One final note: we couldn't initiate a transfer of photos from memory card to the attached PC using the printer's control panel. If you browse to My Computer on your PC, however, you'll find the memory card reader listed as a drive, and from there, you can drag and drop the photo files to your PC.
Performance
Among its comparably priced competition, the Canon Pixma MP470 was slow with text prints, but quick with graphics and 4x6 photos. Its scans were right in line with everyone else's. It printed text at a pokey 5.45pages per minute. The Lexmark x5470 was faster with a score of 6.90ppm, and the Dell Photo 926 was even faster than the Lexmark at 7.60ppm. The Pixma MP470 produced color graphics prints at a rate of 2.10ppm, however, while none of the other three $100 printers we looked at broke the 2.0ppm mark. It scored 0.81ppm for 4x6 photo prints; the Dell was the next fastest, with a score of 0.74ppm. The Canon produced grayscale scans at a rate of 4.60ppm and color scans at a rate of 4.49ppm; both scores were in the middle of a tight pack.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Color scan | |
Grayscale scan | |
4x6 photo | |
Color graphics | |
Text |
Print quality is where the Pixma MP470 (and Canons in general) really stood out. The text print was dark, sharp, clean, and legible down to very small point sizes. Very close inspection revealed some minor jagged edges, but you really have to be looking for the errors to find them. The graphics print was likewise sharp and detailed. Colors were true and gradients were smooth. We were also pleased by the color saturation. The 4x6 color photos fared the worst of all the quality tests, and yet, they still weren't too bad. The details were sharp, but the light end of the grayscale looked overblown, resulting in lost details in highlighted areas. The colors could stand to be a bit warmer, as well.
Both the color and grayscale scans were good. The grayscale scan showed sharp details, but again, the highlight areas were overblown a bit. The color scan was the better of the two: sharp details and great color reproduction. Overall, we were really impressed by the quality of this $100 printer. None of the competition produced results as consistently good as the Pixma MP470. Home users will be very pleased with this machine.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Color scan | |
Grayscale scan | |
Photo | |
Graphics | |
Text |
Service and support
The service and support section for this particular printer on Canon's site isn't up yet (the site says the support information will be up in August). We do know that it's backed by a one-year warranty, standard for consumer-level printers. Toll-free phone support is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to midnight and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. Also, e-mail support is available via a Web-based form. We expect this model will have the same online support options as Canon's other printers, including downloadable drivers and software, manuals, and FAQs.
What You'll Pay
- Set Price Alert
