I have used a number of multifunction machines, both inkjet and laser, and I think this is one of the best available on the market right now. I had been planning to purchase one for home use for over a year, but kept waiting to see if Canon was going to introduce an MFP based on the i850 printer engine (which the MP730 is). As soon as I saw this model on Canon's website in early May, I began checking online reseller sites daily. I purchased it from the first (reputable) vendor that showed available inventory.

I won't go into all the features of the unit, but here's what I really like about the MP730:

- Separate ink cartridges for each color - no wasted ink
- Extremely fast print speeds in all modes (draft, normal, best)
- Very reliable paper handling - no jams so far (I've printed about 500 pages to date)
- Very reliable document feeder paper handling - only one jam so far, and that was because the original was too slick and too small

- Extraordinary photo printing quality, particularly for a non-dedicated photo printer. Photos printed on the MP730 rival those output on our Canon S9000 (considered by many to be one of the best inkjet photo printers) and Canon S800 printers.

- It is a true multi-function unit. I have used other MFPs that don't multi-task at all (like the HP LaserJet 3200, which can't print or scan while it's receiving a fax). Our MP730 has had not had any trouble printing and faxing or printing and scanning at the same time.

What I don't like:

- Automatic document feeder (ADF) speed is not a fast as I'd like. It takes about 6-8 seconds to scan in a page of text at 200 dpi. That's not too bad, actually, but I've used a Brother MFP (MFC-8600) that took only 2-3 seconds to scan at that resolution. Unless you are going to routinely batch-scan hundreds of documents, this shouldn't be a problem.

- The size of the photos on the contact sheet are too small. This function is used to print out some or all of the photos on a memory card (CF, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, MMC, SD - it reads them all with the built-in card reader on the front). The thumbnail prints are about 5/8" x 3/4" (1.5cm x 2cm) and are fine for general identification, but not for critical comparisons. For some, this won't be a problem, especially if you like getting 70 contact prints on a letter-sized sheet of paper.

- No automatic duplexing accessory option. This is understandable, given the location of the paper tray, but it would still be a nice feature, and it is offered on the OJ7xxx series (the MP730's only real competition when comparing their feature sets). The print driver does allow for manual duplexing, however.

- The footprint is a little larger than I'd like, as its depth is almost 23", mainly due to the paper tray on the rear. But I consider that a small trade-off for the increased paper feed reliability.

Another reason for finally purchasing an MFP was because our old HP DeskJet 722C (five years old) has decided to stop printing yellow. We used it for all our general-purpose printing and use the Canon S9000 and S800 strictly for photo output (my wife has a small home studio photography business). An added bonus from the MP730 is its phenomenal photo quality (for a 4-color printer, most dedicated photo printers are 6-color). Although a trained eye could possibly tell the difference in the prints, I doubt any of my wife's clients could. That allows us to use the MP730 as a back-up photo printer in the event she has a large order or if we run out of ink (not likely, but the S800/S9000 and MP730 take different ink tanks). Of course, photo output is superior on Canon's own photo papers, but we have had great performance from all of our printers on Ilford Galerie Classic and Smooth (gloss and pearl finishes), as well as Red River Ultra/Polar satin and gloss.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

As you can tell I really like canon printers. The reason is because they are well made and have been reliable for me. The biggest plus that really stands out to me is the individual ink tanks. Over the course of time you will literaly save hundreds of dollars by "ONLY REPLACING THE CARTRIDGE THAT IS EMPTY." Printing can be pretty expensive when you are tossing out $35-$40 cartridges when you are only out of one color.

Overall I give the MP730 high marks fo the usual Canon Quality

In a nutshell, the positives are:

- Surprisingly quick printing for an injet, even in color. Faster than the laser from just a few years ago that it replaces

- Excellent print quality -- tested it with color photos at full size and it's outstanding

- Very slick design... small footprint on the desk and looks good too.

- Both a flatbed AND fed copier -- this is very cool. I prefer to use the feeder most of the time (which is what my old multifunction had), but sometimes, if I'm copying a book or something, I wish I had a flatbed. This does both, again in a very compact size.

- Great Canon software and utilities for printing and other tasks

- Individually replaceable ink cartridges (saves money).

Just an outstanding unit -- I would have expected it to cost 2-3x it's price point.

The only downside, and this is a downside of inkjets generally, not the Canon specifically, is that ink is expensive and runs out faster than you think. Over the course of a couple years owning it, the cost of ink will likely outpace the cost of the printer itself.

But if you're deciding among multifunction units and among inkjets, this is a very good pick.