Best Multifunction Printers of 2012
Choosing a new printer for your home or business isn’t all that difficult once you do a bit of thinking on what type of printer you really need and can really afford. There are a lot of choices out there right now if you take all of the types of printers and manufacturers of printers into account so it is normal to be overwhelmed. To make things easier, filter the list to certain category and you should be able to make better decisions especially if you know how to research for reviews. Take the inkjet multifunction printer as an example which is a very specific category that happens to be very popular because of the following advantages.
Quick Access to Common Functions
Although inkjets are slow performers, the versatility isn’t removed. The most basic multifunction printers allow you to scan documents which is just enough for the printer to be a reliable copier. You get access to these functions all from the same peripheral so it certainly adds some convenience when you compare it to having separate devices. With an inkjet multifunction printer, you should be able to perform consecutive tasks much faster. Some of the available inkjet multifunction printers may even have surprisingly good scanning or faxing capabilities making them even more valuable.
Massive Money and Space Savings
A potential advantage of having a separate scanner and separate inkjet printer is the ability to scan and print simultaneously. However, the disadvantage of such a setup has more weight since these two computer peripherals take up more space. Since these peripherals are treated as separate devices, they need to have their own power sources and they need to use up separate USB connections.
Many of the affordable inkjet multifunction printers are quite compact so you enjoy noticeable space savings. They also rely on a single power source and data connection so using the peripheral should save you considerable amounts of power. This also means that you don’t have to worry about turning off multiple devices just to save electricity. Money saving is another story because you are combining the budget nature of the inkjet printer with the savings that you get for not purchasing an inkjet printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine separately.
Greater Flexibility
There are an increasing number of inkjet multifunction printers that support network connectivity. The most basic that you can find is an Ethernet connection which is already reliable for printer sharing since you can plug it into a wireless router so different laptops and computers with wireless adapters can access the printer. Built-in wireless functionality is even more convenient.
Quick and Easy Setup
Inkjets can vary depending on the manufacturer but if you do the necessary research, you should be able to run into a nice multifunction inkjet that only takes a few steps to setup. Installing drivers which is a pain for some should be easy because a single driver’s disc should be enough to get the scanner, printer, and fax functions up and running.
Multifunction printers can benefit any type of user who may need to print, scan, copy, and/or fax. As long as you can tolerate the slow printing speeds, you will very much enjoy the savings and convenience of these types of inkjet printers.