Value MFD good, but not great: PIXMA MP130.(FIRST LOOKS: NEW PRODUCTS, HANDS-ON TESTS)(multi-function device)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)

The Pixma MP130 is Canon's answer to Epson's $209 Stylus CX3500 MFD (multi-function device), and weighs in with a bundle of great features for a fairly modest $199.

It may not be the most robustly built MFD, but the MP130's specifications are more than adequate and Canon's micro-nozzle technology promises strong print quality.

Unlike the CX3500, the MP130 doesn't have a true high-speed graphics mode. Even at the fastest setting, it can manage only 3.3ppm (pages per minute). For any sort of quality and realistic colour you're looking at around 1.1ppm, compared with 1.9ppm for the Epson.

The colours are bright and vibrant, though, and on text work it …