The control panel is basic, but it gets the job done. The small media feeder is very handy for one-off prints, as you don't have to swap out the contents of your input drawer for just one print. If you're using the small media feeder, you'll have to insert the pages manually one at a time for batch printing of photos or envelopes, you can use the main input. Recessed deep in the output tray is a small media feeder designed for smaller-size papers, such as 4圆 photo paper or envelopes.
The output tray is simply the lid of the input tray and can hold up to 100 printed sheets. The input drawer holds up to 150 pages of plain paper, though for $69, you can add a second 150-page drawer for increased capacity.
If you want to print from a Bluetooth device, such as a PDA, Dell offers an optional Bluetooth adapter that plugs into the PictBridge port.Ī single cassette in the front of the printer serves as both input and output trays. The PictBridge port also accepts USB flash drives, so you can print photos from a thumbdrive, as well, though you can't insert both a USB drive and a memory card simultaneously to transfer files between them. The memory card slots accept most common types of cards, though you'll need to use an adapter for some of them. If you really want it all, be prepared to spend more for something such as the HP Photosmart 3310.įour memory card slots and a single PictBridge port adorn the front, allowing for PC-free photo printing. If what you really need is a office-oriented all-in-one and you don't need the photo features (including media card slots), the same $200 will get you the excellent Canon Pixma MP530. For an excellent photo all-in-one, check out the $200 -you lose the fax and the ADF but come away with fast, high-quality prints and loads of features. In the end, we recommend you pass on the Dell Photo All-in-One Printer 966: There are better machines out there for your money.
Add-ons, such as a duplexer and wireless/Ethernet card, make it even more compelling as an office multifunction, though its so-so task speeds and print quality are discouraging. We prefer to think of this $200 multifunction printer as an office machine that serves up a few bonus photo features. And its subpar photo print quality and lack of photo-oriented features don't help its case, either. The Dell Photo All-in-One Printer 966 suffers from an identity crisis: Its name pegs it as a photo-oriented printer, but features such as fax and an automatic document feeder mark it as an office-oriented all-in-one.