November 10, 2008

More Reviews of the Canon PIXMA iP2600

By Kara Hiltz

Review Roundup: Canon PIXMA iP2600 Hits the Target, But Misses the Bullseye

When I first started shooting archery as a kid, I was happy to hit the target at all. But as I improved, I wanted to start hitting bullseyes. Printer companies also aspire to hit bullseyes with their products. Earlier this year, we covered one review of the popular Canon PIXMA iP2600. Today, we've rounded up three more.

Photo Printing its Only Real Aim, Says Computer Shopper

Canon's inexpensive photo printer, the Canon PIXMA iP2600 doesn't offer much more than cheap, quality photo and text printing, according to Computer Shopper. But Josh Norem gave the PIXMA iP2600 an 8.5 out of 10 rating, along with an Editor's Choice seal of approval for its single-minded approach toward affordable photo and document printing.

Notwithstanding this praise, Norem criticizes the lack of features outside the realm of photo printing. He complains that the printer "doesn't even come with extras like a USB cable or a built-in memory-card reader." (We don't know of any printers that ship with a USB cable, but many include memory card readers nowadays.) Norem als found printing speeds slower than Canon claims, but comparable to other printers in its class.

People who want nothing more than to print photos and documents might overlook the PIXMA iP2600's shortcomings in favor of its price tag, which averages around $50, concludes Norem.

Ink System and Color Production Wide of the Mark, Complains The Washington Post

While Binde Rai of The Washington Post believes that the Canon PIXMA iP2600 offers an inexpensive alternative for consumers who want a no-frills document and photo printer, he wasn't impressed with the print quality, especially flesh tones. In addition, Rai complains about colors being "pale pastel imitations of the originals." As far as black-and-white photos, Rai turned out decent photos only after moderate experimentation with the printer's settings.

The PIXMA iP2600 contains only two ink cartridges — another consequence of its low price. This means that you must change the color cartridge even if only one of the colors runs dry, writes Rai. Other missing features Rai mourns: "there are no memory card slots, no LCD screen, and no on-printer controls."

TrustedReviews Finds That Features and Quality Fall in Line With the Low Price

TrustedReviews grants the Canon PIXMA iP2600 an overall rating of 8 out of 10, knocking off points for features and speed. Simon Williams pegs the photo printer as a good investment for consumers who need middle-of-the-road print quality and speed.

Williams describes the PIXMA iP2600's design as "elegantly simple," although he does note the shortage of buttons and the limited connection options. When it comes to text printing, you'll see some "feathering," which makes the text appear less crisp than more expensive printers might create. But for most people, the text quality will live up to their expectations.

In the end, the PIXMA iP2600 provides a favorable cost/benefit ratio. "As you pay more, you'll find printers which print faster and at a lower cost per print, but you'll have to pay quite a bit more — for a printer which uses six or more inks — before you'll get noticeably better print quality," advises Williams.

About Review Roundup
Although we cannot review every printer and printer accessory, we can scour the Web for the most creative and helpful reviews. That's what we do for you in Review Roundup. In the process, we also interview the reviewers for updates and additional insights that you'll only find here.