Gizmo Watch: A great way to print, scan, copy

We asked our readers to send in their review of the latest gadget in market. In response, GA reader, Baudhayan Lahiri, rates the Canon MP160 multi-function device on performance and usability. Here's what he has to say:

It's been almost a week since I got the latest addition to my computer trolley -- the Canon MP160 multi-function device (MFD). Though it has a large form factor (ie it is larger than other models), it has turned out to be a pretty decent buy.

A printer-scanner-copier all rolled into one, it cost me Rs 4,000 in Mumbai. I had initially planned to buy the HP DeskJet F380 but ended up getting the Canon instead (on the shopkeeper's recommendation). Here's what the MP160 has going for it:

Positives:

• Easy on the wallet
• Ease of installation of printer and cartridges
• Paper feeder is from the top and so easily picks up paper
• It has a flat-bed scanner which makes it easier to scan thick documents

The scanning quality is pretty good, though some reviewers might disagree. As far as my experience goes, the human eye cannot differentiate minor errors in scanned images, so the quality the Canon MP160 puts out is acceptable.

In an experiment, I printed a formatted Excel worksheet, scanned it and did an OCR. The text recognition was 100 per cent and the software also allowed the scanned document to be exported into Excel format again. Quite impressive!

Since it is a bi-directional printer, the print speed is pretty good as well. The printer driver provides a feature that selects the ink tanks intelligently if any of the inks (black or color) run out and the cartridge has not been replaced.

I tested it out with a passport photo and found that it printed very neat photos on glossy paper using the EasyPhotoPrint bundled software. The scanning software provided (MP Navigator) is easy to use and the OCR software provided (Scansoft Omnipage) is user-friendly and feature-rich.

The copier gets the thumbs up too. It can print directly through the PicBridge Port from Canon cameras or any other camera supporting PicBridge standards.

Negatives:

• The MP160 takes a pretty long time to print the first page 
• A USB printer cable is not included in the pack
• The LCD gives you the option of selecting nine copies in copy mode and after that it shows "F" which means 20. So, if you want anything in between… well, it's just not an option.
• By shelling out a bit more dough, you can opt for the Canon MP180 which provides more copying features such as enlargement and reduction. The MP180 also has a memory slot, which is a big plus.

All in all, it is a very good SOHO (small office, home office) printer. But, I would personally recommend the Canon MP180, which provides a few more copying features though the print and scan qualities are identical.

I rate the Canon MP160 4.25 out of 5.