They say you can’t have it all.
But when it comes to your basic home office needs, you pretty much can have it all with Canon’s PIXMA MX340 Office All-In-One printer.
The two best things about the MX340 are its wireless capability and the price …. as this printer, scanner, copier and fax machine will only cost you $99.
Prices have come way down on these all-in-one units, but quality is still improving. Several years ago, a slow and unimpressive printer could go for $99, minus all the copying and other options that these new models have. Now, you get a quality model for the same price.
One aspect I love about this printer is its wireless capability. This machine is somewhat large, but you aren’t forced to have it take up valuable real estate at your work desk. You can leave it anywhere in the house and still be able to print from afar. If it ever gets disconnected from your wireless network for any reason, it’s very simple to reinstall.
By offering so many different uses from one machine, at such a low price, Canon is making the one-stop office machine available to a much wider audience. It’s no longer expensive and can be afforded by pretty much anyone, and the ability to copy, scan and fax from home will help the ability of people to grow any small business they may be running from home.
The printer is compatible with Pictbridge, allowing you to print photos directly from a digital camera, digital video camcorder or camera phone to the printer without involving a PC. You can also print photos wirelessly from compatible iPhone and iPod models.
When it comes to print quality, the resolution can be as high as 4800×1200 dots per inch for color printouts, and as high as 600×600 dots per inch for noncolor documents. Print speed is up to 8.4 noncolor images per minute and up to 4.8 color images per minute. In everyday terms, that means printouts will look good and print quickly.
Copies are very sharp, to the point where you can’t tell it’s not original without looking very closely.
The buttons on the machine are pretty basic. There are icons that clearly say “scan”, “fax” or “copy”, so you can specify which action you want to take. Thepaper tray in the rear of the unit can be adjusted for different paper sizes, and up to 100 sheets can be loaded at once. In the rear, there is a USB connection and the phone line connection. The small LCD display in front units lets you know what action is taking place.
An automatic document feeder makes it easier to copy, scan or FAX multiple documents, as you no longer have to load them one at a time.
As far as scanning, there are options. Scans can be saved to a USB flash drive, or you can scan by simply placing the page you are scanning on the glass panel, then opening up a program on your computer and ordering it to scan. The images are sharp and pop up quickly on your computer, and will save to a folder of your choosing.
The FAX function is also easy to use. Just follow the instructions in your on-screen manual. If you ever get crossed up about anything, a digital edition of the handbook is on your computer to answer your questions and concerns.
With the purchase of a PIXMA MX340 printer, you will receive a power cord, a telephone line cable, ink cartridges (black and white, and color), the setup software and CD-ROM user’s guide, and a sheet with basic instructions for setup, plus some troubleshooting tips. There is a 1-year limited warranty on the product.
There are other all-in-one printers out there that are more fancy and have more special features than the MX340, but for most users those bonus features go unused.
The bottom line: With the amount of diversity and ability you’ll find in Canon’s PIXMA MX340 printer, it’s basically a steal at $99.
