I remember the sinking feeling well. It was 10 PM on a Sunday, and my son had just announced he needed to print a 30-page, full-colour history project for the next morning. I hit “Print,” and the dreaded “Low Ink” warning flashed on the screen. A frantic search through drawers revealed no spare cartridges. It was a classic scenario that has played out in homes and small offices for decades: the printer itself was affordable, but the cost of its lifeblood—the ink—felt like a subscription service I never knowingly signed up for. This constant cycle of buying expensive, low-yield cartridges isn’t just frustrating; it’s a significant, recurring expense. It’s this exact problem that drove us to investigate a different breed of printer, one that promised freedom from the cartridge trap: the ink tank system. The question was, could a model like the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer truly deliver on its promise of high-volume, low-cost printing without major compromises?
What to Consider Before Buying an All-In-One Printer
An All-In-One Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for consolidating your home or small office needs into a single, efficient footprint. Instead of having a separate printer, scanner, and photocopier, an all-in-one device handles all these tasks, saving valuable desk space and money. The main benefit, especially with ink tank models, is the drastic reduction in long-term running costs. For anyone tired of the “razor and blades” business model of cheap printers and expensive cartridges, an ink tank system offers a refreshingly transparent and economical alternative, capable of printing thousands of pages from a single set of ink bottles.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing high-volume printing demands. This includes students printing research papers and assignments, families with multiple school-aged children, home office professionals who regularly print reports and invoices, or even hobbyists printing colour-rich craft projects. These users will see the most significant savings and benefit most from the massive page yields. On the other hand, it might not be suitable for those who print only a handful of pages per month. For them, the higher initial investment in a tank printer may not pay off quickly, and a more basic, cheaper cartridge model might suffice. Likewise, professional photographers requiring the absolute pinnacle of photo quality might look towards specialised, multi-ink photo printers instead of a general-purpose all-in-one.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: While an all-in-one consolidates devices, it still requires a dedicated space. The Canon PIXMA G2570 measures 41.6W x 33.7D x 17.7H centimetres. Always measure your intended desk or shelf space to ensure a comfortable fit, leaving room for paper trays and access to the scanner lid.
- Capacity/Performance: This is where tank printers excel. Look at the page yield; the G2570 boasts up to 6,000 black and 7,700 colour pages per fill. Also, consider print speed, measured in images per minute (ipm). A higher ipm means faster output, which is crucial for large documents.
- Connectivity & Features: How will you connect to the printer? Many modern printers offer Wi-Fi, allowing you to print from laptops, phones, and tablets wirelessly. The G2570 is a USB-only model, which is a significant factor to consider. Also, check for features like automatic two-sided (duplex) printing, which saves paper, and borderless printing for photos.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: Refilling ink tanks should be a clean and simple process. Look for keyed bottles that only fit the correct colour tank. A major, often overlooked, feature is user-replaceable parts. The G2570 allows users to replace the print heads and maintenance cartridge, dramatically extending the printer’s lifespan compared to models where a clogged head becomes a fatal flaw.
Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer stands out in several areas, particularly its running costs and maintenance design. You can explore its detailed specifications and features here.
While the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer is an excellent choice for a specific user, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
First Impressions: Built for Economy, Not Extravagance
Unboxing the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer, the first thing we noticed was its straightforward, functional design. It’s a compact and reasonably lightweight machine at 6kg, crafted from the standard matte black plastic common to home office electronics. It doesn’t feel premium, but it feels sturdy enough for its intended environment. Inside the box, the stars of the show are the four GI-51 ink bottles—Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Seeing these hefty bottles next to the printer immediately reinforces the “MegaTank” promise. Unlike the tiny cartridges we’re used to, these bottles contain enough ink for thousands of pages right out of the box.
Also included are the two print heads (one for black, one for colour), which the user must install. This step, while adding a few minutes to the setup, is a huge long-term advantage. The box contents list a USB cable, and our test unit included one. However, we’ve seen user feedback suggesting this isn’t always the case, so it’s prudent to have a standard USB-B printer cable on hand just in case. The front panel features a simple LCD display and physical buttons, eschewing a modern touchscreen for a more traditional, and arguably more reliable, control method. Overall, the initial impression is that Canon has focused every aspect of this printer’s design on delivering one thing: cost-effective, high-volume printing.
Key Benefits
- Incredible page yield and exceptionally low cost-per-page
- User-replaceable print heads and maintenance cartridge enhance longevity
- Excellent text and solid photo print quality for its class
- Automatic duplex printing saves paper and time
Potential Drawbacks
- No Wi-Fi or any form of wireless connectivity (USB only)
- Setup can be more involved than a standard cartridge printer
A Deep Dive into the Canon PIXMA G2570’s Performance
A printer’s value is ultimately determined by how it performs day-to-day. We put the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer through its paces, focusing on the entire user experience from setup to long-term use, to see if its incredible running costs justify its one major compromise.
Setup and Connectivity: A Tale of Two Experiences
Getting the G2570 up and running is a more hands-on process than with a simple cartridge printer, and our experience mirrored some of the mixed feedback we’ve seen from users. First, you have to physically install the two print heads into the carriage, locking them down with a blue lever. While the instructions are clear, it’s a delicate process that could be intimidating for a non-technical user. One user noted finding this part “not the easiest job,” and we can understand why. It requires a bit of care, but it’s a one-time task that enables one of the printer’s best features: long-term serviceability.
Next comes the best part of the setup: filling the ink tanks. This is where Canon’s design truly shines. Each ink bottle has a uniquely keyed nozzle that only fits the corresponding colour tank on the printer. This makes it physically impossible to pour cyan ink into the yellow tank, for example. It’s a foolproof system that is clean, quick, and deeply satisfying. Watching the ink levels rise through the transparent windows on the front of the printer gives you a tangible sense of the immense printing capacity you’ve just unlocked. After a brief software-initiated ink priming process, the hardware is ready.
However, this is where we encountered the printer’s single biggest weakness: its connectivity. The Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer is a USB-only device. There is no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no Ethernet port. In an era where we print from laptops on the sofa, tablets in the kitchen, and smartphones on the go, this is a glaring omission. As one frustrated user bluntly stated, “the printer DOESN’T HAVE WIFI!!!” This limitation cannot be overstated. It means the printer must be physically tethered to a single PC or laptop. This might be acceptable for a dedicated home office workstation, but it’s a significant inconvenience for any household with multiple users or devices. Driver installation on our Windows PC was straightforward, but it’s worth noting the feedback from a Linux user who found drivers were available, allowing for basic functionality, which is a positive sign for the open-source community.
The MegaTank Promise: Cost-Per-Page and Print Quality Examined
The entire reason for this printer’s existence is to obliterate high printing costs, and in this mission, it is an astonishing success. The included ink bottles are rated for up to 6,000 black pages and 7,700 colour pages. To put that in perspective, if you print 200 pages a month, the starter black ink could last you for two and a half years. Replacement bottles are also very reasonably priced, bringing the cost-per-page down to a fraction of a penny—a figure that is simply unattainable with traditional ink cartridges. This isn’t just a small saving; it’s a fundamental shift in the economics of home printing. For any family, student, or small business that prints regularly, the savings over the printer’s lifetime will amount to hundreds of pounds. This economic advantage is, without a doubt, the most compelling reason to consider the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer.
But low cost is meaningless without quality. Thankfully, the G2570 delivers. Text documents are excellent. Using the pigment-based black ink, text is sharp, crisp, and dark, easily rivalling that of a laser printer for everyday reports and schoolwork. The print speed of 11 images per minute (ipm) for black and white is respectable for a home inkjet. Colour printing, while slower at 6 ipm, is also impressive. We printed a variety of documents, from charts and graphs to full-page photos on glossy paper. Colours were vibrant and accurate, and the maximum resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi allows for a surprising amount of detail. The borderless photo printing feature works flawlessly up to A4 size, producing frame-worthy prints that are perfect for family albums or projects.
Scanning, Copying, and Long-Term Durability
As an all-in-one device, printing is only part of the story. The flatbed scanner on top is a capable performer. It handles documents and photos up to A4 size with good detail and colour accuracy, making it perfect for digitising old photos, scanning receipts for expenses, or making digital copies of important documents. The copier function works standalone, without needing to be connected to a PC. It’s straightforward to use via the LCD screen and buttons, allowing you to make up to 30 copies at a time. The copy speed is modest, but perfectly adequate for occasional home use.
Perhaps the most underrated feature is its design for longevity. We were particularly impressed by the point raised by a user who switched to this Canon after a frustrating experience with a competitor’s printer whose print heads failed prematurely. The Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer features both user-replaceable print heads and a user-replaceable maintenance cartridge (which absorbs waste ink). This is a game-changer. In many other inkjets, a severely clogged print head or a full waste tank means the printer is essentially disposable. With the G2570, these are consumable parts that can be easily purchased and swapped out at home, potentially extending the useful life of the printer by many years. This commitment to serviceability, combined with the low running costs, makes it a truly sustainable and economical long-term investment.
What Other Users Are Saying
Synthesizing feedback from other users provides a well-rounded picture that confirms our own findings. There’s a clear divide in opinion, centred almost entirely on the connectivity issue. One user expressed extreme frustration, highlighting three key points: a delayed delivery, the lack of Wi-Fi, and a difficult setup process, particularly with installing the print heads. Their warning, “if you don’t happen to have an antique usb cable in your house, DO NOT BUY this piece of junk,” underscores the immense value modern users place on wireless convenience and the shock of finding it absent.
Conversely, another user offered a more nuanced perspective rooted in long-term value. Having owned a reliable Canon printer for many years, they specifically chose the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer for its refillable tanks and, crucially, its replaceable print heads after a rival Epson model became useless due to head failure. This user, who also uses Linux, confirmed that drivers were available and the printer worked well for basic tasks. Their experience validates our assessment that the G2570’s greatest strengths are its durability and rock-bottom running costs, appealing to practical users who prioritize function and economy over cutting-edge features.
How Does the Canon PIXMA G2570 Compare to the Alternatives?
The Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer exists in a competitive market. To understand its place, it’s essential to compare it against other popular options that cater to different needs.
1. Brother DCP-1612W Wireless Mono Laser Printer
The Brother DCP-1612W is a completely different beast. As a monochrome laser printer, its sole focus is on printing black and white text quickly and cheaply. It boasts wireless connectivity, which the Canon lacks, and significantly faster print speeds. However, it cannot print, scan, or copy in colour. This makes it an ideal choice for a home office that deals exclusively with text-based documents like invoices, reports, and letters, and where speed and wireless access are paramount. If you never need colour, the Brother is a strong contender, but if you want to print photos, school projects, or colour charts, the Canon G2570 is infinitely more versatile.
2. Epson Expression Photo XP-15000 Printer
The Epson XP-15000 sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. This is not an all-in-one; it is a dedicated A3+ wireless photo printer designed for enthusiasts and professional photographers. It uses a six-colour ink system to produce stunning, gallery-quality photos with superior colour accuracy and tonal range than the G2570 can manage. However, it uses expensive cartridges, and its running costs for general document printing would be prohibitively high. Someone should choose the Epson if their primary, or only, goal is to produce the highest quality photographic prints. For anyone needing a versatile device for documents, copies, and scans alongside good-quality photos, the Canon G2570 offers a much more balanced and economical solution.
3. Canon PIXMA TS3750i Wireless All-in-One Printer
This is a compelling alternative from Canon’s own lineup and highlights the MegaTank’s value proposition perfectly. The TS3750i is a traditional all-in-one that uses standard ink cartridges. Its main advantages are a lower initial purchase price and built-in wireless connectivity, making it far more convenient for multi-device households. However, its running costs will be dramatically higher than the G2570’s. The standard cartridges yield only a couple of hundred pages, meaning you’ll be buying replacements frequently at a high cost-per-page. The TS3750i is best for the very infrequent user who values upfront cost and wireless ease-of-use above all else. For anyone printing more than a few pages a week, the G2570 will prove far cheaper in the long run.
Final Verdict: An Economic Powerhouse for the Right Person
The Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer is a printer of brilliant highs and one cavernous low. On the one hand, its MegaTank system is a triumph of economy. The astoundingly low cost-per-page, massive ink capacity included in the box, and user-serviceable design make it one of the most cost-effective and sustainable printing solutions available for the home or small office. The print quality for both text and photos is more than sufficient for its target audience.
However, the complete lack of wireless connectivity is a baffling decision in today’s market. This single omission relegates it to a niche category of users who have a single, dedicated computer station and do not require the flexibility of printing from mobile devices. If you fit that description and your primary goal is to slash your printing budget to the bone for high-volume tasks, this printer is an outstanding choice that will save you a small fortune over its long life. For everyone else, the convenience of a wireless model, even with higher running costs, may be a better fit.
If you’ve decided the wired-in, high-economy approach of the Canon PIXMA G2570 Series All-in-One MegaTank Printer is the right fit for your needs, you can check its current price and purchase it here.