Let me paint you a picture. It’s 11:47 PM. I have one bar of battery left on my laptop. I just bought a Canon MG2206 off Facebook Marketplace for $20 because the seller said, and I quote, “it just needs a driver or something.”

I choose the 2021 version. Download takes 8 seconds. Installation takes 30 minutes.

Then—magic. On the fourth attempt, with the USB cable held at a 37-degree angle and my cat sitting on the scanner lid for emotional support—it works.

Since then, I’ve printed 200 pages of D&D character sheets, scanned receipts for my accountant, and even used the copy function while the driver was asleep (it woke up instantly).

I head to Canon’s website. It feels like a digital labyrinth designed by someone who hates printers. There are three different “MG2200 series” drivers, none of which say “MG2206” explicitly. Do I pick the one from 2021? The “recommended” one from 2019? Or the “alternative” that promises AirPrint compatibility but smells like a beta test?

The Canon MG2206 driver is like a grumpy but reliable librarian—slow to warm up, terrible at directions, but once it likes you, it delivers every time. Just bring your own USB cable and a snack for the wait.

So why 4 stars and not 5? Because the wireless setup is a myth. Don’t believe the box. Just use the USB cable. Accept the cable. Love the cable.

And you know what? The driver is actually solid. No bloatware. No “Canon Optional Photo Album Creator 2015.” Just print and scan. The scan UI looks like it was designed for Windows XP, but it’s responsive, finds the flatbed in 2 seconds, and outputs clean 600dpi PDFs without crashing.