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Need the latest in office technology but don't have room inyour office--or your budget--for all those different machines? Takeadvantage of the new streamlining trend by purchasing one of thelatest multifunction office machines.
Dubbed MFDs (multifunctional devices), these marvels of moderntechnology enable you to print, scan, copy and send faxes directlyfrom your computer using one compact unit. Though MFDs are poppingup in offices everywhere, the midpriced models are ideal for small-and home-office use. They save space, cut down on clutter and allowhomebased and small-business owners to acquire all theaccoutrements of a large corporate office--for a fraction of theprice. Some MFDs even come with extras such as software packages,color printing and telephone answering machines that can make doingbusiness considerably more convenient.
Four different print processes are available: laser, lightemitting diode (LED), thermal transfer and inkjet. Laser printingprovides the highest printing quality, LED is near laser quality,and inkjets and thermal transfer are slightly less precise but muchless expensive.
Keep this caveat in mind: If one component of your MFD breaksdown, the functioning of the entire unit can come to a screechinghalt. Many manufacturers offer repair service with extremely quickturnaround time, but you still need to be prepared to face thissort of emergency.
Before you shop for an MFD, make a list of the features youabsolutely must have, and establish your price range. At the store,ask for a demonstration of each key feature to check theuser-friendliness of the machines that interest you.
Model: Xerox WorkCentre 450c
Phone: (800) TEAM-XRX
Estimated street price (ESP): $549
Extras: software package, color printing
Printer type/ quality: inkjet; 600 dpi monochrome, 300 dpicolor (600 dpi color on high-resolution paper)
Print speed: up to 6 pages per minute (ppm) monochrome withoptional high-capacity cartridge or 4 ppm without,1 ppm color
Warranty: Xerox Overnight Exchange Service replacesmalfunctioning unit on the next business day.
One of the more affordable MFDs available, the Xerox WorkCentre450c provides high-quality color printing and has an innovativemultitasking capability that allows you to perform up to threetasks at once. The WorkCentre 450c can fax and print, scan andprint, or scan and fax--without tying up your computer--so you cancontinue to work.
The software package includes document recognition andcommunication programs that enhance the Xerox 450c's scanningand PC faxing capabilities. Another plus is that color inkcartridges can be replaced separately as each color runs out,saving you about 40 percent in color ink usage.
Model: Okidata OkiOffice 44
Phone: (800) OKIDATA
ESP: $999
Extras: telephone answering machine interface (you providethe answering machine), software package
Printer type/quality: LED; 600 dpi monochrome
Print speed: 4 ppm
Warranty: 1-year Overnight Exchange Program, 5-yearwarranty, LED printhead
The Okidata OkiOffice 44 provides an economical alternative topurchasing a laser printer for those who are looking for"better than inkjet" quality results. The includedJetSuite software allows you to scan documents for customized copyoptions. With this software, you can reduce, enlarge, rotate andformat your document, then produce copies. The Power Save Modeautomatically reduces power usage to less than 20 watts when theunit is inactive.
Model: Hewlett Packard OfficeJet 610
Phone: (800) 752-0900
ESP: $599
Extras: software package, color printing
Printer type/quality: inkjet; 600 dpi monochrome, 300 dpicolor
Print speed: 5 ppm monochrome, 2 ppm color
Warranty: The 1-year Express Repair returns unit withinthree to five business days.
The Hewlett Packard OfficeJet 610 features ColorSmarttechnology, which automatically selects the best settings for photoimages, text and graphics. The software package includes CorelPrint & Photo House Select 2.0. This software helps you createcolor fliers, banners, newsletters and calendars.
Model: Brother MFC-7000FC
Phone: (800) 521-2846
ESP: $999
Extras: color printing, software package, Video Capture,message center, telephone
Printer type/quality: inkjet; 720 dpi monochrome, 720 dpicolor
Print speed: 5 ppm monochrome, 3 ppm color
Warranty: 1-year replacement warranty
The Brother MFC-7000FC's Video Capture is by far its mostunique feature, allowing you to capture video frames directly fromyour VCR, television, video camera, digital camera or laser-discplayer. Using a standard NTSC video-input jack, you can copy thevideo frame directly or capture the frame on your computer andprint, fax, copy or save the image in a file. The included softwarewill help you retouch and manipulate the video images for use innewsletters and visual aids.
The MFC-7000FC also has the highest printing, scanning andcopying resolution of the inkjets featured.
Model: Mita MIP-650
Phone: (800) ABC-MITA
ESP: $699
Extras: distinctive ring detection, built-in telephonehandset
Printer type/quality: laser; 600 dpi
Print speed: 6 ppm
Warranty: 1-year warranty and technical support
The Mita MIP-650 offers laser printing with time-savingcommunications features. The MIP-650's Quick Scan featureallows you to scan documents into memory through a 30-sheetautomatic document feeder, eliminating the need to wait for eachpage of your fax to transmit before returning to work. Ideal forhome offices with only one phone line, voice and fax features canbe used on the same phone line, thanks to the built-infax/telephone switching and distinctive ring detection.
Model: Sharp UX-1400
Phone: (800) BE-SHARP
ESP: $479
Extras: telephone and answering system
Printer type/quality: thermal transfer; 200 dpimonochrome
Print speed: 2 ppm
Warranty: 90 days parts and labor
The multifunction software package included with the SharpUX-1400 offers a convenient filing-cabinet feature that helpsorganize incoming and outgoing faxes, while a uniqueimage-annotation feature allows you to place "stickynotes" on documents and highlight important areas in color foreasy referencing.
The telephone's caller ID function, which works inconjunction with your local phone company's caller ID service,shows the name and number of each caller and automatically storesyour last 20 incoming calls. With the unit's all-digitaltelephone answering system, you have the option of answeringincoming calls or sending them to the digital answering system thatfeatures four voice mailboxes and up to 24 minutes of recordingtime.
