A few years ago, I received a Canon Pixma MX310 All-in-One Printer as a graduation present. I have owned one for several years and would like to take this moment to share my opinion on the printer’s worth to establish a buying suggestion.
As is the standard for All-in-one printers, the MX310 can Print, Scan, Copy and Fax. I have used all the features rather extensively except for the fax component. Each feature will be discussed separately and I will then talk about about a few other pertinent topics to the printer.
The print feature on the MX310 is excellent. Within minutes of opening the box, I was able to connect everything and print a test document, thanks in part to the comprehensive installation software and user manual. Printing is reasonably fast and doesn’t seem as prone to jams as other printers on the market. The ink usage is fairly high, unfortunately, and the cartridges cannot be refilled, but replacement ink is modestly priced and can be found online for as little as $22 at a reputable dealer. For the tech geeks, it prints up to 600×600 dpi in monochrome at 22 pages/minute and 4800×1200 dpi in color at 17 pages/minute.
Copying is also easy. The Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is effective and comfortably holds up to thirty pages.. As would be expected from the quality Canon brand-name, the copies and very crisp and clear. The copying of photos to high-quality photo paper results in photos that are almost impossible to pick out from professionally-developed stills.
Scanning produces similar high-quality results. My only issue with the printer, it seems, is when it comes to using the scanner feature. I always have trouble shifting the printer into scanning mode. It will generally take several attempts of pressing the ‘scan’ button before the machine ambles into the scan function. Once the documents are scanner, however, the quality is excellent.
I don’t know much about the fax. From what I’ve read online, reviews seem to be mixed. The MX310′s lack of fax options is a high point of dismay, but the 20-number fax storage capacity is appreciated. Frankly, I would suggest looking elsewhere for reviews about the fax if you really care about its capabilities.
The largest complaint I have with the printer is its awkwardly large size. The thing is huge. It takes up half of my desk! I can’t fit my laptop on my desk if the printer is on it. The printer is also very loud. The cartridge will probably still have around 30-40 pages of printing left in it when the low ink-refill light comes up. It’s not very eco-friendly, and I hope it wasn’t intentional on Canon’s part.
Pros: Quality prints, efficient functioning.
Cons: High ink usage, unwieldly size. Can’t use ink refills for printers.
Final verdict: 3/5. Even though the quality and productivity are excellent, the cost to replace the ink and the large physical size is damning. It is a quality printer, but when I buy my next printer model myself, I will be looking for a smaller, quieter and more ink-efficient model.
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