Canon PIXMA MX922 Wireless AIO Printer

This is an update of my previous review after using it for one month.I previously stated:The setup was easy with an illustrated step by step guide. But to go beyond the basics you must use the supplied disk to install the software and to download the on-screen manual.The printer, scanner, and copier work very well…I have not used the fax.Unlike some other reviewers, I found it to be reasonably responsive and not too noisy.The on-screen manual is very thorough and complete, but I would rather have a hard copy so I have printed one out. This was a long tiresome process, but worth it to me. The manual covers everything from loading paper to cleaning the ink jets and how to do and maintain anything you can think about.It did not use as much ink as I expected. I have printed about 250 pages of the manual, which includes a lot of pigment black and a fair amount of color. In this process it has used from half to 2/3 of the ink that came with it (depending on the color), and for me that’s good. I agree with others that Canon OEM replacement ink is expensive, but for home use it is not excessive. There have been good and bad reports about non OEM compatible inks, but for my use I will not take a chance with them. If I used it for a business, I would try the compatible inks, and certainly use a laser printer for B&W printing.The color prints of photos are the best I have seen from an inkjet printer. I previously had an Epson Stylus Photo R1900 (which cost about $500) and gave great color prints…….but the prints from the Canon PIXMA MX922 are significantly more vivid and brighter. The R1900 used pigment inks which are expected to last at least 100 years without fading, but dye based inks used in the MX922 should last a very long time unless exposed to sunlight.I like that it has two paper trays, one for standard paper, and another for either 4X6 or 5X7 color print paper. The manual states that it will also print to other size paper, legal paper, envelopes and printable disks but I have not tried these yet. The bottom paper holder turns over to hold a printable disk.Here is my update:The capabilities of the MX922 are amazing. The on screen users manual covers more information that I have time to discuss. I prefer a hard copy, so I printed it out all 470 pages using the Canon MX922. In my opinion it is reasonably fast and it’s use of ink is moderate compared to my previous Epson Printer.o For scanning, I have compared it to my stand alone Epson V33 in scanning newspaper clippings. The difference in output quality is outstanding. Here’s some data:o At 300 dpi the quality of the Epson was “poor”…(hard to read words). At the same dpi the Canon quality was “good”.o At 600 dpi the quality of the Epson was “fair” while the Canon was “excellent”.o At 1200 dpi the Epson was “good”, but not excellent, and it took 3 times as long to scan as the MX922, and the file size was 6.1 MB compared to just 733 kb when using the Canon at 300 dpi. Which gave beter quality.But the Canon is more clumsy to use, while the Epson sand alone scanner is very easy. Scanning a page from a large book was not possible with the MX922. I expect this is the case with any all-in-one device. The lid is just too large.A ton of software comes with the MX922, some useful, others not. One applications is called “My Image Garden” which can easily organize photos and documents, and can make a variety of corrections to your photos. One neat feature is that you can see an image before and after making a correction and make a choice.

That said, I don't try different brands so I can compare them, so I may be biased. My camera equipment is Canon (for many years) and so my last printer was a Canon IP6000, purchased in 2006, for printing 4x6 photos (and documents). It worked great until recently when it suddenly slowed way down, which is what prompted me to go shopping. Naturally I read the reviews for Canon printers (and some other brands) and it appeared that this one was the newest technology and already had favorable reviews, including from people with home businesses.Now, let's switch gears. My printing needs have diminished over the years as I have become increasingly more digital in document storage, online financial transactions, etc. Basically, if I can do it digitally, then that is the route I take. This includes my photo collection which is stored on my iPad for showing off. :-) I also bought a CanoScan 8600F (flatbed scanner) in 2006, which is still in use.So, imagine my very pleasant surprise when I discovered the awesome speed and stream-lined functionality of the multi-sheet scanning feature! If one sets up a directory (in the accompanying software utilities) ahead of time, then it's as simple as loading your documents, hitting either start button (black or color) and very quickly a pdf file shows up in the pre-set directory. Did I mention it has an ethernet port and is quickly (and painlessly) recognized on the network once the drivers are installed? I don't like Wi-Fi for home networking, I prefer ethernet (gigabit speed) when ever I can get it, so this port was a big plus for me. All of my computers see and work with the Fax driver, Printer driver and Scanning driver.Now, let's mention some little things that make this machine great. I never turn it off as it has a low-power state (automatic after a few minutes of inactivity) where everything powers down with only one small, blue light glowing. If I send something to the printer it immediately comes to life, takes a few moments to warm up and (this is cool) the paper output tray *automatically* opens and the extension support flips out! It's the little things that make me smile. :-) Also, if I place one or more documents in the scanner slot (while in low power mode) then it instantly springs to life and takes a few moments to warm up.Having stated that I print less and less these days, I must say I was impressed with the ink cartridges. They all have small, red LED lights that confirm they are plugged in correctly and in working order! Another smile. :-) Now I don't FAX much these days, but it's nice to know that it is hooked into the "clone" line through my PhonePower VOIP adapter (2 ports) and therefore is available upon demand. Oh, btw, the top lifts up like a flatbed scanner also, so I guess I will be donating the CanoScan 8600F soon.Final analysis: This machine's capabilities pleasantly exceeded my expectations, even after reading the specs and reviews. It has proven to be fairly equal in functionality to the Xerox multi-function machine at work, but at a fraction of the cost. The only thing it can't do is print 11x17, but that isn't an issue at this time. I will try to get back in a year to report on it's longevity prospects.UPDATE: I have knocked the rating down to 4 stars because there is no secondary sheet feeder. (My rating for this is actually 4.5 but that choice isn't available). Occasionally I have need to print on 8.5 x 14 (legal). With this unit one must remove the regular paper from the lower (main) paper tray, extend it out (at least they did build that into the unit) and load the 8.5 x 14 paper. I suppose I have been spoiled by top (secondary) sheet feeders on previous printers, so this is a small let-down. I guess I assumed the scanning feeder could be used as a secondary sheet feeder (for printing) but due to the design of the machine it cannot.UPDATE, 11-24-13: I had occasion to send my sister a letter today (she hates email) so I typed one up and hit the print button. I have not printed anything for several months, and the print cartridges are now 7 months old. My letterhead includes a small photo of a sunset over a local river at the bottom. After hitting the print button the machine woke up, flipped out the print tray, spent a minute doing a self-diagnostics, then printed out my one page in about 7 seconds. Apart from a slight smudge at the top (probably due to inactivity for several months) the letter printed out flawlessly, including the photo. I reprinted the letter and there were no smudges or flaws. Since I have not needed "legal" size paper anymore, I am changing my rating to 5 stars since this machine is doing everything I need it to do.UPDATE, 05-25-14: I lost my mother on Feb. 1 and inherited her estate. I was forced to move temporarily from WA to KY to liquidate the estate. My first priority was to set up my office so I could deal with the legal, financial and medical accounts and issues. I am also Trustee so there were many Will disbursements to deal with. I did not bring my MX922 from WA, instead I bought a new one once here. After 4 months of scanning, copying, and printing, I can now say I have given this machine a workout, including the printing function. It has performed most excellent. I also needed to buy more ink cartridges and discovered an alternate source (here on Amazon) for cartridges that are: (a) a fraction of the cost of Canon cartridges, (b) still have the same red LED's on them that communicate with the printer and (c) are relatively CLEAR, so one can see how much ink is left. I still cannot comment on photo printing as I am all digital these days when it comes to photography. But I can give this unit 5 stars for being a workhorse in all other areas! I can also say that if one schedules their need for printing envelopes in batches, this unit does that professionally as well.UPDATE, 08-24-15: Earlier in the year I decided to start creating my own greeting cards (using CorelDraw) and printing out 5x7 photos for b-day gifts to relatives and friends (from PhotoShop). Both machines are still working great, and they produce exceptional photos. There are settings within the Canon print drivers that one can play with to improve the photo quality as well. I can also endorse the much cheaper ink cartridges that I buy from Blake Printing Supply on Amazon. I have gone through 2 sets (10 cartridges in a set) and they work great as well. For those wanting to find them, do a search on Amazon for "MX922 compatible ink cartridges" and look for Blake Printing Supply.