CANON PIXMA MP170 OEM BLACK & COLOR PHOTO VALUE PACK

Canon PIXMA MP170 Review

Overview:

The Canon PIXMA MP170 comes as a step-ahead of Canon's previous MP160.  Canon PIXMA MP170 comes with extra perks and tweaks.  Retaining much of the features in the MP160, the MP170 is a MFP that utilizes a larger array of advanced features making this printer a step-up from the entry-level MFP.   The PIXMA MP170's dimensions of 17.5 inches in width, 15.0 inches in depth, 7.2 inches in height, and 12.3 pounds make the printer a genuine add-on to any credenza or stand.  Canon provides a standard, limited 1-year warranty for the printer.

Pros:

Much like the PIXMA MP160, the PIXMA MP170 dishes out Color mediums at 17 pages per minute, Black-based text at 22 pages per minute, and roughly 55 seconds per borderless 4 x 6 photos.  The rates average to roughly 2.7 seconds per Black-based page and 3.5 seconds per Color-based page.  PIXMA MP170's decent speed in dishing out prints are quite admirable.  Speed alone is not enough.  The MP170 series in quality is 600 x 600 dots per inch in Black and 4800 x 1200 dots per inch in Color.  In lieu of the print rate and resolution, FINE technology is incorporated in cartridges and print-heads.  Ink-application is 2 and 5 picoliters.  The increase in resolution and quality output is definitely a stepping-stone in the right direction for Canon printers.

Sizes of paper utilizable with the printer are relatively basic and abstract.  Envelopes, 5 x 7 inches, 4 x 6 inches, Wallet-sized (credit card) 2.13 x 3.39 inches, Letter, and Legal are general sizes consistent with the PIXMA MP170.

The copy speed is approximately 22 copies per minute in Black and 17 copies per minute in Color.  Features like Enlargement/Reduction 25%-400%, Image Repeat, Borderless Fit-to-Page, Auto Exposure (AE), and Auto Magnification give the printer a dynamic effect.  The flatbed scanner utilizes 1200 x 2400 dots per inch in optical resolution and 19,200 x 19,200 dots per inch interpolated resolution.  Considering the MP160 had a much lower resolution, the PIXMA MP170's increase in scan resolution are not perfect, but an improvement.  There are two scanning modes; the internal 48-bit and external 24-bit.  Maximum document size for the scanner is 8.5 x 11.7, which is not too limiting.  The printer is pretty quiet and offers decent prints.

The MP160 does not utilize media card slots, but the MP170 does.  Modern Media Cards that can be used on the printer without adapters is MultiMediaCard™, SD Card™, Memory Stick Pro™, Memory Stick™, SmartMedia®, Micro Drive®, and CompactFlash®.  Memory Stick Duo™, miniSD™ card, Memory Stick Duo Pro™, and xD-Picture Card™ need a special adapter to work with the printer. 

The standard network interface is a Direct Print Port and USB Hi-Speed 2.0 port.  USB ports are normally used to establish a connection with the host computer.  Direct Print Port establishes a connection between secondary devices like mobile phones, digital cameras, and DV camcorders.  Users can upload photos via Direct Print cable to the printer and print images.  Essentially, the printer does not require a computer to work.  Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Mac OS X versions 10.2.4-10.4.x are consistent with the printer. 

Cons:

Special adapters for the Media Card Slots are sold separately.  There is no LCD to preview images before printing.  Although, LCDs are not necessary, it helps to have one to smooth the process of printing accurately.  Canon should have added better software for the scanner and copy feature.  Better software would enable users to utilize features not directly loaded on the printer.  It might be worth mentioning; there is no Ethernet port.  Then again, an Ethernet port is not necessary due to the limited power of the printer.