Canon MP360 Printer Review
The Canon SmartBase MP360 and MP360S are a series of color inkjet printers that received rave reviews from experts for their inexpensive 3-in-1 design that delivers sharp output quality and a good bundle of features. One of the few drawbacks to the MP360 are its output speeds, which tested much slower than the estimated maximum of 18 pages per minute for mono documents. Many features make up for lackluster speeds and enable it to handle home offices, such as its excellent output, flexible photo printing capabilities and affordable SmartBase MP360 printer ink.
The MP360's unique design is compact enough for desktop use, measuring just 17x12x9 inches and weighing less than 20 pounds. The paper input and output trays can fold up by the touch of a button when the unit isn't in use, but since it can only store up to 100 pages of media at once the machine is best fit for low volumes. Supported paper includes iron-on transfers, envelopes, plain and photo media. The lack of an automatic document feeder means users will need to feed each individual page when scanning or copying a job.
One of the MP360's standout features is its photo printing, with a decent software package that includes ArcSoft PhotoStudio, Easy-PhotoPrint and Easy-WebPrint. These packages support Mac or Windows operating systems, while the rear USB port provides a direct wired connection. It would have been a nice touch if the design incorporated a direct photo printing option like memory cards slots, which is provided with MP370 model.
Expert tests reveal that this device is able to print graphics and photos well above par compared to other personal inkjet units, with sharp detail and a maximum resolution of 4800x1200 dpi using color Canon MP360 printer ink. The device can duplicate projects with sufficient detail that stays true to the original with a resolution of 1200 dpi using SmartBase MP360 ink.
The printer uses one black supply and one tricolor Canon MP360 ink cartridge, which can be replaced with remanufactured supplies to lower running costs. Since each color supply can last 160 pages and the black Canon MP360 ink cartridge has a yield of around 150 pages, this device is geared toward light-duty use.
The MP360 is a practical printer that's designed to handle basic home copying, scanning and photo printing needs for a low cost. While it isn't fast and leaves out useful computer-free photo printing options, this machine is worth a look for its lab-quality output and ample software.
