There isn't much to say about the basic handset that comes attached to the printer. It's a 5.8GHz model, which means that you don't need to worry about interference with wireless networks and microwaves. The answering machine is built into the unit, as well, and the message center on the left side of the display is home to the play, erase, speakerphone, and hold/intercom buttons.
Features
The drivers on the MFC-990CW installation disc give you the option to adjust the printer's quality settings from normal to fine, fast, and fast normal. In addition, you get a box to check natural versus vivid photo printers and a unique "True2life" color-enhancement tool with customizable changes to color density, white balance, contrast, brightness, and other settings. Finally, the driver also installs a status monitor that pops up during job processing to monitor ink cartridge levels and quality control, but it doesn't indicate the status of the spooling or the job progress.
Brother also gives you the option to install a third-party imaging application called Paperport, by ScanSoft. This program lets you edit photos in a file-browsing setup similar to Apple's iPhoto, with basic photo-editing solutions for autoenhancement, blemish erasing, and red-eye elimination. We played around with the software for a while and enjoyed its simplicity compared with iPhoto, although don't expect the editing quality to be on par with Adobe suites; this is geared more for light users and amateur photographers with limited time and editing resources.
The printer's scanning, copying, and fax features all perform adequately, especially in conjunction with the ADF that can function without a computer connection. We're a little disappointed to see that it can only hold up to 15 sheets of paper, since the MX860 and other printers typically hold at least double. Scanning options include routing images to a file folder, e-mail, or an optical character recognition text translator. You also get four customizable buttons on the virtual Control Center that you can program to any preference. Copying also works as a standalone device; you can set the magnification from 25 percent up to 400 percent of the original size, but the only two options for pagination are two pages on one sheet of paper and four pages on one sheet. The competition usually offers up to four images on one page, thumbnails, and two-sided prints.
Performance
The comprehensive set of features hardly makes up for the MFC-990CW's slower than average print speeds. We thought the MFC-490CW's photo speed was disappointing at 0.64 page per minute, but the 990CW manages to double the wait: only 0.33 page per minute calculated through an average of three separately timed print sessions. The rest of the print scores aren't as terrible, but still register below average, compared with other machines.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Presentation speed (PPM) | |
Photo speed (1 Sheet) | |
Color graphics speed (PPM) | |
Text speed (PPM) |
We're impressed by the MFC-990CW's print quality, especially in a direct comparison with lower-scoring Brother printers. This one printed text with especially sharp-edged letters with near-laser quality in black and white prints. The graphics and photo quality output surprised us the most: smooth gradients and curves, rendered with solid color handling with very little blotches or malformations. The prints aren't perfect, however; the most obvious problem is a noticeable graininess in blocks of color that include muted colors and facial tones. Overall, the details will certainly satisfy a quick snapshooter or amateur photo enthusiast.
Service and support
Brother backs the MFC-5890CN with a one-year limited warranty that includes access to its phone support, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific. We usually see two-year warranties bundled with Brother printers, so we're surprised that one of its most expensive printers only carries such a short-term protection plan. In addition to the hotline, Brother's online "Ask Us" program offers immediate e-mail replies for troubleshooting, and the company Web site provides more support by way of manuals, FAQs, service center locations, and software downloads.
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What You'll Pay
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