FIRST PURCHASE: Multifunction Device
All reviews by Bruce Brown PC Magazine
Multifunction devices (MfDs) shine in home offices. Using one device as a printer, copier, fax, and scanner saves desk space and limits the amount and type of supplies you need on hand. We asked the leading MFD makers--Brother and Hewlett-Packard--to submit their latest entries.
The Brother MFC-9200C (AU$1,349) is among the most versatile of mfDs, because it includes a flatbed scanner, useful for scanning (or copying or faxing) magazines, books, photo prints, or other originals you don't want to run through a sheet feeder. This feature along with its speed make the device worth its price tag.
The MFC-9200C connects directly to a PC via either USB or parallel-port connections, and it also has an optional network print server, linking it to the network via a hub for shared access. The device can also be a standalone image centre. Separate CompactFlash and SmartMedia slots on the front of the unit let you plug in memory modules from a digital camera and print directly from them, without loading the images onto your PC. Even on plain paper, we could print useful photo-image index pages directly from a memory card and then pick the ones we wanted to output on glossy colour stock.
The unit uses separate ink tanks for each color, which saves money in the long run, since you don't have to replace all of the cartridges when you run out of only one color. You can send a fax while printing without interrupting the task, and if you receive a fax or make a copy, the machine stops printing until the fax or copy is done. Black text and colour copies are very good, although in default mode the copies were a bit grainier than the originals.
Like the MFC-9200C, the HP OfficeJet K80 (AU$999) can be used either as a personal device or as a shared printer on a network. The OfficeJet Direct software standardises operations: you use the same program to control printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. Default-mode colour copies were fine for general office use, but for presentations or distribution outside your company, you'll probably want to kick up the quality. We were particularly impressed by the way photos came out on HP glossy photo printer paper. The OfficeJet was by far the fastest of the MfDs at scanning--an 8 x 10in target took only 28 seconds.
Brother MFC-9200C
Company: Brother Australia
Ph: 02 9887 4344
Price: AU$1,349
Rating:
HP OfficeJet K80
Company: Hewlett-Packard Australia
Ph: 13 13 47
Price: AU$999
Rating:
8%
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