Canon Pixma MX870 Offers Great Quality Photo Printing

Canon recently released the PIXMA MX870 inkjet printer – its latest multi-function printer offering high quality photo printing for the home. Boasting Print, Scan, Copy and Fax functions in addition to 5 separate slots for ink cartridges, so you need only replace the colour you need, the printer has been received well at review sites. Below we've compiled a list of the PIXMA MX870's features for you to browse, as well as summaries of the best reviews. Enjoy!

Features:

• Print, Scan, Copy and Fax functions – so you can complete all your printing and copying on one machine.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity – meaning you can print wirelessly.
• 5 Ink Cartridge Slots – helping you save money because you only replace the colour cartridge needed.
• 33.6kbs 3G Faxing – giving you the fastest possible faxing, as well as automatic saving on the printer's memory.
• High Resolution 9600x2400dpi Printing – for incredible looking photos.
• Auto Photo Fix II Software – enabling you to optimise your images before they're even printed.

Reviews:

Jon L Jacobi and Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld.com: This review notes that the PIXMA MX870's printing speed falls slightly short of that advertised by Canon. While Canon claim the MX870 prints 9.4 plain text pages per minute (ppm) and 1.8 colour pages per minute, PCWorld.com recorded speeds of 6.2ppm plain text and only 1.8 ppm for colour pages. However, the MX870's print quality makes up for this slow speed: PCWorld.com note that colour printouts have “rich smooth colour.”

Simon Matthews, TrustedReviews.com: This review notes that the PIXMA MX870 belongs to a solidly built line of Pixma printers, and contributes to that reputation. Photo prints in particular are “bright and accurate, with smooth variations between colours.” TrustedReviews.com also notes that the MX870 offers lower prices per page than rival printers, costing only 2.4p per text printout and 7.9p per colour. On the other hand, notes that the PIXMA MX870 printout speed for both plain text and colour is slower than similar printers by rival brands.

David Bayon, PCPro.co.uk: This review notes that the MX870 benefits from in-built Windows 7 compatibility, unlike earlier models in the MX series. It also notes that the MX870 is cheap to maintain: compatible ink cartridges can be found for under £10 each. The MX870's bulk however means it isn't worthwhile purchasing if you only print occasionally, but for small offices and busy families this printer is perfect.

Summary:

• The PIXMA MX870 prints slightly more slowly than rival machines, but the printout quality is excellent.
• The PIXMA is cost-effective, offering individual colour cartridges at a low price.
• The PIXMA MX870 makes an excellent choice for families who'll make use of its multiple functions. Its sheer size however means that people who don't print frequently ought to look elsewhere.

Price:

£199.00 from Canon Europe.

Sources


David Bayon, ''Canon Pixma MX870 Review,' PCPro.co.uk, 04 March 2010.
Jon L Jacobi and Melissa Riofrio, 'Canon Pixma MX870 Review,' PCAdvisor.co.uk, 01 June 2010.
Sarah Meyer, 'Canon Pixma MX870 Review,' PrinterComparison.com, 19 February 2010.
Simon Williams, 'Canon Pixma MX870 – Inkjet All-In-One Printer Review,' TrustedReviews.com, 09 March 2010.

Companies Settle With Canon Over Ink Patent Infringement

999inks.co.uk News: Companies Settle With Canon Over Ink Patent Infringement


A patent infringement lawsuit raised by Canon against five companies in Japan has been settled. The suit concerned the firms’ alleged recreation of Canon’s LED-equipped ink cartridges - a patented innovation – in their own cartridges without permission. The settlement means the five companies concerned are agreed not to sell, import or display the patented cartridges. Canon has agreed to drop the lawsuit.

Canon’s preliminary injunction for the lawsuit was petitioned on 31 October last year. Since then the Japanese ink merchants have agreed to halt sales of 28 products of 3 brands. Each of these products, though non-genuine, is compatible with Canon printers.

Canon’s press release – dated 17 December – contains an (almost) apologia for the lawsuit. It states: ‘Canon filed a patent infringement suit for preliminary and permanent injunctions because the company determined that the abovementioned actions infringed its intellectual property rights.’ This self-justification accompanies a grace period in which the Japanese companies must dispose of their inventories of the patented ink cartridges. The closing date is the 31st March 2010.

Firms Save 30% with Managed Print Solutions

Print News: Firms Save 30% with Managed Print Solutions


Report by Market research Firm InfoTrends shows consultancies lead to reduced office expenses.

The market research firm InfoTrends has released a report stating that ‘prime markets’ including schools and legal firms stand to save up to 30% on printing processes with managed services. The survey, which involved 500 respondents, documents the rise in managed service solutions and potential growth for the sector. For those that don’t know, firms turn to managed service providers to optimize their office environment – and where documents are concerned, their printing processes. The InfoTrends results are based on criteria including: printing habits, hardware investments, managed service investments, and economic impact.

Though independent consultancies offer managed services, it is also possible to acquire these from your hardware provider. In the print industry, famous brands including Hewlett Packard, Canon and Lexmark each offer ‘complete enterprise solutions.’ For example, back in November Kodak announced an agreement with US distribution firm D&H to help firms ‘reduce their paper workflows and increase digital capabilities.’ This week, Pitney Bowes has signed with Kilburn Office Automation, a supplier of postage technologies and a distributor of copiers and printers, to help the transition to digital ‘post and stamp solutions’ across India.

The report by InfoTrends will give much-needed impetus to firms looking to make savings through efficient office management. Just last week, Japanese printing brand Ricoh released a report critical of the sluggish manner in which European offices are adopting document management. In spite of agreement of the potential benefits, most companies have not implemented even half the available process refinements. The new report by InfoTrends, which showcases the demonstrable benefits of managed print solutions, may encourage firms to put their printing processes into outside hands. They will find many consultancies wait with open palms.

Breaking News: Canon to Buy Flagging Printer Company Oce

In recent months the economic downturn has had an adverse effect on the printing market, at a time when competition between manufacturers has increased. Thirteen months ago Ricoh – the largest copier maker in the world – bought out the U.S. distributor Ikon Office Solutions, to increase Ricoh’s penetration of the American market. Crucially, at the time Ikon had a business deal with Canon to distribute its products: the takeover therefore removed a significant source of Canon’s sales and revenue.


On Tuesday, Canon announced a gesture to combat the downturn and its reduced revenues by merging with Oce, the biggest manufacturer in the European printing market. The merger - worth £658.3 million in shares – is of especial benefit to Oce, having reported losses the last two financial quarters, while making cutbacks in manpower. Chief Executive of Oce, Rokus van Iperen, said the deal makes a ‘global combination’ of the two companies, capable of facing down the giants of the printing market.

In a combined statement, the two companies noted that ‘The printing industry is in a period of consolidation…scale is increasingly important, especially in R&D and manufacturing.’ To this end, Canon stands to benefit from Oce’s higher-end line of products, which sell largely to banks and offices, and will supplement the Japanese company’s own ranges of consumer printers. In particular, Oce’s inkjet production printers are a technology foreign to Canon. Meanwhile Oce will gain access to new markets.

Oce will remain an independent print manufacturer, continuing to operate out of its offices in Venlo, Holland. Playing to each brand’s strengths, Canon’s large format operations will in fact be ‘functionally integrated’ into Oce’s Production Printing Division. Oce’s office activities will meanwhile become part of Canon’s Office Imaging Products division. Neither printer company plans to make redundancies. Refinancing of Oce’s existing $704 million in debt will happen as necessary from internally generated funds.

Tuesday

The sun is out and the windows are open, so it makes it very pleasant in the office.

In terms of news, we just received our first batch of chipped CLI-521 cartridges. Once they pass QC we are hoping to be selling them on the website.

Apart from that we have been adding some new toners to the site. So if you have a toner printer, take a look at 999inks for some great prices.