As a rule of thumb, when you see an all-in-one (AIO) with a network connector, you can assume it's meant primarily for sharing. There are exceptions, however. The Canon imageClass MF4270 ($299 list) is a case in point. It offers essentially the same features as the Editors' Choice imageClass MF4150 (a definitively personal AIO), but it adds a network connector. The result is a mostly personal AIO that you can share over a network at home or in a small office, but with important limitations.

Part of what makes the MF4270 a personal AIO is its small size. At 17.9 by 15.4 by 17.4 inches (HWD), it's small enough to keep on your desk. It weighs only 27.6 pounds, which is lighter than some ink jet AIOs today. More important than size, however, is the fact that you have to connect by USB cable to take full advantage of its features.

The MF4270 prints and faxes from PCs over a network. It also works as a standalone fax machine and copier. Scanning, however, works solely over a USB connection, which means that if you connect the AIO to only a network, you lose the ability to scan. That effectively makes the MF4270 a personal AIO with the added feature that others can print and fax to it over a network. Fortunately, that may be all you need in a small office.

The MF4270's paper handling is more than adequate for personal or small-office use, with a 250-sheet paper tray and a built-in duplexer for printing on both sides of the paper. In addition, a 35-page automatic document feeder (ADF) makes it easy to handle multipage documents for faxing, copying, and scanning.

Setup is typical for an inexpensive monochrome laser AIO. Install the toner cartridge, load the paper, plug in the phone cable and power cord, and you're all set for standalone copying and faxing. Run the automated installation routine and plug in the appropriate cables, and you can print, scan, and fax from your PC as well. I tested the MF4270 using Windows XP, but it also comes with drivers and a full set of programs for Windows Vista, 2000, and Server 2003, as well as drivers for printing and faxing with Mac OS X 10.2.8 and up.

The MF4270 is rated at the same 21 pages per minute (ppm) as the MF4150. Not surprisingly, it turned in similarly fast speeds, with a total of 8 minutes 13 seconds on our business applications suite, compared with 7:55 for the MF4150 (both timed with QualityLogic's hardware and software, www.qualitylogic.com). Not so incidentally, both models are among the fastest monochrome laser AIOs we've tested in their price range.

Output quality is also similar for the two models. The MF4270's text quality is a touch below the norm for lasers, but still far better than that of most ink jets. More than half the fonts on our quality test, including all the fonts you might typically use in a business context, were easily readable, with well-formed characters at 6 points. Smaller fonts were readable, but with an occasional broken line in a character or some other issue that kept them from qualifying as well formed. Unless you have an unusual need for small fonts, the MF4270 should be able to print any text you need.

Graphics and photo quality are both typical of a monochrome laser, which makes them only a half step below the best available for the technology. Graphics are fine for internal business use. Nonetheless, as with most monochrome laser graphics output, a few flaws keep them from being suitable for handing out to potential clients whom I'd want to impress with my professionalism. Among other issues, I saw visible dithering in the form of patterns in some shades of gray and a tendency to lose thin lines—a common problem with printers. More of an issue is that some gradients gave the impression of being smudges rather than intentionally smooth gradients.

Photos also show visible dithering, as well as aliasing—jagged edges on diagonal lines such as the spokes of a wheel. But photo quality is easily good enough for, say, Web pages with photos, or client newsletters.

I'd like the MF4270 a lot better if it included the ability to scan over a network, or at least scan to a USB key, so it didn't completely lose the ability to scan if you connect to it by network only. As it stands, it's a bit of a niche product. If you want a strictly personal AIO, you're better off getting the less-expensive MF4150. That said, if you want a small office network AIO for printing, copying, and faxing, and don't need to scan to every computer—or don't need to scan at all—the MF4270 can fill that niche.

Check out the Canon imageClass MF4270's test scores.

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