The Canon Color image Class MF9280Cdn ($2,295 list), a color MFP (multifunction printer) for workgroups and small offices, is a slightly improved version of the Canon Color image Class MF9220Cdn ($1,000 street, 3.5 stars). Although the additional features it offers will be helpful to some offices, at least one (two additional printer drivers) comes with a downside that may limit its usefulness, and it may be hard to justify the premium you'd pay over the cost of the MF9220Cdn.
The price difference between the models isn't virtually as great as the stated prices would indicate, as street prices are often substantially lower than list. A spot check of the prices offered by 5 e-tailors who stock both models indicates that the MF9280Cdn sells for about $450 more than the MF9220Cdn.
What do you get for the extra $450? Two card slots, for one thing. The larger slot supports Compact Flash, which many printers eschew these days, and the smaller handles various formats including the SD, Micro Drive, and Memory Stick families (an adaptor is needed for mini-SD and Memory Stick Duo). The MF9280Cdn also ups the printer and copier's shared memory from 384MB to 768MB, and adds a 100-number address book to the MF9220Cdn's 200 one-touch speed-dial numbers.
Features:
The MF9280Cdn is a big and heavy MFP, weighing 94 pounds with cartridges in place and measuring 24.9 by 21.5 by 20.8 inches (HWD). Its large tilt-up front panel includes an alphanumeric keypad, a 4-way controller, and a 3.5-inch color LCD display. On one edge of the panel are two ports for USB thumb drives; on the other, the two memory card slots.
A 50-sheet duplexing automatic document feeder (ADF) lets users copy, scan, or fax both sides of multipage documents at up to legal size. A 250-sheet main paper tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose feeder are included, as well as an automatic duplexer for printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. An optional 500-sheet paper tray is also available, for $299 (direct). Speaking of paper handling, the MF9280Cdn has a rated duty cycle of 65,000 pages, which should be more than enough for most small offices.