Multifunction printer and scanner
I have always been sceptical about multifunction devices that claim to be able to do it all. Too often they fall into the “jack- of-all-trades, master of none” category. This was true of first-generation “smartphones” that aimed to combine the functions of a PDA (personal digital assistant) and a mobile phone but managed instead to be clunky, cumbersome and not very effective as either type of device.
Similarly, early “all-in-one” desktop devices that aimed to replace the standalone printer and scanner, copier and often facsimile machine tended to turn out to be uncomfortable compromises. Most lagged behind the leading technology in at least one area, many were bulky and were not good value for money. Perhaps worst of all, if one part of the multifunction device broke the whole machine was rendered pretty much useless.
For me these drawbacks have outweighed the advantages of desktop multifunction devices, including space saving, relative ease of set up and the absence of messy connecting cables. For many home office or small business users, standalone printer and scanner will still be the best option, particularly if space is not a big issue. But a new generation of all-in-one desktop machines has overcome many of the earlier drawbacks and made the choice much harder.
Some of the new multifunction printer and scanner, copy and print without making too many sacrifices in terms of output quality, speed or usability. Most cost less than Dollars 300 and have a maximum paper size of 8.5in by 14in. Most can also print directly from digital camera memory cards and some, including Canon’s Pixma MP760 Photo All-in-One, the Epson Stylus Photo RX620 and Hewlett-Packard’s PSC 2710, can print directly from digital cameras using built-in “PictBridge” technology.
I have been testing the Epson Stylus Photo RX620 (www.epson.com), which costs about 300 Dollars and is typical of the new multifunction machines. The RX620 is easy to set up out of the box – it comes with a simple six-step guide and a slim plain-English “Quick Guide” manual. Like other multifunction desktops, it operates as a printer, scanner and standalone copier without the need to attach a PC (or Mac). It will also let you scan a document and fax if you have a separate modem and fax program running on a PC.
Perhaps most impressively, the RX620 can function as a standalone photo lab built around a six-colour inkjet printer engine capable of producing superb images. Not only can it print images directly from memory cards and the growing number of PictBridge-powered digital cameras, but it also features a built-in transparency adapter in the scanner cover enabling it to scan and print from 35mm slides: ideal if, like me, you have a collection of “legacy” slides.
paul taylor
