Lexmark’s PrinTrio P3150 can copy, scan, print, and read digital camera flash-memory cards like most multifunction printers. Another anomaly: Overall, the P3150 is not a great multifunction printer, but for $99, it’s so affordable that it’s a good choice if you’re on a tight budget and have simple needs.
The P3150′s angular edges and sloping sides give the 10-by-23.3-by-15.2-inch (W, D, and H) multifunction printer an attractive modern-architecture look. The input tray of this cheap printer folds down flat and that the output tray slides completely underneath when the device is idle. Another convenience is the removable scanner lid, which makes it possible to scan and copy bulky documents. The Lexmark PrinTrio P3150 uses three ink cartridges but only two at a time: the basic three-color cartridge and either a black or photo ink cartridge. Other software of this cheap printer includes Memory Card Formatter, a utility that prepares new flash-memory cards in the printer’s card reader slots, and Memory Card Manager, a separate utility for copying images from cards to your computer.
The cheap PrinTrio P3150 prints text at a bearable 4.3 pages per minute and it prints photos at 4.7 minutes per page about three times faster than the HP but only two-thirds of the Epson’s speed. It takes 46 seconds to copy a monochrome document, where the Epson requires 19 seconds. This cheap printer prints text on inkjet paper with near-perfect definition, no shadowing or spatter, with even weighting–in short, it looks almost as good as laser printer output.