Canon Pixma MP600 Multifunction Printer Review
By Mark Brezinski
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
September 06, 2007
The Canon Pixma MP600 all-in-one photo printer features scan and copy functions in addition to quality inkjet printing. Similar offerings from Kodak and HP are slightly more expensive than the MP600’s $179 price tag. The MP600 can print from its media slots, a PictBridge-compatible camera, or a computer.
Design is one of the MP600's strong suits. Every group of buttons, print trays, and ports has its respective cover or hiding place, giving the printer a very sleek look with the doors and trays closed. It’s a relatively light unit, but still very stable, thanks in part to the six rubber pads on the bottom. Two paper trays, one on top and one under the printer, make it easy to print with two different paper stocks. The MP600 contains five competitively-priced ink tanks: four dye-based inks (magenta, yellow, cyan, and black) for pictures, and a dedicated black pigment ink for documents.
As far as user experience is concerned, the MP600 should be smooth sailing. The buttons are all large and clearly labeled. There isn’t any assembly required, aside from inserting the print cartridges, so setup is a breeze. The software is straightforward, and an easy-to-follow manual is included to detail the installation process. We don't foresee users having any trouble using the MP600.
The MP600 is about average in printing speed. It printed about 2.81 pages per minute of plain black text, which is respectable. It printed about half as fast when tasked with color-heavy documents, only managing 1.35 pages per minute. This is still faster than the Kodak EasyShare 5300, which could only muster 1.59 and 1.33 pages per minute, respectively.
You'll also get fairly decent quality with the MP600, which is why it's a mid-range product. Its performance placed it squarely in the middle of the pack. It was able to represent a good range of colors for its class, depending on the quality of paper used, and the colors were rich and accurate. Black-and-white prints looked very good, with a nice range of tones and deep blacks.
The MP600 is one of the better mid-range printers, both in quality and price. It can do everything the $199 HP Photosmart C5180 and Kodak EasyShare 5300 can, as well as provide better quality prints—for $20 cheaper. It does perform a bit slower, but the quality bump should make up for it. Its driver and software interface is where it really shines, making the MP600 much more intuitive than the HP and Kodak models. Its low energy usage might even save you a few bucks on your electric bill.
Overall, the MP600 is a great printer for its class. It has a great design with intuitive controls and menus. Installing cartridges is equally easy. The only problem we had with this printer was that the ink management tool didn't do a very good job measuring the ink levels. We would have liked a more accurate fuel gauge, especially since the printer refused to print if any of its tanks were empty. If you’re looking for an all-in-one photo printer for less than $200, this model is a good choice.
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