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The Canon Pixma MP600 Photo All-In-One printer ($199.99 direct) proves that Canon sees no reason to mess with a successful formula. Modeled closely on last years Editors Choice Pixma MP500—which it replaces in Canons line—the MP600 costs the same as the MP500 did originally and offers the same all-in-one (AIO) features and strengths, only more so. In particular, where the MP500 stood out for speed and output quality, the MP600 is faster and delivers even better print quality.
The MP600 can print, scan, work as a standalone copier, and scan to e-mail using your computers e-mail program. It has a PictBridge connector for printing directly from cameras, card slots for printing directly from memory cards, and a 2.5-inch color LCD for previewing photos. All that, along with its lack of fax support and an automatic document feeder, makes it best suited for a home or home office.
Paper handling is one of the MP600s strengths. With built-in duplexing and two 150-sheet paper trays, the printers 300-sheet total paper capacity is substantial for a home office. Alternatively, the separate paper trays let you keep plain paper in one tray and photo paper in the other, so you can switch between the two kinds of printing without having to change paper.
The MP600 does have one new feature, of which Canon is inordinately proud: a control wheel on the front panel thats similar to the click wheel on the Apple iPod. Basically, you rotate the wheel to move though the menu choices on the LCD screen, then press a button to make selections. Canon maintains that the wheel makes the MP600s menus much easier to use, but I find that its too easy to overshoot the menu choice Im aiming for.