Your suggestion about new All-in-One printer

sk4mjdhn

Honorable
Mar 4, 2012
2
0
10,510
Hi, i'm a new user of this community.

I would have a suggestion from you about my new printer, that will have those functions:

- Multifunction 4 in 1
- More important fax and scan functions
- Fax from the PC (sending and receiving) [most important]
- wifi
- Adf (possibly automatic duplexing)
- Cartridges / refills cheap [not important, because the print function I would use very little]
- Printing on usb and direct capture from usb (or memory card) [not so much important]
- Budget under 100 €

I threw my eyes on Lexmark Pro Prospect 205 (a lot of functionality at a very affordable price, will be a dud?), But if I'm not mistaken does not have the ability to send faxes from PC.

Then there would be the Brother MFC-J625DW, but we're a bit over budget.

Otherwise Canon PIXMA MX410 (but I could not figure out if it meets all the requirements) and perhaps the new and not yet available MX435/535.

Or BX305FW Epson PLUS (do not know if it sends faxes from the computer, and I will not have the automatic two-sided).

For HP, finally, there would be the only wireless Officejet 4500.

Is there a printer that meets all the above features?

Thank you in advance!
 

michschu1

Distinguished
Nov 27, 2008
25
0
18,530
Hi Friend, am in the same boat as you looking for an all-in-one printer, though I would not mind if the fax function is not there. Agreed we all want everything, but will it come at the quoted price? We do have to realize that added features most definitely comes with an added cost. If something appears too good to be true, then naturally that would be the case and would be found out later the hard way, (eg: Cheap printer, Costly ink, errors in functioning, easily damaged components, some functions missing, like either no memory card slot or USB printing, no direct CD/DVD printing, and poor quality customer support).

I have looked through hell a lot of pages on the net regarding the same and let me suggest you some realistic options. First and foremost, Google searches will lead you to many models of all-in-one printers. Problem with that, the models are country specific or might be of an older date or way above a person's budget(due to all the features). Meaning it will either not be available in your country and moreover there would now be a newer model (not necessarily better) in place of the previous model and naturally the older model either not be sold or marketed in favor of the newer one. I do not know your location (guessing UK since you mention pounds, but I hate guesses) so am unable to determine which model will suit you.

My humble advice would be check out the respective manufacturer's/brand's website according to your geographical location for example if looking for a Canon model in UK, I would search canon.uk or go to the main canon site and change location to country of present location to get a choice pertaining to that zone hence narrowing down the options. Then check out the features of each model and whichever suits your price and meets your desired features, check if any reviews are available for it on any website. What I usually do is note down the model number and then check amazon, etc for reviews and instead of reading too many of the 5 star reviews, stick to reading the 2 star and 1 star reviews which explain the pros, defects or cons of the respective model in detail.

This also depends on the level of expertise of the person doing the review, if it is just one or two lines saying "bad" or "worst," I don't trust that person as knowledgeable, whereas if they mention clearly what the problem is, it would help others to make a decision and also gain some knowledge on the real world application of it. Some people claim non-compatibility with a particular OS, etc, so if it does not pertain to you, skip that aspect and move onto what pertains to your requirements, and if it makes a match, just Go For It! I would advise you not to depend on something that is not yet available because it is like trying to judge the child that is not yet born. You never know its advantages or disadvantages because none would have experienced the same. The newer model could also turn out to be just a marketing gimmick with just a color change, or a worthless feature to an already existing product.

As you noticed yourself, most of the printers DO NOT mention clearly the problem of not being able to fax from the PC without printing first and also some other basic functions like printing black alone, etc to be done manually. More importantly also there is the very aggravating issue of some printers refusing to scan or do some other function, instead of print when only one cartridge is empty(in the case of 5 ink tank printers) and not work unless it is replaced. Kindly try to check these information if available or personally ask the shop person(very clearly and making sure stating that if there is an issue you would return it) before you make your purchase so that it would save you from any headaches in the future.

Sorry, I did not mention any models as of now because you have not mentioned your location, though I do hope my long reply is not in vain and is of some use/help in at least making your decision better or at least creating a more aware or realistic approach in your personal research as to what to look for to cater to your needs. Do let me know if still unsure and I will try to guide based on what I have come to learn myself, but I would still consider it better to hear from someone with real world/hands on experience with a product. Take care and Happy Hunting :)
 

michschu1

Distinguished
Nov 27, 2008
25
0
18,530
Err, well according to my research, the so called good models with all those features are well above the 100 pound mark :( MX 886 for example.
 

sk4mjdhn

Honorable
Mar 4, 2012
2
0
10,510
Thanks for your reply!

I'm from Italy, and my choice probably will be a Brother MFC-J625DW (automatic duplex print, low cost ink, print on usb, fax from pc [not sure]).

The only function that i can't find in a 4in1 is the automatic duplex scan (probably i have to look to a much more expensive machine)...

PS: latest Canon models aren't available in my country.
 

michschu1

Distinguished
Nov 27, 2008
25
0
18,530
Your welcome my friend and thanks for the info. That was what I needed. I did check the site for Canon Italy. The new models are fortunately available on your country website, unlike my country India :(

I would however suggest you check out the website before going for the Brother, i.e. Canon Italy and have a peek at the MX models listed there those are with fax facility. Check out MX420, MX435, MX515, MX715, under multifunction printers which should be within your budget and check for Auto Duplex under the specifications. If it has something like supported media for Auto Duplex under specifications then it will have that function. Warning: Not to be confused with ADF (Automatic Document Feeding). It has to be specifically mentioned Auto Duplex or well it will be mentioned in the reviews on some other website. ;)

You can also check if any of the other models on the website fall under your favorable price and check out some general reviews about them on other sites. Other than that, HP was not well appreciated or recommended on forums and the only other models, were one of the Epson ones and then Brother, but not very favorable reviews. However, if you still find that none of them match your specifications, feel free to make your decision based on what you feel is right. Take Care and All the Best for Your purchase. CHEERS!