Canon PIXMA MP620B Review

I've always had a computer in my home since, oh, about 1982 when I bought a Commodore 64 while stationed in Germany.  I've owned various types and models of printers, from an Okidata Dot Matrix to a thermal printer of some brand I can't remember.  I've had Epson, HP and Lexmark printers.  I've watched them all evolve over the years and, like most computer related technology, they just keep getting better and cheaper.  Lucky us.

For the last 7 or 8 years, though, I've pretty much been a Canon man.  Why, you ask?  Because they consistently have found a way to build a better mousetrap.  My last 4 printers have been Canons and each one has served me well, right up until I needed to get a new one, for whatever reason.  This time, my Canon PIXMA MP450, a little over 2 years old, was working just fine, but it lacked a feature I suddenly found myself needing.  Wireless capability.  We had just gotten a new laptop and it was needed for school work.  So, we could either put documents on a thumb drive and transfer them to the desk top for printing, or we could get a new printer with wireless capability.   I'm writing this review, so you now know which option I chose.

As it just so happened, a Canon model exclusive to Best Buy  (the 620 is available anywhere you can buy printers, but the 620b, which is blue instead of silver with little else different, is only available at Best Buy) went on sale  for $50 off last week AND I had just gotten my latest $10 coupon from the the Best Buy Rewards Zone Program.  I'm thinking, well, now, is this written in the stars OR WHAT?

I had actually been spying this printer for some time, but was hesitant to part with the $149.00 it would take to load in my truck and take it home.  Able to get it for $89.00?  To quote a certain ex-governor, "You betcha!"

First of all Canon, in my humble opinion, is superior to just about every other inkjet out there in just about every way.  Many all-in-one printers excel at one or two things and the other functions suffer.  Not with Canon.  There is a reason Canon models consistently occupy most of the top slots on PC World Magazine.

In the Box:

The printer (der!)

USB cable (Yes! That's right.  A printer that ACTUALLY comes with a USB cable.)

Setup CD-ROM (with drivers and programs and such)

1 Package of Canon 4 x 6 Photo Paper Plus Glossy II (I think there are 10 sheets in there)

Instruction booklet

Network Setup Troubleshooting guide

Power cable

Print head

One complete set of ink cartridges

The Canon Pixma 620b takes up less space than my old one and is just plain better looking. But that's not what really counts, right?

Setup was incredibly easy.  The instruction book is easy to follow and tells you, step-by-step how to install the print head, the ink tanks, setting up the machine to work with your computer and loading paper.  The software works with Windows XP, Vista and with McIntosh.  Within 15 minutes of opening the box, I had this printer up and operating with my desktop.  It's just that easy.

Another difference between the MP620 and my old Canon is the individual color ink cartridges for this one.  My old one had only a color and B&W.  This allows for replacing one small ink tank at a time and not having to throw a whole tank out because one color is not printing.  Also, the replacement ink tanks price at around $12.99 per color tank and $14.99 for the black.  That's a bit cheaper than the old ones.  Plus, so far the MP620b seems to use less ink per project than the MP 450.  We all know the biggest expense in owning a printer is the ink, so this is a nice surprise.

My biggest fear was, based on experience with wireless networks, connecting the printer to the laptop would be a pain in the neck.  Another pleasant surprise.  It couldn't have been easier. Really.  Following the directions, I loaded the software on the laptop. (If you aren't familiar with printers on networks, you have to have the software for the printer you will use on EVERY computer that will use it.)  Then, I connected the laptop via USB cable to set up the printer.  This took a mere 15 minutes.  Once finished, I disconnected the USB cable and was able to immediately print from the laptop wirelessly.  Was able to do so from all the way across the room, too.  Sweet.  Canon says you can print wirelessly from anywhere in the house.  Haven't tested that capability yet. Oh, the onscreen set up wizard was clear, concise,and easy to follow.

The 620b has a flip-up 2.5 inch LCD screen on top of the unit and a well layed-out panel of buttons that allows you to do pretty much anything you need from the printer, should you prefer that. The screen also allow you to preview any photos or documents.  The scroll wheel is simplicity itself very user friendly.

If you like to print photos, either directly from a memory card or from your PC, the Canon PIXMA MP620b just shines.  I was literally awestruck at the quality of the photos I printed and they printed in a mere 42 seconds.  The colors were vibrant and the definition high. Walgreens might be cheaper per print, but the they can't beat the convenience factor or the photo quality.  I was very impressed.

This Canon also has two paper trays. One is the normal back-of-the-printer pop-up top load tray with an adjustable slider to fit whatever paper you are using.  I use that one for photos.  I love this printer also has a slide out paper tray like the one on your office printer and it holds up to 150 sheets of whatever size paper you are using.

The MP620b prints at around 24 pages per minute for black and white and 16 pages per minute for color.  So, figure around 19-20 ppm for a document that has both. Maximum resolution is 9600 x 2400 dpi (dots per inch).  That's more than enough for most of us.

THE BOTTOM LINE

For a home or home/office printer I can't imagine doing better than the Canon PIXMA MP620b.  It does lack fax capability and autoduplexing should you need those.  In that case you will need to spend a few more bucks and step up to one that does.  But, it prints great looking documents and photos, scans whatever you want, prints photos directly from a wide variety of memory cards, supports blue-tooth and comes with excellent photo printing/management and scanning software that should make it  unnecessary for most to need third-party software for those functions.  The PIXMA MP620b All-in-One Photo Printer retails for $149.00, which is about the same my old model cost 2 years ago, yet it is a major upgrade.  Now, if I could just get it to pour me that drink.....GRADE: A