Buyer's Guide: Multifunction Machines

BUYER'S GUIDE: Multifunction Machines

Task masters
Voices of experience
Personal MFMs
Workgroup MFMs

BY MICHAEL ANTONIAK

Task masters

If you’re shopping for a new printer, scanner, copier, or fax, a multifunction machine may make sense as an all-in-one alternative or an economical back-up system for dedicated equipment you already use. MFMs can be grouped into two classes: compact personal systems for the individual’s home or desk and workgroup solutions to meet the heavy demands of a multiuser network. Most vendors offer a range of MFMs.

MFMs with color inkjet printing cost about $200 and take up about as much space as a printer. Print speed and resolution are more than adequate for personal use, and their high-resolution scanners deliver crisp output for copying or printing faxes.

The latest features of personal-use MFMs include memory card slots for printing directly from digital card media without switching on the PC; color faxing; and automatic document feeders. Network capability is often a step-up feature, found on higher-priced systems.

MFMs for workgroups start under $1,000 and can climb to 10 times that amount. They’re network-ready or can be easily equipped for networking. In a networked environment, a built-in print server regulates workflow.

Entry-level workgroup MFMs are built around high-volume color inkjet printers. Higher-end systems are built around laser printers or copiers. Several workgroup MFMs are actually digital printers or copiers at their core but allow you to upgrade to an MFM with an add-on kit.

When considering any system for the office or work group, duty cycle is a telling feature. It’s a manufacturer’s best estimate of how many prints the system can produce in a month.

Besides evaluating the hardware before you purchase an MFM, consider the warranty, the cost of extended warranty and service, and access to a repair center. But with the affordability of today’s systems, you’ll be hard pressed to beat the value of high-tech multitasking.

Narrowing your selection

Evaluate multifunction machines on the basis of

Primary need Even if an MFM is your all-in-one document solution, consider your primary need—printing, scanning, copying, or faxing—first when evaluating systems.
Number of users This is the best indicator of what type of MFM you require.
Color Most MFMs are color systems. But in large workgroups with heavy demand for basic printing, copying, and faxing, a monochrome system may be more practical.
Print speed Given in pages per minute, it’s usually vendors’ best estimate of printing and copying speed in draft or economy mode, the lowest quality speed. Color saturation and coverage area can significantly slow inkjet output. If you make great use of color prints or copies, a higher-priced laser system may be the better investment, especially for the networked office. Printing a lot of pictures? A built-in memory card reader for direct printing is useful.
Scanning High-resolution, 48-bit scanning is standard. A flatbed scanner with the largest scan area (legal-sized) will prove most versatile. “Scan-to” functions, such as for e-mail, PC folders, or FTP, save time when preparing documents for distribution.
Fax capability Most MFMs either offer PC faxing, which enables you to send and receive faxes through your computer, or serve as a stand-alone fax machine, working even when your computer is off. A few models offer both.
Load A multipage, automatic document feeder frees you up for other responsibilities.
Consumables You’ll use a lot of ink to print, make copies, and receive faxes. Estimate how often you’ll need to replace ink cartridges and determine the cost of replacements, and you’ll be in a better position to decide which system is your best buy long term.

Voices of experience

Cynthia Lloyd
Prudential Carruthers, REALTORS®, Winchester, Va.

Like many practitioners, Lloyd began investigating multifunction machines as a space-saving measure for her home office across the state line in West Virginia, where she also holds a license.

She decided a Brother MFM offered the best mix: good print speed and an attractive price. Primarily, she uses it as a printer, but the unit also serves her home copying and faxing needs. And she’s saving money in a way she didn’t expect. “I’m not printing as much color as I thought I would, which reduces the need for more costly ink.”

Niel Thomas, CCIM, CRS®
Coldwell Banker Fortune Inc., Anchorage, Alaska

Thomas was shopping for an automatic, high-resolution sheet-fed scanner last year, but discovered the Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet 6110 MFM offered the best buy with that feature. “I already own a high-end color laser printer, so all I really needed was the scanner,” he says.

The scanner simplifies the process of posting property information, such as disclosures, to his Web site. Thomas can load up to 50 pages of property documents into the feeder at a time, and set the unit to “scan to file.” “I bought the full version of Adobe Acrobat, so the scanner converts documents into a PDF file, which I upload to my FTP server,” he explains. “Anyone who looks at property on my site can also download the entire file.

“And in a competitive situation, showing sellers how much information I’ll put online about their property can help get the listing,” he says.

FACTOID

If you don’t learn everything about how your technology works, you’ll never be able to make your technology work for you.
—Stephen Carter, former CEO Cingular Wireless, as quoted in Fast Company

PERSONAL MFMs

Canon MultiPASS MP390 $199
Canon U.S.A., www.usa.canon.com, 800/652-2666. Color BubbleJet photo printer/copier/fax/scanner for Windows. Maximum output speed 18 pages per minute (ppm) black, 12 ppm color. 4,800 dpi maximum print resolution. Color scanning of originals up to 8.5 by 11.7 inches; monochrome and color fax capability. 100-sheet document feeder, 200-page fax memory, and card slots for printing directly from digital camera or flash card media. Copy reduction/enlargement.

Dell A960 $199 (VIP Partner)
Dell Computer, www.dell.com, 800/999-3355. Color inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax for Windows 2000 or XP. Functions as stand-alone fax. 17 ppm black, 12 ppm color. 4,800 dpi maximum print resolution, 50-page automatic document feeder, and flatbed scanner. Ink-management system alerts user to order replacement cartridges.

Stylus CX6400 $199
Epson America Inc., www.epson.com, 800/463-7766. Color inkjet printer/scanner/copier for Windows and Macintosh. 22 ppm black, 11 ppm color printing or copying. 5,760 dpi maximum resolution. Scan directly to e-mail, to print, or to file. Produces two, four, or more copies of one image on same page. Uses separate ink cartridges for each color. Memory card slot for printing directly from flash media.

MFC-3820cn $199
Brother International Corp., www.brother.com, 908/704-1700. Color inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax for Windows and Macintosh. Stand-alone fax with 16MB memory. 14 ppm black, 12 ppm color. 4,800 dpi maximum resolution. 20-page automatic document feeder, slots for printing directly from digital camera, and flatbed scanner. Saves scanned images to flash media. Network ready.

OfficeJet 7110 $399.99 (VIP Partner)
Hewlett Packard, www.hp.com/sbso, 800/888-0262. Color inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax for Windows and Macintosh. Stand-alone color fax with 100-page memory, 130-number speed dial. 22 ppm black, 18 ppm color printing. 4,800 dpi maximum resolution. Flatbed scanner. Scan or copy originals up to 8.5 by 14 inches. 50-page automatic document feeder, copy reduction/enlargement, and two-sided printing. Network option.

WorkCentre PE16 $499
Xerox Corp., www.xerox.com, 800/691-6664. Monochrome laser printer/copier with color scanner/fax functions for Windows. 17 ppm printing. 600 dpi maximum print resolution. 30-page automatic page feeder, flatbed color scanner, stand-alone fax with 320-page memory, and copy reduction/enlargement.

WORKGROUP MFMs

OfficeJet 9130 $999 (VIP Partner)
Hewlett Packard, www.hp.com/sbso, 800/888-0262. Color inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax for Windows. 26 ppm black, 22 ppm color printing. 4,800 dpi maximum resolution. 128MB RAM, expandable. 50-sheet document feeder, automatic two-sided printing, network-ready internal print server, flatbed scanner, and built-in keyboard. Digitally sends scanned or copied documents directly to e-mail or folder. Individual ink cartridges for each color. Monthly maximum work cycle: 10,000 pages.

C5300n $4,299
Oki Data Americas Inc., www.okidata.com, 800/654-3282. Color LED printer/copier/scanner/fax for Windows and Macintosh. 20 ppm black, 12 ppm color printing. 1,200 dpi maximum resolution. 25-page automatic document feeder, flatbed scanner. Scan to PC for faxing via computer modem; scan to e-mail file folder. Network-ready with built-in print server. 10 preset copy scaling functions for one-touch operation. Monthly maximum work cycle: 50,000 pages.

LD024c $5,600
Lanier Worldwide Inc., www.lanier.com, 770/496-9500. Color printer/copier/scanner with fax option for Windows and Macintosh. 24 ppm black, 8 ppm color printing. 600 dpi maximum resolution. Automatic two-sided printing, maximum print size 11 by 17 inches, color flatbed scanner, and scan to e-mail, folder, or Web site options. Printer/scanner has 250MHz processor, 384MB RAM, and 40GB hard drive. Network ready.

InfoPrint Color 1354 (VIP Partner)
with multifunction option (MFP) $6,502 ($2,156 for printer; $4,346 for MFP upgrade) IBM, www.ibm.com/printers, 800/358-6661. Color laser printer/copier/scanner/fax for Windows. 20 ppm black and color printing. 1,200 dpi maximum resolution. 128MB RAM, expandable. MFP upgrade adds 50-page document feeder. Flatbed scanner for scanning up to 23 pages per minute in monochrome, 14 per minute in color. Integrated fax modem. Monthly maximum work cycle: 85,000 pages. Network option.

Di2510f $7,760 with upgrade kit
Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, www.minoltausa.com, 201/825-4000. Monochrome laser printer/copier/fax with scanner upgrade option for Windows. Stand-alone fax with 540-number one-touch dial memory. 25 ppm black printing. 600 dpi maximum resolution. Automatic two-sided printing, print sizes up to 11 by 17 inches. Scanner option adds flatbed scanner with scan to FTP, e-mail, and PC functions. Finishing options available for production of booklets. Monthly work cycle: 120,000 pages.

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Prices are the manufacturers’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change. This list isn’t comprehensive; NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and isn’t responsible for changes in company info.