Canon PIXMA MP560 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Photo Printer (3747B002) Right now

After reading reviews, I just purchased the MP560 to replace an HP all-in-one that had a hardware problem after only 18 months and light use. It also replaces an old Epson 880 that finally bit the dust with apparently damaged print head. Repair for the old printers was impractical if not impossible.

Set-up of the Canon is a little more complicated than other printers in that you have to install the print head and 5 ink cartridges. Read all instructions and look carefully at the diagrams and you shouldn't have too much trouble. The fact that the print head is an installable piece gives me hope that if anything goes wrong with it, you can easily replace the part yourself, instead of junk the entire printer.

Setting up the wi-fi for use with my Mac laptop OS 10.6 was a matter of following the steps for programming the printer to recognize the wireless network. Installing software for 10.6 on the laptop involved downloading a newer driver from the Canon website. The supplied software installed easily on my old Mac G4 with OS 10.4. I connected a USB cable to the tower and it worked perfectly. I love the fact that the printer can be used by both computers, one over wi-fi and the other with USB.

This machine is heavier and larger than the HP all-in-one, but hopefully it is also sturdier. It closes up completely to prevent dust from entering the machine. I like that the paper tray is under the machine and the paper lies flat. The interface is a little more complicated than some, but it makes sense once you familiarize yourself with it. Borderless prints on the supplied photo paper look professional quality, and you don't have to install a special photo ink cartridge. This printer is relatively quiet but a bit slower than I expected. The output tray opens automatically when you start to print, preventing the paper jams that occur with other machines if you forget to open the output.

I have read complaints of the need to frequently change expensive ink cartridges. I find the cost of these cartridges about average. I think all manufacturers make most of their money on the sale of cartridges, so I don't know if you can find anything better out there.

Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase which costs little more than a set of ink cartridges for my old machines. The MP560 can do everything I hoped it would. Now the real test is if it still works as well 3 years from now...Get more detail about Canon PIXMA MP560 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Photo Printer (3747B002).