The Canon Selphy CP770 offers an excellent choice of connection and editing options and we couldn't fault it.

Although it isn’t the most stylish printer out there, the PM270 prints fairly fast and produces decent quality. It won’t fit in your backpacking luggage, but for the average family photographer, the PM270 is portable enough to take away on holidays.

The LBP 3100B’s low initial cost is well complemented by attractive design and decent printing speeds. Still, some odd design choices and slightly inaccurate printing mar this printer a little — it’s good but it doesn’t excel when compared to the competition.

The Polaroid PoGo's appeal lies in its mobility and its near-instantaneous picture production. The price is steep for what amounts to a one-trick gimmick printer. But that doesn't detract from the silly fun people can have by printing pictures on the go. Teens and tweens, in particular, will love this feature; and casual users and business people (for example, real-estate agents who want to print pics of specific rooms for clients without delay) may appreciate PoGo's portability.

HP’s LaserJet P1005 puts its best foot forward. But it’s crippled with slower performance and a more expensive price point than the Brother HL-2140. It’s a good printer, but it simply isn’t competitive enough.

The MFC-7840W improves on its cheaper counterparts with the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity. However, the extra $100 compared to the MFC-7440N hardly seems justified. This multifunction makes a good printer, but its scanning quality isn't great.

The Brother MFC-7440N is a capable mono laser multifunction that suffers from several flaws which may impact on its use in offices. It costs $100 more than the MFC-7340, but the addition of the Ethernet port is a boon for productivity.

The MFC-7340 has a number of flaws and missing features that make it problematic for office use. No duplex, no Ethernet and an inadequate paper output tray are its key failures, but it delivers good quality printing and it is cost efficient.

Even if you're looking for a cheap-as-chips multifunction, the F2280 isn't necessarily a compelling choice. It's slow and noisy, and text quality isn't that great. However, if you need a cheap solution for printing the odd photo then this unit does the trick.

If you need a dirt cheap multifunction to scan and print the homework that’s due tomorrow, then the X2650 may be up your alley. But for everyone who expects at least average quality from their devices, keep moving.

For the average family, the X4650 should suffice. Wi-Fi connectivity is an advantage for shared printing and print quality is adequate, but poor printing speeds will deter many people.