Canon PIXMA iP4200 Inkjet Printer

Canon more reliable than HP

By Valerie  Jan 2, 2006 | 23 out of 23 found this Canon PIXMA iP4200 review helpful

Pros: 9600X2400 print resolution, double sided printing

Cons: only 5 ink cartridges

After I killed my Canon iP5000 with dirt I went on a printer marathon hunt. My first choice was an HP 2575 multifunction printer. Of corse it was defective and HP told me to return it or they would send me another one (refurbished). Since this was my... second experience with a defective HP I returned it. Of course Circuit City charged me a 15% restocking fee, even though HP said it was defective. This leads me to the Canon iP4200. Since I loved my iP5000 I decided on the iP4200 because the 5000 is no longer available. The iP4200 prints excellent pictures, prints documents that are near laser quality, and has 5 ink tanks (2 of which are black). This is enough to warrant the $130 price tag but there's more; 2 paper feeds, an auto-off/on feature, a quiet mode, direct printing from your digital camera, 2-sided printing built in, and most importantly very good customer service (they actually spoke English). I suggest you decide what you will use your printer for before going any further with your hunt. As a general do it all printer the Canon iP4200 will exceed your expectations in this price range. I did have problems loading the software from the included cd. However, I downloaded the same drivers and software from the Canon,USA site with no problems. Understand that I have 2 commercial websites and a security system that even defeats me sometimes. The average user shouldn't have these problems. Some of the features listed above may seem useless to you but wait until you have them and you will love them. Two paper trays make printing pictures or text as simple as pushing a button to switch paper sources. Two sided printing not only saves paper but offers endless possibilities for everything from school reports to professional pamphlets. The auto off/on is great for those of us that constantly hit the print button but forget to turn the printer on, plus it saves energy by shutting the printer off when not in use. Also, the auto on/off times are all configurable by you. The quiet mode is great for people like me who sneak out late at night to do some work. Last but not least is customer service. As reported above I had a problem loading the software. I called Canon and not only were they very helpful but I actually could understand them. This may sound like an odd remark but call HP service and see what I mean. The broken English from HP support was almost impossible to understand. Two last comments that may save you a lot of problems that I encountered. Number one: Over the years I have had a lot of problems with HP printers and none with Canon. Unless you count me drilling a hole in the ceiling over my iP5000 and filling it with dust and dirt a Canon problem. Number two: Circuit City charges a 15% restocking fee on returned printers even if they are defective. Staples will except returns for 14 days even if the color of the printer clashes with your decor. If you belong to a leading Consumer magazine that rates products without taking any free sample products (if you belong you know who I'm referring to) the Canon iP4200 is rated #2. Good luck with your printer hunt! Read more Less