Printers/Scanners

This is the big brother to the recently reviewed HL-4040CN reviewed on the 26-10-07, it certainly is heavier – or I’m getting weaker. This is an All In One colour laser.

This is a All In One as it scans, copies and prints but it also has a built in Light Scribe CD drive so it can also do that bit more, so I suppose it’s an All In One plus unit.

This is quite a squat unit, it will never pass the lounge police as it is very dark grey, so if not in an office into a cupboard never to see the light of day.

For an inkjet printer this is big, but in comparison to some so are it’s most expensive part it’s ink cartridges, hence the claim ‘25% cheaper to run than a laser printer’.

While All-in-One or multifunction devices continue to be the flavour of the month with both retailers and consumers, there is still a place for various standalone devices.

I have been a long time user of a Dymo handheld device for printing labels on tape. The company also produces printers for creating paper-based labels.

As an Officejet it is unlikely to ever get past the ‘lounge police’ partly because it is not small but mainly because it is black with grey sides, shame really as it is a nice MFU.

Put together a scanner, printer and copy facilities with a make-over and you have a new multifunction device from Brother.

A colour laser printer is not necessarily a large offering, while it is course larger than an inkjet it will of course be a good deal heavier but full colour pages – even one offs – can take around 15 seconds.

Scanners have come a long way since the bulky desk-top units of a few years back. The DocuPen RC800 is the latest in a range of hand-held scanners for those that just need to scan on the move.

Silver and grey this is a multi function unit (it has fax) and it is described as an office product so unfortunately however nice it may be it will be expensive.

This All In One product is small and when closed will probably be inoffensive enough to get past the lady of the houses ‘lounge patrol’.

This AIO (all in one) product also has the ability to be totally hidden, not that it is ugly but ladies often decree no printers in the lounge so this can live in a cupboard somewhere without any wires trailing from the PC as it is wireless.

Certainly this tower case is tiny, however it does not mean that there is a lack of connectivity within.

Here the word portable means no mains and not just with a 15x10cm offering. So for anyone needing to produce documents while away from mains power this is it. It is a product that Canon have successfully produced in various forms for years.

Put together the components of an inkjet printer with duplex capability, a flat-bed scanner, fax features, card reading facilities with wireless connectivity and the results could well be the Lexmark X9350 product

This is grey and cream in colour inkjet printer. It’s rather low slung and could even be acceptable in the lounge. Also, it is quite quiet when in use, even in economy mode.

Do you get a lot of business cards? If so when you transfer the information it’s so easy to transpose a couple of numbers in a phone number or a couple of letters in a email address. Here help could be at hand.

This is a MFU (multi function unit) as not only can it copy, scan and print but should you require it then it can also send and receive faxes.

This is a multi function inkjet printer, so it prints, scans (flatbed and page fed), copies and just for those who still need one, it has a fax.

This is not a SELPHY but a Pixma but it only prints 15x10cm images. It looks rather like a projector or a fan heater of a few years ago – rather than a printer, however the images it produces are good.

This is a small 15x10cm printer that prints from almost all cards, direct from cameras via Pict Bridge or from a PC using a USB lead and yes for regular readers I did review it the autumn of last year, however the huge price reduction is the reason for a second look.

Rarely do I look at a standalone scanner, but should you need to scan other than documents then a specialised standalone scanner comes to the fore especially for negatives and slides.

It is only very occasionally I get to see an A3+ printer. This prints quickly even at that large size. However the overall size of the unit is not as big as some other A3+ models.

This black box can – should it be required - occupy a very small space. However the quality of images and text printed are good, so if you have a only a small space this printer could fit it.

When you need help with various office tasks, calling on your Brother could provide the solution.

I – as regular readers will know – am no style guru, but the cream and grey HP PhotoSmart D7160 looks low slung and stylish to me. In fact say it quietly some ladies may even allow it into the lounge.

Unlike multifunction devices, where the scanner is usually a bolt-on basic unit, a dedicated scan can provide additional features.

Having recently looked at the Epson inkjet printers and a flat bed scanner, it is now time to combine these facilities.

This is a stylish looking multi function unit, however despite the neat outward appearance doing things other than copying without the PC is not that easy.