Affordable do-it-all printers fit perfectly into your home office.

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A machine that can print, scan, copy, and fax deserves attention, especially if you have a home or small office. Yes, these uber-devices have been around for a while, but they've never been more popular, more affordable, or better. TechTV Labs rounded up five of the latest models available for under $200, and on today's "Call for Help" I'll give you a practical comparison so you can make the right purchase.

Obviously, this is not a comparison based solely on price (the Lexmark comes in at $99). We looked at what each printer had to offer (built-in fax, media card slots, and so on), and we did a few tests.

We tested every MFP using a clean Windows XP Professional system with a 1.3-GHz Pentium 4 processor and 256MB RAM. For USB 2.0-capable MFPs, we used a Belkin 2-port USB 2.0 PCI card.





















































































































Product
Canon MP390
Dell A960
Epson CX6400
HP psc 1350
Lexmark P3150
Price
$199.99
$161
$199
$149.99
$99
Built-in fax
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
USB 2.0
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Print letter-size photo (best quality)
6:30
9:56
7:30
6:51
27:21
10-page text (best quality)
5:33
8:33
4:55
18:00
49:00
10-page text (draft quality)
1:29
1:17
1:05
1:09
1:31
10 B&W copies (normal)
1:37
4:19
2:19
3:51*
3:53
10 color copies (normal)
13:40
10:39
6:59
8:51*
14:54

  • Times given in minutes, lower is better
  • * indicates nine pages


Click each link to read our full findings.
  • Canon MultiPass MP390
    The most complete of all the MFPs in the roundup also outputs the best-quality prints and does so quickly. It's well worth the $200 investment.

  • Epson Stylus CX6400
    At $200, CX6400 is a bit pricey for an MFP that doesn't include a built-in fax. Still, solid photo quality and fast print and scan times make the CX6400 a worthy choice.

  • Dell A960
    Despite being big and clunky, the A960 includes an automatic document feeder. Print quality and performance aren't top-notch, but you can't beat the functionality of this $161 workhorse.

  • HP psc 1350
    If you don't need a fax, save some space and dollars with this excellent performer.

  • Lexmark P3150
    You won't get a built-in fax or the best quality of print speeds with the P3150. You will get a 3-in-1 machine that won't destroy your wallet. Our advice, spend an extra $50.


Canon MultiPass MP390

Epson Stylus CX6400

HP psc 1350

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