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Get a Canon Pixma photo printer for $22.82 shipped

For less than the price of a typical ink cartridge, you can get an entire printer--one that CNET described as an "excellent option" for printing documents and photos.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
The Pixma iP2600 may be a no-frills inkjet, but for 23 bucks out the door, how many frills would you expect?
The Pixma iP2600 may be a no-frills inkjet, but for 23 bucks out the door, how many frills would you expect? CNET

Looking for a compact, inexpensive printer that's equally adept at printing documents and photos? The Canon Pixma iP2600 might be just the ticket.

It's an older model, one that debuted back in 2008, and even then it was an entry-level bargain at $49.99. Today, however, CostCentral has the Canon Pixma iP2600 for just $22.82 shipped. It's new, not refurbished (though the warranty is still just a what-did-you-expect-for-23-bucks 90 days).

Update: Looks like the sale is over, folks--the printer is now selling for $30. Still pretty cheap, though perhaps not quite as tempting.

Make no mistake: I have a few qualms about suggesting a printer that costs less than a set of ink cartridges. (The iP2600 takes two of them, by the way: one black, one tri-color. CostCentral sells extras for $14.40 and $17.76 respectively.) I think it encourages people to dispose of their printers sooner than they usually would, and that's bad for landfills.

On the other hand, every printer consumes ink, and most ink is expensive, so you might as well get the best possible deal on the printer. Right? (Don't forget the USB cable; here's one for $2.75 shipped.)

Anyway, the Pixma iP2600 is about as basic as a printer gets, lacking even a PictBridge port for connecting your digital camera. That said, it can produce borderless 4x6-inch photos, and it has a rated print speed of 22 pages per minute (for black and white).

In a nutshell, it's for folks who just need a simple printer, perhaps one for the kids. CNET says, "You'll be more than satisfied with this printer's ability to deliver quality photos at a low price." And at $23 out the door, how can you go wrong?

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