Canon Pixma MP970 user reviews

Pros Superb finished prints, easy to set up, fast prints and quality scans.

Cons so far...none what soever

Summary I was hesitant at first to order the 970 instead of the 960, but gov't red tape forced my hand. I am not disappointed at all in the 970. Love the versatility of the hardware and the software provided. Have used store brand photopaper and have had no problems with finished quality.
I get fast prints while maintaining realistic and rich prints. I appreciate the warning about cropping when I have selected borderless printing feature. The front paper feed is great for plain paper and is not reccommended for photos. The rear feed is fine for photos and does not really need tons of space from the wall for using. Will give the neg scanning feature another try now that I have an antistatic cloth to clean my negs. ALL THUMBS UP!!

Pros Good speed and qualtity. Love the networking feature for my home network!

Cons None that I know of.

Summary I replaced an HP R60 multifunction (~7-8 years old) with the MP970. From this reference point, the MP970 is smaller, and much, much faster! Document quality and photo quality are very good. I know the MP960 is better rated by the CNET Pros, but for average home use, I think this printer is superb. It is smaller than the MP960. I closely followed the installation isntructions and it installed flawlessly. The MP960 may be faster and have better quality by CNET's standard, but an extra $100.00 is a lot of money when you are spending $300.00. Additionally, I think with the MP960, you would need a print server (another expense) to network the printer (if you don't already have one), when the MP970 comes network ready. For average home use, I think this printer will not disappoint! I have had it for 3 weeks now and am impressed.

Pros Photos are better then lab prints

Cons Kind of large

Summary I have owned Epson, Canon and Hp photo printers. Photography has been a very serious hobby of mine for 20 years. I never invested in the large format printers because I never needed anything bigger then an 8x10 printed. Also owning many different types of quality scanners, in which some have allowed me to scan slides or negatives. That being said I would like recommend this MP970. I have not had, or seen any of the problems that c/net observed in their review of the MP970. Anyone buying this AIO machine should keep in mind that it is ment to be an AIO photo lab. Its not pretending to be an office AIO or just an eveyday AIO. Anyone buying it for a basic copy machine can find something a lot cheaper. It is for photos, slides and negatives.
Canon over the years, has had excelent drivers and ink costs compared to Epson or HP. Don't ever underestimate the importance of good drivers. Bad drivers can destroy the performance of a really good piece of hardware. This AIO is as perfect for photos, slides, and negatives, as anything you can buy under $500.

Pros Provides all the features one could ask for

Cons Takes up a big foot print

Summary Have owned many different printers and must say this Canon machine is the best of the best. For at home use, there is plenty of speed nad performance is flawless. Purchased at Circuit City and received a $30 instant rebate and a mail in $100 rebate making it a steal for $169 after rebates.