also had trouble setting up the printer on her PC, and print speeds were notably slower than the Canon SELPHY ES40 and Epson PictureMate Charm. Bottom line, compared to other photo printers in its class, Glinert says that the Photosmart A646 “simply can’t begin to compete until the cost of its consumables comes down.”

ComputerShopper.com gives the MFC-495CW a forgettable 5.5 out of 10. The review praises the attractive and practical design and user interface. But apparently beauty is only skin-deep – print speeds are slow, print quality is average, and paper handling is cumbersome and often requires “trial and error” to figure out.

Sarah Meyer of PrinterComparison.com gives the MFC-495CW a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. The printer is easy to set up and easy to use, and contrary to the ComputerShopper.com review, print and photo quality are considered pretty good. On the flip side, while print speeds are on par with other inkjet all-in-ones, they’re notably slower than the advertised 35 ppm in black. Also, after repeatedly printing in normal mode at a ratio of 3 pages of black and white text for every 1 color page, the LC61Y and LC61M ink cartridges ran out after around 298 pages (reported page yield for each color cartridge is 325 pages), and the printer wouldn’t print until the LC61Y was replaced.

Finally, Peter Piazza of About.com gives the MFC-495CW a mediocre 3 stars out of 5. He agrees that print speed is slow, and he wishes the printer had auto-duplexing. Also, if you have Windows 7, you can’t install the drivers from the included CD; you’ll need to visit the Brother website. But despite the shortcomings, Piazza considers this all-in-one a solid value that rolls out high quality photos at a reasonable price.

Jonathan Rougeot of ComputerShopper.com gives the Interact S605 a very good 7.7 out of 10. Setup is easy, the LCD is easy to view and use, and paper loading and handling are smooth. The web apps work well, but while you can use them without your PC, you’ll need to visit the SmartSolutions website in order to download new apps and change any settings. Print, scan and copy speeds are fast and print quality is impressive, although photo quality decreases as size increases.

Peter Piazza of About.com gives the Interact S605 an excellent 4.5 stars out of 5. He really likes the touchscreen design and customizable SmartSolutions web apps. In addition, Wi-Fi is easy to set up. Most of the web apps are easy to configure as well, although some of them may require more advanced understanding of networking. Also, Piazza notes that the tilting touchscreen can be tough to close. As far as performance goes, print speed and quality are solid.

Sandy Berger of HardwareSecrets.com echoes most of the sentiments in the previous reviews regarding solid printer performance and the cool touchscreen. She does have a couple notable critiques though. First off, while installing the printer drivers with Windows XP was fine, she had trouble with Windows Vista. Also, Berger “had some difficulty in getting the website to recognize the printer” and in setting up the applications. In other words, while the web apps and touchscreen have their benefits, the review concludes that improved setup and ease of use would help owners unlock the printer’s full potential.