Canon Pixma iP90 Colour Inkjet Printer

 

 

Create your own review

I rarely give out 5 stars to products but I couldn't find any faults with this printer for what I use it for. I'm a student and I needed a printer that was as compact as possible for my little student room and something that was cheap to run. I've always had good experience with canon printers, including the cheap and cheerful ones, and this is no exception. Firstly this printer is unbelieveably compact. Secondly, you can tell Canon have paid attention to detail and are aiming this printer at the style conscious and traveller. As soon as I got it, I printed out a few glossy photos to see the print quality and was impressed even though I didn't really buy it for printing photos. I also have a Canon i250 and in comparison, this printer is much quieter and quicker. The design is also good and it's always nice to look at (which says a lot!). The cartridges are super tiny (at first i thought the cartridge was the print head!) and haven't run out yet, so i presume they last quite a bit with occasional printing. Even so, the replacement cartridges are relatively cheap to replace in comparison to Canon's competitors which is another main reason for choosing Canon. If the original Canon cartridges are too expensive, you can always get a compatible range too. The only reason I would NOT recommend this printer is for those who are going to be printing large documents at any one time due to the size of the paper tray (it can hold 30 sheets at one time) and if that is what you need from your printer, then it's best to look elsewhere. This printer was designed for it's size and mobility. It would suit the person with limited space and who prints out the occasional photo or document (or essay as in my case). I suppose time would tell on how long it lasts but so far so good!

The Canon PIXMA iP90 is a fantastic printer, I bought one to use for work based primarily on its size; small enough to fit in a laptop bag, and light enough to carry around day-to-day. The print quality and speed came as a complete surprise; using 2x of the smallest cartridges I've seen (supplied in box: 5.5ml BCI-15 black & 7.5ml BCI-16 colour), blacks are solid and quick, colours are very good and dependant on amount of ink used, the printer will pause between pages to allow for drying time. If the black runs out, the printer can continue using a composite black utilising the colour cartridge (selectable from the 'maintenance' properties), this produces a blue-grey colour which is perfect to keep you going. The biggest surprise has to be the photo printing. Having used a Lexmark in the past and had the additional expense and hassle of switching to a 'photo' cartridge, I wasn't expecting much from the tiny 4x ink cartridges; but 'Wow!'. Using the supplied 6"x4" Canon photo paper, prints were incredible! Colours vivid and sharp, no-one would believe they hadn't been developed at a photo-shop. Seriously, I had to print in front of friends & colleagues for them to accept the wonder of this printer. Needless to say, I've just had to buy more photo paper, and 2x colleagues are actively looking to buy one on the strength of the photos alone! Oh, and to avoid my school-boy error (who reads the manuals anyway?), Photo paper should be loaded in the printer in portrait (shortest side towards the printer) <embarrassed cough>. Though the ink cartridges are small, time between replacement has been surprising long. I've mainly used the printer in an office environment, shared between 3-4 users via an ethernet/USB print server, and, not surprisingly, the black has had to be replaced most often: every 2x weeks approx. The colour has faired better with 3-4x weeks between replacement, but that has been squeued with printing lots of 'proof' photo's, and a team-lead who loves lots of colour on his spreadsheets! Replacement original Canon cartridges come in twin packs, with the BCI-15 (black), and the BCI-16 (colour). Supplied software seems very good for my limited usage so far, but be aware that the drivers alone require approx. 100MB disk space! I've not really used the additional software much, but the 'easy-Photo' is exactly that: point the software at your images, select the photo(s) (and quantity of each photo) you wish to print, ensure the printer is directly attached to the computer (a gotcha for anyone else using a print server!), and print. Easy. The iP90 can be used natively via USB (additional lead required), or Infra-red (IrDa). Infra-red has been fun to play with, but is impractible for everyday use - especially with the IrDa port on my Laptop being located at the front, rather than the more usual side or rear. It is also PictBridge enabled for direct printing from a suitable digital camera. An optional Bluetooth adapter is available (Canon BU-10) which fits below the top cover, in a slot at the front left-hand side of the printer. A Lithium battery is also available (Canon LK-51B/LB-51) which attaches to the back for printing without mains attachment and a fully wireless operation. I love this printer, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a photo or home printer.

This is a brilliant piece of equipment - I bought when it just came out so there was no previous reviews to read up on but, Hey...it was a very good choice. The print speed is very quick even on photos and also the ink cartridges lasts a while and they are not expensive either!! The best thing I like about this printer is the fact that it fits neatly into my rucksack along with my laptop and I can take it anywhere!! I would recommend this printer to anyone who's always on the go or has a busy life style.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 12 customer reviews...

 

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC PRINTER

This is a brilliant printer that easily substitutes a large one. I personally see this on the competition with any large deskjet printer. Read more

Published on 30 Jun 2009 by AceOfHearts

5.0 out of 5 stars Little wonder
This printer is a gem. It's tiny, and it's designed for laptop users, but the prints it gives are better quality than my previous desktop printer (an Epsom photo printer). Read more

Published on 6 Feb 2008 by JackJack

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic bit of kit
had this printer for nearly two years now, and have to say its 1 of my better purchases. the bluetooth module and battery pack are expensive, but that aside, its great, never let... Read more

Published on 31 Jan 2008 by Mr. J. Warrington

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little printer !!
I bought the PIXMA i90 on the back of the reviews here. Having been a fan and supporter of Epson in the past, I wonder why I waited so long? Read more

Published on 10 Jan 2008 by R. Brindle

1.0 out of 5 stars Canon's answer to portable ink jet printing for business
A real shame for Canon discontinuing their BJC series of portable printers. Their BJC-85 was their last model and despite it never excelled in photo printing, it was pretty much... Read more

Published on 6 Jan 2008 by Super_BQ

5.0 out of 5 stars surprising
I bought one in April 2006 simply on size and weight for not very heavy use on the move. I have a large HP A3 at home. Read more

Published on 10 Dec 2007 by David Reynolds

5.0 out of 5 stars The best on the market
There is no doubt that this is one of the best small printers on the market.
It is easy to use. Ink cartridges are easy to find. Read more

Published on 4 Aug 2007 by Oh MaCoo

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent piece of kit
i bought this because of the small size and the ability to still print a4.
it gives great results even for photos and is quite fast as well. Read more

Published on 29 May 2007 by john o

5.0 out of 5 stars What a shock!!
Wow, this thing does what it says on the tin! I bought it because it was small. I had tried an HP equivalent, but I was badly disappointed. Read more

Published on 18 July 2006 by R. Girdlestone

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 12 customer reviews...

Search Listmania!