One of my graduation presents a few years ago was a Canon Pixma MX310 All-in-One. I would like to share my take on the printer’s quality and features, having owned it myself for a few years now.
Faxing, printing, scanning and copying are features offered by the MX 310. I am familiar with all of the printer’s components except for the Fax feature. I will talk about each feature individually and then discuss a few other printer considerations.
The MX310 really excels at printing. The software and manual are comprehensive and simple to get through and I was able to successfully connect the printer and print off a test document within minutes of opening the printer. The printing is fairly speedy and isn’t as jam-prone as other printers I’ve used. The ink usage is fairly high, unfortunately, and the cartridges cannot be refilled, but replacement ink is modestly priced and can be found online for as little as $22 at a reputable dealer like 4inkjets. For the tech geeks, it prints up to 600×600 dpi in monochrome at 22 pages/minute and 4800×1200 dpi in color at 17 pages/minute.
Copying is also easy. The Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is effective and comfortably holds up to thirty pages.. Copies are very crisp and clear, as would be expected from the quality Canon brandname. Professional-quality stills are approximated extremely well by copying photos onto professional-quality photo stock.
The scanner is also a quality tool. My only issue with the printer, it seems, is when it comes to using the scanner feature. I have always had issues getting the printer to shift to the scan function. Often, I have to press the ’scan’ button several times before the machine moseys into scan mode. After the scanning is complete, the quality, however, is great.
I don’t have any experience with the fax component. From what i’ve read online, reviews seem to be mixed. People like the 20-number storage capacity, but don’t like how few options it has. I would really suggest you try elsewhere for information about the fax’s specific capabilities.
My biggest complaint about this printer is its size. The printer is gigantic. It extends over most of my desk! If the printer is already on my desk, I can’t fit my laptop. The printer is also very loud. Also, when the printer indicates it is low on ink, there are actually 30-40 pages left (from my experience). It’s not very eco-friendly, and I hope it wasn’t intentional on Canon’s part.
Pros: Quality prints, efficient functioning.
Cons: High ink usage, inability to refill ink, unwieldly wize.
Final Verdict: A 3 out of 5. Although the printer has high prodcutivity, I just can’t afford to keep replacing ink at the rate I do, and the large size makes it difficult to fit onto a desk. It’s a good printer, but I will be looking for smaller, more efficient models when I buy my own.
Try 4inkjets.com for great deals on cheap ink cartridges.