BROTHER MFC-1770 RIBBON CARTRIDGE

Brother MFC-1770 Review

Overview:

When taking a look at extremely dated hardware such as the Brother MFC-1770, it is interesting to notice what elements, such as the unit’s thermal print technology, have become completely obsolete and what remains relevant today, such as the built in fax modem. This printer, though ancient, is still capable of executing some of the most basic fax and print functions, keeping it out of the recycle bin for at least a little longer for some users.

Pros:

While the device’s fax modem is only about one third the speed of the Super G3 ones seen in most devices today, the Brother MFC-1770’s 14.4 Kbps speed allows it to send and receive basic fax transmissions in acceptable time. The unit also comes equipped with some stripped down (by today’s standards) fax luxuries such as automatic speed dial and fax page memory.

The device’s paper cassette is capable of holding up to 200 sheets which, for a unit designed for very low volume, should prove to be plenty of space, though the unit’s output tray is much more limited.

While printing to such a low quality machine would most certainly result in sub par image quality, the Brother MFC-1770 still remains, technically, a multifunctional device. By incorporating host PC connectability, the unit is capable of executing basic printing tasks in low volumes, though at atrociously slow print speeds.

Cons:

Print speeds are not the only things that operate extremely poorly for the Brother MFC-1770. The units print quality is limited to that of a basic fax machine, and is measured as such. Horizontal line resolution is locked at 203 dots per inch for all tasks, while three vertical quality settings are selectable. Standard vertical resolution sits at a weak 98 dots per inch, while fine / photo mode steps it up to 196 dots per inch and superfine / copy mode is good for 392 dots per inch. Keep in mind that the Brother MFC-1770’s “photo” mode is not exactly up to par with the ultra fine photo quality printing we see today. In fact, with only 64 bits of grayscale depth, photographs and imagery would come out looking absolutely terrible on the unit.