🖨️ A Blast from the Past: Reviewing the Canon MultiPass C560 Color Bubble Jet Printer, Fax, Copier, and Scanner
In the ever-evolving world of office technology, the term "All-in-One" (AiO) is commonplace. However, there was a time when combining printing, scanning, copying, and faxing into a single, relatively compact machine was a major breakthrough. Enter the Canon MultiPass C560, a color bubble jet multifunction device that served as a workhorse for small offices and home users during its era.
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| A Blast from the Past: Reviewing the Canon MultiPass C560 Color Bubble Jet Printer, Fax, Copier, and Scanner |
While this machine is a legacy product and no longer in production, examining its features offers a fascinating look at the technology standards of its time, particularly its focus on versatility and quality output.
🌟 The All-in-One Proposition
The Canon MultiPass C560 was designed to be the complete office solution in one box, eliminating the need for separate, bulky devices. For the average user, this consolidation of tasks—printing documents, sending and receiving faxes, making quick copies, and scanning images—was its most compelling feature.
Design and Footprint
The C560 maintained a manageable footprint, though perhaps a bit larger than today’s sleek designs. Weighing in at around 10.5 pounds and with dimensions of approximately 14.4" x 12.7" x 8.1", it was certainly a space-saver compared to four separate devices. Its classic, boxy design reflected the aesthetic of late 90s/early 2000s office equipment. Connectivity was standard for the period, typically featuring a parallel port and sometimes an early-generation USB interface, supporting both Windows and Mac operating systems.
📑 Core Functionality Deep Dive
1. The Color Bubble Jet Printer
The heart of the C560 is its color bubble jet printer. Canon was renowned for its print quality, even with bubble jet (inkjet) technology.
Print Quality: The machine delivered a respectable resolution, typically up to 720 x 360 dpi, which resulted in clear, sharp text for documents. Color reproductions were considered quite good for a non-dedicated photo printer of its time, especially when using specific media like glossy photo paper. An optional photo ink tank was also available to enhance image clarity and detail further.
Media Versatility: A significant strength of the C560 was its flexibility in handling various media types, including standard letter and A4 paper, legal-sized documents, greeting cards, glossy photo paper, banner paper, and even fabric sheets.
Speed: Print speeds, while satisfactory for the era, are noticeably slower by today's standards. While specific ppm (pages per minute) figures vary, general printing was comparable to its competitors.
2. The Copier Function
The C560 provided both monochrome and color copying capabilities, a crucial feature for a home or small office.
Copy Resolution: Copies were produced at a resolution of 360 x 360 dpi.
Copy Speed: This was arguably the C560's weakest link. The copy speed was sluggish, producing only about 3 duplicates per minute for both black and color. Furthermore, the first copy out time was approximately 30 seconds.
Volume: Users could produce a substantial maximum of 99 duplicates from a single original document.
3. The Scanner
The scanning capability provided a good means of digitizing documents and photos.
Technology & Input: The C560 used a roller scanner design. This meant it could only handle single pages (from business card size up to standard paper size) and lacked the flatbed capability to scan from books or thick objects. Some versions required the page to be fed through the roller twice.
Scan Resolution: Scans were produced with a resolution of up to 600 dpi, using both black and color ink, which was adequate for most digital archiving and image editing tasks of the period.
4. The Fax Machine
The fax component was a standout feature, utilizing a powerful modem speed for the time.
Modem Speed: Equipped with a 33.6 Kbps modem, the C560 could transmit faxes in as little as 3 seconds per page, which was considered fast and efficient.
Features: It included professional features like 112 broadcast locations, automatic receiving, automatic redialing, non-ring reception, and coded speed dialing, making it a reliable communication tool.
💰 The Ink System and Running Costs
The Canon MultiPass C560 utilized interchangeable ink cartridges, a smart design choice for user convenience. The specific ink tanks, such as the BCI-21/BCI-21C series, were shared across multiple Canon models, simplifying inventory and making third-party compatible cartridges a viable option for users looking to manage costs.
Ink Yield: Reported yields were around 900 pages for black and 100 pages for color, which could mean relatively frequent color cartridge replacements depending on usage, hinting at higher-than-average color ink consumption. The general consensus among owners was that while the machine was durable, ink consumption could be high.
⚖️ Verdict: A Versatile Workhorse of Its Time
The Canon MultiPass C560 was a product of its time—a versatile, durable AiO machine that brought four essential office functions to the home or small business desk.
Pros:
Exceptional Versatility: True four-in-one functionality (Print, Fax, Copy, Scan).
Strong Fax Capabilities: Fast modem and useful features like high broadcast memory.
Good Print Quality: Clear text and impressive color photo reproduction for a bubble jet.
Media Handling: Flexibility to print on a wide range of paper types and sizes.
Cons:
Slow Copy Speed: The maximum three copies per minute speed was a drag on productivity.
Roller Scanner: Lack of a flatbed limited the types of documents that could be scanned (e.g., books).
High Ink Consumption: Owners often noted that the machine was a bit thirsty, especially for color ink.
Legacy Connectivity: Relied on parallel or early USB connections.
In conclusion, the Canon MultiPass C560 successfully delivered on its promise as an integrated office solution. It offered robust features and quality output that made it a competitive and valuable asset in the early days of multifunction devices, paving the way for the sophisticated AiOs we use today.