Photocopy function slightly worse than normal prints
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
It is often very difficult to choose between different printer/scanner/copier combos because they all sound so mind-numbingly similar and hard to choose between.
To the average consumer searching for a decent multi function piece of equipment, this is all you could possibly need. As someone who has had problems with printers in the past... from mauling papers, to leaky ink cartridges, I can advise confidently say that this is a hassle-free, easy to use piece of printing-brilliance.
The first thing that I noticed was how fast it reels copies off, with great detail and picture clarity. In my opinion, the printer's precision and picture quality is almost faultless. This is a great selling point for the product, as at the end of the day, everyone wants a reliable printer that prints well.
As for the possibly the most potentially problematic aspect of any printer, the changing of the ink cartridges, I must say that this process could not be any easier with this printer. A simple procedure of merely tapping one or two buttons; flicking open a lid, and swapping the old cartridge with the new one is all that is required. This makes looking after your printer very easy, and avoids a lot of stress. I may be over stating the value of this, but trust me, awkward cartridge changes can be a consumer nightmare.
I would rate the printer's ability to produce good digital photo print-outs very highly. The printer has a memory card slot, which I am told caters for any memory card you could have. This is indeed a useful bonus, and facilitates the action of printing pictures.
As I have emphasised, the picture quality is very good, although I must concede that I've seen printouts with slightly better colour-definition. However, I'd venture to say that you'd have to splash out a considerable ammount more on a printer to improve noticably on the quality of photo that the MP180 produces.
I've encountered no problems at all with this printer in nearly 18 months of ownership, and on the rare occasions where the nozzles have needed cleaning, it has been very quick and easy to perform. As I have said, I don't believe that this printer will prove difficult to use, even for computer novices.
I think that this printer is well designed, even if it may be considered a bit bulky. It is a very solid structure, and you really get the feeling that is is well-built and reliable. Surely this are the best qualities that a design can instill?
As regards printing cartridges, the Canon brand may not be the cheapest, but then again, you must pay for quality. Also, there aren't really any "cheap" brands of much worth available anyway.
In all fairness, the durability of the cartridges makes them worth everything single penny in my view. I regularly use my printer, and I was surprised by how economic it was. A little ink certainly goes a very long way with this printer A very very long way indeed. This is definitely something worth remembering as you buy a printer.
The scanning and copying facilities are very good, and once again incredibly easy to use. I'd rate the scanning facility very highly, even in comparison with pupose-built scanners. The detail on the scan is very good and there is no complication with regards viewing the scan on your PC (or laptop.)
As much as I really like this printer, I've got to admit that the photo-copying facility is not the best in the world. I feel that the quality of the photo-copies are slightly lower than the quality of the average printouts. However, one may consider this to be expected, and if you're going to buy a multi-function printer for the main purpose of photocopying, I'd still think you'd be satsified, if not pleased with the standard of the copying. In all fairness, sometimes such matters are a matter of jiggling slightly with the settings to get the desired results.
Whilst on the topic of settings, this printer has quite an impressive and useful range of settings. From printing speed to the level of noise made whilst printing, you can really personalise your printer and adjust it to your needs. This is very useful and appealing, and I have been highly impressed with this aspect of the printer.
Overall, I'd rate this printer very highly indeed, and I'd certainly recommend it to potential buyers. The Canon Pixma MP180 is the complete package, and an excellent all-rounder. There are no serious faults with it, it is extremely easy to set up and use, and it is very cheap regaring the longevity of its cartridges.
An excellent multi-function printer, that I'm sure would more than satisy anyone's needs.
More details
Reliability
Excellent
Design
Good
Range of extra features / functions
Good
Instruction manual
Good
Manufacturer Support
Satisfactory
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