Strengths:Fast, Software Bundle, Easy Network Setup, 7 Individual Ink Cartridges, Energy Efficient, Direct CD/DVD Print, Duplex Printing, Dual Paper Feed, 4800x9600 Scanner, 3.5" color LCD, 1 Picoliter
Weaknesses:Questionable Drivers, No Fax, U.S. Version Does Not Print to CD/DVD Out of the Box
Posted Mar 6, 2008 - Color Copy Function (Rating 6/10)
Pros: Not holding the copy up against the original, the copy is adequate and gets the job done, high optical resolution of 4800x9600 dpi. Very easy to use from the printer's control panel.
Cons: Takes about a minute of prepping before the process begins. The color on the copy has a very slight green tint to it. Text is clearly not as sharp as the original. Colors are not as vibrant as the original.
Photo Print/Copy Function (Rating 8/10)
Pros: Fast, Good Reproduction
Cons: Color gradation is clearly not as good as the original and is very obvious when held up against the original.
The quality of the photo prints are very good. Holding a copy against the original, there are some obvious differences; however, photos look good on their own and I am impressed with the quality.
Copying a photo from the scanner and printing to photo paper is a snap. Running off a few copies of a photo is very easy to do right from the printer's control panel.
Printing from photos directly from slides or negatives is a very easy process. Scanning a negative with four photos takes about 2-3 minutes. The results are very good.
CD/DVD Print (10/10)
Pros: Fast, Excellent Quality
Cons: Does Not Include Label Printing Software With U.S Version
This function is not available out-of-the-box to US consumers. Search for "Canon Five Easy Steps" to learn how to enable this feature. This requires an additional purchase of a disc tray as well. Once these steps are completed, you will need to do some tweaking to get the printing aligned with the printable media you have. It takes about one minute to print a high quality CD/DVD label on disc and the results are excellent.
Text Printing (8/10)
Pros: Fast, Good Quality
Cons: Not Laser Quality
Text is printed using the blank pigment ink cartridge and produces a better quality than most inkjets. However, I will continue to print text documents with my laser printer for the higher quality and lower toner cost.
Software:
Setup CD-ROM:
My Printer
Canon IJ Network Tool
MP Navigator EX
Easy Photo EX
Canon Solution Menu
AcrSoft Photo Studio 5
ULead - VideoStudio 9 SE
ULead - Cool 3D
ULead - DVD MovieFactory 4
I like the software bundle. This gives you the choice to pick and choose what you want to make use of and what you do not want to use.
I ran into one of those problems I have helped many other people out with in the past. Something about my XP configuration would not allow me to install the drivers for this printer. I spent hours trying to track down the problem and never found the source. I eventually gave up. I installed the printer on my notebook computer, set up the printer on my network with my router, then I was able to use the printer on my desktop.
Once everything was working, I downloaded all the updated software available at Canon's website and this included a new printer driver. After this update, the scanner was no longer detected. I had to uninstall driver and re-install the older driver from the CD. Again, I've never had this many problems with a driver before. I think most of this comes down to your own personal configuration, so you may not have any of these problems like I did.
Setting up the printer on the network with my DLink DI-524 went surprisingly well considering the problems mentioned above. The router assigned an IP address, then through the IJ Network Tool, I changed the printer to a static IP for my own purposes. A USB cable is required to initially set up the printer on the network.
The Looks:
The printer is a bit large, but closes up nicely and looks "clean" sitting on the desk. The paper output tray can remain closed and will open automatically once a print job has started. The hidden bottom paper cartridge is nicely tucked away and goes unnoticed. The slide/negative holder is conveniently hidden away under the top of the scanner lid.
This printer is Energy Star Compliant. While running idle, wattage is around 5-6 watts. When the printer goes into a power saving mode, wattage is < 1 watt. This makes it very convenient to leave powered on and ready 24/7. I do find the blue LED power light that remains on a bit distracting though.
Conclusion:
As an AIO printer, everything this does, it does well. Epson has the CD/DVD print capability held with a patent in the U.S., so that is a minor inconvenience. The print head can be removed and cleaned or replaced without having to take it to someone else to be serviced. The printer is reasonably quiet, energy efficient and produces excellent results. The owner's manual is well written, but the printer is so easy to use, the manual will not be needed much.
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MP970 - AIO Photo Printer
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Canon Pixma MP970
