Laser multifunction devices won't work in every SOHO setting, mainly because they rarely print in color and they usually cost more than inkjet models that carry similar features. Canon's MF5770 cannot print in color, but it defies the second situation by providing laser-print sharpness in a sub-$300 unit.

The MF5770 offers sharp text prints, as you'd expect from a laser device, and it runs at 21 ppm in "Draft" mode, which is an above-average speed compared to other budget-priced laser units. The MF5770's copier also runs at a top speed of 21 ppm. Unfortunately, the unit's copier only can resize originals at between 50 and 200 percent, which is a below average rate, especially for a laser multifunction device.

The unit's fax sends documents at speeds up to 20 ppm, and faxing multi-page documents is easy because of the MF5770's 50-page automatic document feeder. Document scanning results are very good, thanks to the MF5770's 1200x2400 dpi optical scan resolution.

The MF5770 contains Ethernet networking capabilities as well, although the unit's scanner will not run over your network. Additionally, you may experience problems with the MF5770's setup. Some users have reported problems with making the MF5770 work correctly out of the box, although we encountered no major issues.

The biggest drawback to the MF5770 is that it's an older model, which explains why Canon has dropped the price on this unit recently. Purchasing a slightly older model can carry some risks; the manufacturer might not provide software upgrades and support as readily as it will with newer models, for example. But if you're in the market for an inexpensive laser multifunction device, you may find the MF5770 well worth the minimal risk. The MF5770 won't give you a lot of outstanding features, but, at its price point, an average set of features is good enough.


Pros: Low starting price, good collection of average features, good print speed
Cons: Older model, some setup difficulties, copier functions are below average

Warranty
1-year limited