A few years ago, budget-priced multifunction devices rarely were worth the effort because their feature lists were unimpressive and their performance levels were poor. Canon's Pixma MX310 demonstrates that these machines have evolved, as it sports solid features and useable options at a ridiculously low price.

The MX310 can print 4x6-inch photos in about 46 seconds, although you'll have to wait longer for high-quality prints. This unit can print at a resolution of up to 4800x1200 dpi in color. Text print isn't quite as sharp as color-photo printing, but it's adequate.

Beyond printing, however, the MX310's other features are average at best. The copier can run at speeds of up to 22ppm, but it doesn't offer anything but the most basic commands. You can send faxes in monochrome at up to 20ppm, but again, don't expect advanced functionality with this budget-priced unit. The scanner runs at an optical resolution of 1200x2400 dpi.

Normally, budget-priced multifunction devices can be difficult to use because they don't receive the design attention that more expensive models command, but the MX310 even rates highly in terms of ease of use. One problem that some customers have reported is that the MX310's fax functionality interferes with telephone calls, although we weren't able to duplicate this glitch in our testing.

It's worth noting that the MX310's replacement cartridges are somewhat expensive, although this is not unusual for budget-priced multifunction devices. In addition, we wouldn't recommend that you use the MX310 as a workhorse; it isn't designed to make thousands of prints per month, and it is far from the fastest machine on the market.

Overall, though, these drawbacks aren't significant enough for you to avoid the MX310 if its initial price knocks you out. It isn't a fast-working unit and it won't meet the needs of a busy office, but when compared to other units in its price range, the MX310 provides excellent bang for your buck.


Pros: Low initial price, good photo prints, fax capability, easy to use
Cons: Expensive replacement cartridges, somewhat slow, includes only basic functions, not designed for excessive use

Warranty
1 year, limited