Canon PIXMA MP230 Drivers

Canon's entry-level PIXMA MP230 is aimed at people that do not require a top-spec MFP. You can't install it on the network or apply it to print photos given by a memory card, it won't send faxes and it also does not even possess a proper paper output tray. Instead, it is a compact no-nonsense device that targets basic prints, scans and copies. At lower than £30 it sounds as a bargain.

The MP230 is tiny by MFP standards and it also feels incredibly light, however it looks and feels basic instead of cheap or nasty. In the rear is a straightforward flip-up paper input tray which, when not active, folds forward into your recess upon the scanner's lid to prevent dust stepping into the printer. The scanner lid is thin and a little flexible, but its hinges feel strong enough, and therefore are engineered to permit perhaps 5mm or so of extension to ensure that it may close on thick originals say for example a magazine. The scanner bed itself tilts as much as give access to suit the ink cartridges, while in the right of the highest panel are some simple controls and LED indicators to cover the essential functions, although we couldn't see ways to make multiple copies at any given time.

The only real obvious omission is there is no output tray, so printed pages simply drop out on your desk. It is possible to keep them out tidy by placing book or another obstacle slightly more when compared to a page's length coming from the printer, but when you do not have the desk space you will need to catch pages before they spill on your floor.

Active this is very a noisy MFP, using the print heads making a significant loud scraping noise as they simply pass repeatedly during the page. The scanner is likewise appreciably louder than most, made a coarse racket like the head is positioned. Inkjets and scanners are often quieter when working at higher quality settings in which the heads must move more slowly, however the MP230 is even noisy when printing photos at its highest quality setting. We can't recall the last time we tested a printer that couldn't print photos without borders, even on 6x4in paper.

Canon PIXMA MP230 Print status monitor

Print status monitor CAPTION The MP230's print status monitor is simple but useful, much such as the printer itself

The excellent news is little else is missing. The MP230 uses Canon's usual drivers for printing and scanning, meaning that it is simple to churn out jobs with typical settings, while more advanced options are not too hard to locate. For this type of cheap printer the outcomes were impressive. On plain paper, text was black and crisp while colours were solid and true without significant banding. We‘re also impressed using the sharp focus and accurate colours in scans, although the maximum 600x1, 200dpi optical resolution rules out anything too creative or detailed.

Canon PIXMA MP230 Basic scan mode

There is Advanced Mode for people who want it, but Canon's basic scan interface is clear and simple

Cheap printers often cost plenty to operate, but using the MP230 this really is only part true. At 3. 5p, the black component of printing mixed pages is very high, however the 4. 9p colour component is not bad, leading to some reasonable 8. 5p per page cost overall. This is not an excellent MFP for photo prints or scans, but it is perfect if you want a cheap and cheerful all-rounder – so long as you don’t need Wi-Fi, this is a superb Budget Buy.