Does a low MSRP for an inkjet MFP make up for a limited feature set and high ink costs? At a sticker price of $69.99, the Canon PIXMA MP190 presents the most inexpensive multi-function option on the market that I can recall. One look at the spec sheet makes the reason pretty clear. This new model copies, scans, prints text at a pedestrian 15 ppm in color/19 in black, and finishes a 4”x6” photo in an estimated 70 seconds. Otherwise, there really isn’t much else to note. No networking, no PC-free printing options, and cost per page for ink cartridges is pretty much the highest I’ve seen, even for an inkjet.

 

That said, if every penny counts in your household, comparable MFPs like the Lexmark X3650 and HP Deskjet F4280 still cost about $10 more than the Canon PIXMA MP190. This new model should appeal to users who want baseline versatility and don’t plan to print a whole lot, thereby minimizing the potential impact of the higher ink costs. As a result, the Canon PIXMA MP190 looks best-suited for light use in a home office or as a budget-friendly student printer that can save you a trip to the school library.