Printer group test: 9 inkjet all-in-ones tested

The ratings

At the bottom of each review are five scores: Quality, Speed, Features & Design, Value for Money and a final Overall rating. These aren’t absolute scores, but are relative only to other devices in this month’s Labs. The scores are not directly comparable between all-in-ones and dedicated printers. Otherwise all the standalone inkjets would receive low scores for features, since they lack scanning and copying abilities.

For printers, the Quality and Speed ratings are derived from our test results, weighted to emphasise the most common types of print. For example, we consider the quality of draft output less important than the quality of photographic printing. And we think it’s more useful for a printer to be able to produce high-quality text quickly than for it to be able to churn out full-page photos at a fast rate, so our scores reflect that.

For all-in-ones, our Quality and Speed ratings are derived from all test results in combination. We weight print results slightly more heavily than scanning and copying results, to reflect the likely balance of use of most all-in-ones. If you anticipate a different balance for your own device, our full results above will help you make your own decision.

The score for Features & Design is a mix of objective and subjective assessments. We take into account physical features such as build quality and the capacity of input and output trays; but we also consider issues such as how attractively designed each device is, and how easy it is to use. Extra marks are awarded for features such as network ports, duplex units and memory card readers. In the case of all-in-ones, we also award points for automatic document feeders and fax capabilities.

The Value for Money score takes into account the purchase and delivery price of each unit, but also factors in the cost per page. We calculate this by using brand new cartridges to print multiple photographs until they’re exhausted (page 78). We also consider each device’s scores for Quality, Speed and Features & Design. Thus, the highest scores don’t go to the cheapest devices, but to the ones that give you the most for your total outlay.

Finally, the Overall score is an average of the other four ratings, though due to rounding it may appear higher or lower than expected.

Pur test documents reflect the kinds of images and files people print in the real world

This Group Test appeared in the November, 2008 issue of PC & Tech Authority Magazine