Drop, charge, and lose the cords
CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 08/15/2006
- Released on: 03/11/2006
Behind a door on the front is the media card reader, which accepts all major memory card formats, though you may need adapters for some of them. A front-mounted USB port lets you attach PictBridge-enabled cameras or camera phones for PC-free printing; you can also use it to attach an optional Bluetooth adapter, for printing from Bluetooth devices. The MP800R ships with a USB cable--a rarity with printers.
The front of the machine folds out smoothly with the push of a button. This flap functions as the output tray, and a handy extension pulls out to keep long pages in check. For paper input, you have two options. A paper cassette slides out of the bottom and can hold up to 150 sheets of paper. Unfortunately, the largest size paper it accepts is A4; for legal-size paper, you'll have to use the rear-mounted paper support, which folds out. It extends to support longer paper, but the extension pieces tend to stick as you pull on them. An adjustable paper guide lets you corral media of different sizes.
The control panel is simple for a printer with so many functions. Dedicated buttons let you switch between tasks, and a feed switch lets you toggle between the rear feeder and the paper cassette. The one-touch photo index button initiates printing a photo index sheet from your memory card. You can navigate function-specific menus using the four-way rocker switch, the OK button, and the dedicated back button. The menus are clear and concise and displayed on the enormous 3.5-inch color LCD. The LCD makes previewing photos a joy, and you can optimize the image by tipping the LCD forward and back. Rounding out the control panel are two start buttons (color and black), a stop/cancel button, and a power button.
The Pixma MP800R is ideal for small offices or homes with multiple PCs and users, as you can set it for shared printing over a network or stand-alone printing over USB. A built-in 802.11g/b adapter provides the option of wireless printing. If you live in a home with mixed allegiances, fear not: the printer works with both PCs and Macs.
Setup is straightforward; the included setup guide walks you through the process, whether you're establishing a simple USB connection or wrestling with a complicated network connection. The installation CD also guides you through the necessary steps and security for a variety of network connection scenarios.The only feature that's missing from the Canon Pixma MP800R Photo all-in-one is fax capability, which lessens the printer's office appeal. (If you need to send faxes, check out the HP OfficeJet 7410.) The many features it does offer, however, will please home users, especially enthusiastic photo hobbyists.
As with any other printer, printing documents from a computer is a straightforward task. When printing photos, you can also print from a media card or directly from a PictBridge camera. When printing from a card or camera, you don't even need to touch your PC. You have options such as printing photos one at a time, specifying a range of photos to be printed, or even printing an index sheet of all the photos on a card. You can indicate on the index sheet which images you want printed and scan in the index sheet, and the MP800R will print just those images. And when using a memory card, you can even search by shooting date.
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