New Canon printers don’t always offer more printer for less money than the previous generation, so it’s very much worth pointing out that the Canon imageClass MF4770n ($199 direct) does. Compared with the Canon imageClass MF4450$119.99 at OfficeMax that it’s in the process of replacing in Canon’s line, it costs less than the MF4450 did when it first came out, it delivers essentially the same speed and output quality, and it adds an Ethernet connector, which means it can not only serve as a heavy-duty personal printer in any size office, it’s a good fit as a shared printer in micro or small office.
Like the Canon MF4450, the MF4770n lacks the duplexer (for two sided printing) that you’ll find in, for example, the Editors’ Choice Canon imageClass MF4570dn $169.99 at TriState Camera. However, it shares similar features otherwise. Given the lower price, this makes the MF4770n an attractive alternative if you rarely need duplexing and a potentially compelling choice if you never duplex.
The MF4770n can print and fax from, as well as scan to a PC, including over a network, and it can work as a standalone copier and fax machine. Like most office MFPs, it offers both a flatbed and automatic document feeder (ADF), with the 35-page ADF letting you scan legal-size pages. Paper handling—with a 250-sheet tray, one-sheet manual feed, and no options available—is suitable for a personal printer or for sharing in a micro or small office with light- to medium-duty print needs.
Setup, Speed, and Output Quality
Although the MF4770n is a little large to share a desk with, at roughly 14.2 by 15.4 by 17.0 inches (HWD), it’s small enough so it should be easy to find enough flat space for it. Setup is standard for the breed. For my tests, I connected it to a network and installed the drivers on a Windows Vista system.
Canon rates the printer at 24 pages per minute (ppm) which is the speed you should see when printing text files with little to no formatting. On our tests, I timed it (using QualityLogic’s hardware and software for timing) at 12.3 ppm, which makes it essentially tied with both the Canon MF4450 and Canon MF4570dn. It’s also faster than any number of more expensive mono laser MFPs. The OKI MB451w ($300 street, 3 stars), for example, came in at only 10.0 ppm
Output quality isn’t quite as impressive as the speed, but it’s certainly good enough for most business needs. Text quality is at the high end of the range that includes most mono laser MFPs, making it suitable for just about any business use short of high-end desktop publishing.
Graphics and photo quality are both at the low end of the range that’s typical for mono laser MFPs. The graphics output is good enough for any internal business need, but depending on how critical an eye you have, you may or may not consider it acceptable for PowerPoint handouts or the like. Photo output, similarly, is easily good enough for printing Web pages with photos, but depending on how much of a perfectionist you are, you may not consider it suitable for, say, client or company newsletters.
The Canon imageClass 4770n offers a lot to like, with fast speed; reasonably good output quality; a network connector; the ability to copy, scan, and fax; and the convenience of an ADF. If you need duplexing or a higher paper capacity, you’ll have to shift your search to a higher price range. But as a relatively heavy-duty personal MFP or a light- to moderate-duty shared printer in a small office, the Canon imageClass 4770n can be an excellent fit.
origanal article
- Canon imageClass MF4770n (pcmag.com)
