Brother MFC-440CN Photo Color All-in-One Printer with Networking Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have no complaints with this product. It amazes me a device with so many features for such a low cost can produce the quality of images of the Brother MFC-440cn. It replaced (and improved the quality and speed) of three devices, and freed lots of room at the workstation. There may be more expensive devices that can produce higher quality images, but I can't imagine the quality can improve much over what this can do. For 8x10 color images it is great. The scanning quality and speed is excellent for my needs. Throw in the fax and copy capability with a color LCD menu screen AND the ability to print directly from memory cards and you've got one fantastic and useful piece of equipment. I'll have to get used to the included software, but it has some nice features as well as some minor quirks. Once you scan an image, it is not intuitive what you are supposed to do next. A small problem overall. Changing cartridges is the most convenient and simple process I've experienced on an inkjet printer. I would buy this device again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Brother MFC-440CN Photo Color All-in-One Printer with Networking

The Brother MFC-440cn is a powerful color multi-function center with networking capabilities, making it a great addition to your home or small business office.
Color Printer The MFC-440cn features a flip-up, two-inch color LCD so you can control all of its functions at a glance. Enjoy up to 25 ppm black and 20 ppm color print speed, as well as photo quality printing up to 6000 x 1200 dpi. With a droplet size as small as 1.5 picoliters you can be assured of fine details and color accuracy. The unit's front loading paper tray holds up to 100 sheets, while a photo by-pass tray holds up to 20 sheets of 4x6 glossy paper. Borderless photo printing is possible, and USB and ethernet interfaces are included. The printer works with Windows and Mac operating systems.
Color Copier With a versatile flatbed design, the MFC-440cn offers easy copying. No PC is required for copying, and you'll enjoy up to 18 cpm black and 16 cpm color copy speeds. The copier also offers up to 1200 x 600 dpi resolution, as well as multi-copying for up to 99 copies. Reduce or enlarge your copies from 25 percent to 400 percent, in 1 percent increments.
Color Scanner Use the MFC-440cn for flatbed color scanning at up to 19,200 dpi (interpolated) resolution, and up to 600 x 2400 dpi (optical) resolution. The unit includes award-winning ScanSoft PaperPort SE with OCR Software for Windows and Presto! PageManager for Mac.
Photo Capture Center Use the color LCD display to preview, print images or even an index--all without a computer. The MFC-440cn features convenient digital camera media card slots for high quality photo printing (Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, xD-Picture Card Type M/Type H, CompactFlash, Secure Digital, and MultiMediaCard). The memory card system also works as a removable disk drive, and there's also a PictBridge interface to print photos directly from your PictBridge-enabled camera.
Color Fax When it comes time to send a fax, you can choose black and white or color faxing using the ITU-T30E standard. A 10-page auto document feeder makes big faxing jobs a snap, while the 14.4 Kbps high-speed fax modem delivers your documents quickly. The fax machine supports caller ID and distinctive ring modes. No PC is required for faxing. You can also take advantage of 80-station auto dialing, and 32 MB of total memory means you can store up to 480 pages.
PC Fax The MFC-440cn comes with the Brother PC Fax Driver for sending and receiving faxes from your computer. The software supports fax broadcasting from your PC, as well as network PC fax send and receive. PC fax functionality works with Windows and Mac operating systems.

Click here for more information about Brother MFC-440CN Photo Color All-in-One Printer with Networking

Read More...

Samsung Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer (SCX-4826FN) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
-Samsung packs a lot of value into their machines. I paid about $50 less than it is currently going for here.
-Network scanning actually works well!; unlike many network MFPs.(Buying a standalone network scanner that works this well would cost more than this machine-though it does not have auto duplex scanning like some costlier devices)
-Direct to USB scanning and direct from USB printing might be useful for some.
-Duplex printing works well and saves paper- more mid-range printers should come with this feature.
(note: if you have ever used a printer with duplexing capabilities before you will have no trouble enabling this feature.)
-Most setting are easily configurable with the web interface so that you need not scroll through multiple menus on the machine itself.
-Has powerful scan to email features usually only found on high end office machines.
-Handles standard envelopes better than I expected.
Cons:
-Samsung documentation is not for the uninitiated.
-By default it installs some not very useful programs (a quicklaunch toolbar and a printer status monitor)
-Does not support Postscript (you need to pay a little extra for the Samsung SCX-4828 Laser Multi-Function Printerfor this feature- that's the only difference between them).
-For some strange reason you cannot scan to B&W PDF directly from the machine. You can scan to color or grayscale PDF, or you can scan to B&W PDF from your computer, but not directly from the machine. No idea why.
-Generally, MFPs do not last as long as regular printers, and are a pain to fix if they break. Think of it this way: If the chance of a printer breaking within 3 years is 1/100, and the chance of a scanner breaking is 1/100, then the chance of a MFP breaking is 1/50.
Workarounds:
-If you connect this to your computer via USB (presumably you bought this for its network capabilities so you would normally have it connected via Ethernet) you can flash the device with the firmware from the 4828FN to enable postscript emulation. This will undoubtedly void your warranty. You can then manually install the 4828FN postscript printer driver and configure it to print to the correct port. (The only reason I did this is because samsung previously had incorrectly listed this machine as having PS support before I bought it)
-If you only need network scanning and printing (not faxing) and do your scanning with programs you already have (such as Acrobat or Omnipage) then I highly recommend installing only the printer and scanner drivers and forgetting about the rest.
-A generally good idea with network printers is to configure them to use a static IP address (outside the normally assigned range) even if your network is running on DHCP. This will potentially avoid many headaches down the line.
Bottom Line: A great value if you know what you need and know what you are doing.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer (SCX-4826FN)

Get 51% OFF

Click here for more information about Samsung Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer (SCX-4826FN)

Read More...

HP OfficeJet 5510 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)All things being equal, I would have to call the HP OfficeJet 5510 one of the best all-around printers / copiers / scanners around. I have reviewed enough all-in-one units now to appreciate a great model when I get to play with one, and after a month of testing, I can honestly say that the OfficeJet 5510 has really impressed me.
Printing is probably the main reason anyone would purchase this unit. The print quality is simply fantastic. Printing text-only pages is very, very fast, much quicker than I was expecting from an ink-jet printer. So quick, in fact, that my nine-year old daughter even commented on it just this morning. I used the OfficeJet 5510 to print out a letter to her school. She asked which printer it would come out, and I pointed to the HP. It was done printing just a few seconds later. Her reaction? "Wow, that was a lot faster than the silver and black printer." The silver and black printer being the Lexmark 5150 I reviewed back in June 2003.
Fast is not always good if the print quality is not up to par. The OfficeJet 5510 has nothing to fear. Using standard high-gloss photo paper and printing a photo from iPhoto, I was simply amazed at the print quality. I have printed many full-page color photos over the last few years, and I can honestly say that the OfficeJet 5510's print quality is one of the best for an ink-jet printer. While no speed demon printing a full-page color print, the print time was respectable.
Paper is loaded from the bottom front of the unit, so it is much easier to see how much paper you have left at a quick glance. Not so with a rear, upwards facing paper tray such as those found on most Lexmark, Epson, and other printers. I much prefer a lower-front loading tray to the other types. My only grip here is that there is no protective cover for the paper tray, meaning that if you don't print something every few days, dust will accumulate, and be run through your printer when you do.
Be aware that the OfficeJet 5510 is not a post-script printer; so graphic professionals will want to look elsewhere. There is also no built-in print sharing with the OfficeJet 5510, nor is it compatible with Rendezvous, but you can share it via USB Print Sharing built-in to OS X.
Speaking of OS X, if you are not using Mac OS X or Mac OS 9.1, and are still a happy OS 9.0 or earlier user, you are out of luck. Like many programs and hardware coming out as of late, the OfficeJet 5510 is not compatible with pre-OS X operating systems. Nor is it compatible with Windows 95, NT, 3.1, or DOS, either.)
Scanning is done via the HP Director software, which you can only get from the included CD-ROM. To deviate from the standard review process for a moment, I would like to point out that HP, while having great products for the most part, has a woefully inadequate support website. The above mentioned HP Director software cannot be downloaded via their website. When Mac OS X 10.3 was released, I had some initial problems printing to the OfficeJet 5510. The problem was unrelated to the HP software, but in my search for a cure I did learn of the poor quality of HP's support pages. What happens if I loose or scratch my HP CD-ROM? I have to order another one. And as of today's date, there is still no software update for the software on HP's website. The same software, HP Director, also controls their digital cameras with their HP Director (Camera). There is also no update for that program online, even though I cannot get it to work under 10.3 correctly. For a company the size and with the reputation they have, I expect better from HP.
Getting back to the OfficeJet 5510 and scanning, I have found that the scanning works great. While I don't especially like the scanning software the OfficeJet 5510 ships with, it does work well. You can access the software directly through Adobe Photoshop as well, via the Import-HP All-in-one Scan in the File menu. You can scan photos or documents from 150x150 DPI up to 19200x19200 DPI. The flatbed scanner performs about the same as most other scanners (and copiers) in this price-range, and there is nothing here. It work fine, has an auto-crop feature, etc...
The true strength of scanning, however, if the 20-page top-load automatic document feeder on top of the OfficeJet 5510. You can set the printer to scan multiple documents (not pictures) up to 20 pages, which is a great feature, one many small or home business users will appreciate.
Usually, when reviewing a multi-function printer / scanner / fax machine, the fax aspect is the least impressive. Using built-in fax software, you have to have your computer turned on to control, send, or receive a fax. Not so with the OfficeJet 5510! HP, realizing how nice it would be to be able to send and receive faxes, has taken the need to have a computer out of the equation. Simply plug the OfficeJet 5510 into your phone jack, and you can control all the fax features from the built-in LCD display. This is a great feature, one I overlooked when my testing first started. I now feel that this is one of the best selling points to the unit, and one I did not realized I missed so much from other units.
Specification:
Print quality 1200 x 1200 dpi
Connectivity: USB
Print speed, black: Up to 17 ppm
Print speed, color: Up to 12 ppm
Compatible operating systems: Microsoft Windows 98, 98 SE, 2000, Me, XP; Macintosh OS 9.1, OS X
Scanner type: Flatbed
Automatic document feeder 20 sheets
Media sizes: Letter, legal, executive, cards, 3 x 5 to 8.5 x 14 in (using ADF)
Color fax: yes
Fax transmission speed: 3 sec per page
Fax memory: 90 pages
Fax autoredial: Yes
Fax PC interface: Yes (sending only
Fax auto-reduction: Yes
Fax delayed sending: Yes
Copy speed, black: Up to 17 cpm
Copy speed, color: Up to 12 cpm
Copy settings: Stand-alone copying: fit-to page (from glass only), 100%, reduce/enlarge
Maximum number of copies: Up to 99 copies
Bit depth: 36 bit
Levels of grayscale: 256
Software included: HP Photo and Imaging Gallery: HP Director, HP Photo Gallery, HP Image Editor, HP Instant Share, HP Photo Prints, HP Creative Projects, HP Quick 4 x 6 prints, HP Memories Disc DVD Creator, ReadIris OCR, HP Send to Programs
Dimensions (w x d x h) 18 x 11.3 x 9.25 in (18 x 17.8 x 9.25 with tray fully extended)
Weight: 11.8 lb
Warranty: One-year limited hardware warranty backed by HP Customer Care, service and support; one-year technical phone support, plus a toll-free number in North America only
This is a great printer for both the new and veteran computer user wanting an all-in-one printing solution. Fantastic execution in functionality and usability. Small, compact design in an attractive package.
Well worth the money and investment.
MyMac Rating: 5 out of 5

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP OfficeJet 5510 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier

HP's OfficeJet 5510 is an all-in-one color printer, color copier, color scanner, and color fax machine. This versatile unit is perfect for the home office or small business where space is at a premium. With HP's thermal inkjet print technology, resolutions for both black and color prints are as high as 1,200 x 1,200, with 4,800 x 1,200 optimized dpi color printing. Print speeds clock in at 17 ppm for black and 12 ppm for color (maximum, draft mode; actual speeds will vary).
The 5510 has a standard input capacity of 100 sheets and up to 10 envelopes, with an output capacity of 25 sheets. It accepts a wide variety of originals, including paper (plain, inkjet, photo), envelopes, transparencies, labels, cards, HP premium media, and iron-on transfers. Supported sizes range from 3 by 5 to 8.5 by 14 inches (using the 20 sheet automatic document feeder).
HP Director Access features and common tasks through the easy-to-navigate HP Director software. Depending on the capabilities of your HP all-in-one, the HP Director lets you initiate device functions such as scanning, copying, faxing, or unloading images from a digital camera or memory card. You can also use the HP Director to open the HP Gallery to view, modify, and manage the images on your computer.


Status: use this feature to display the current status of your HP OfficeJet.
Settings: use this feature to view or change various settings for your HP OfficeJet, such as print, scan, copy, or fax.
Select Device: use this feature to select the device you want to use from the list of installed HP devices.
Help: use this feature to access the HP Photo & Imaging Help, which provides software help, a product tour, troubleshooting information for your HP OfficeJet, and HP OfficeJet product-specific help.
Scan Picture: use this feature to scan an image and display it in the HP Photo & Imaging Gallery.
Scan Document: use this feature to scan text and display it in the selected text editing software program.
Send a Fax: use this feature to open the fax dialog box so you can enter the appropriate information and then send your fax.
Make Copies: use this feature to display the Copy dialog box where you can select the copy quality, number of copies, color, size, and then start a copy.
HP Gallery: use this feature to display the HP Photo & Imaging Gallery, where you can view and edit images, print photos in multiple sizes, make and print a photo album, share images through e-mail or a web site, or make a multimedia CD.
Creative Ideas: use this feature to learn about creative ways to use your HP OfficeJet.
HP Shopping: use this feature to shop for HP products.
Software Update: use this feature to check for software updates for your HP OfficeJet.
Click this arrow to display tool tips that explain each of the HP Director options. Your features may vary. The HP Director is customized based upon the HP device that is selected. If your device is not equipped with a particular feature, then the icon for that feature will not display in the HP Director on your computer.
The flatbed scanner provides up to 600 x 2,400 dpi optical resolution and 36-bit color, with software-enhanced resolution up to 19,200 dpi. The 33.6 Kbps modem fax machine has a 3-second per page transmission speed and is capable of color faxing. A 90-page fax memory ensures that your don't miss important faxes when you run out of paper, while fax auto-redial, delayed sending, and auto-reduction provide added convenience. Copy speeds are as fast as 17 cpm for black and 12 cpm for color, while up to 99 copies can be made at once, freeing up your time for other tasks.
The 5510 connects via a USB port. Compatible with both Mac and PC, it also comes backed by a one-year limited warranty.
What's in the BoxHP OfficeJet 5510, HP 56 black inkjet print cartridge, HP 57 tri-color inkjet print cartridge, photo and imaging software, HP memories disc creator on CD-ROM, setup poster, reference guide, power supply and power cord, phone cord, HP photo paper sampler, HP photo paper storage bag

Click here for more information about HP OfficeJet 5510 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier

Read More...

HP Laserjet M1522NF Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Please note: In order to post this review, I HAD to give this printer one star. This printer deserves NO STARS.
The HP1522nf had everything I was looking for--Fax, Scan, laser printing, feeder, PPM requirements--and what I thought was HP quality. Although we purchased it from Amazon.com on 4/17, the printer was not placed into use until 5/1 because we were still in construction mode on our business. On May 1, I spent several hours on the phone with HP tech support...in India...and I couldn't understand most of what they said. Worse, they couldn't understand *me.* And I speak very clearly.
I was told that the printer could not be plugged into a surge protector--has to be plugged straight into the wall, and they eventually decided that I needed to download the printer software from HP's website to cure the fact that the printer simply would not operate after printing one page.
I uninstalled the software that I'd installed from HP's disc. The problem here is that the uninstall doesn't remove all of the software it's installed. It leaves tons of junk on the computer. I reinstalled with the fresh download and the printer worked for about a week. The scan and FAX functions refused to work, but I had a business to open and didn't have time to sit on the phone with HP tech support for hour after hour.
On May 20th, I called HP tech support and the first question I asked was why they had never checked back with me as they said they'd do. The response was that they'd closed the file as "successfully handled" because (they claimed) when tech support tried to call me back, they found my number disconnected. My number was NOT disconnected, but the number they were calling had absolutely not one digit in common with my number.
I spent two days on the phone with tech support, uninstalling and reinstalling the software over and over, coaxing the printer to please do something right, trying to understand what the HP tech support people were saying... It was MEGA-frustrating.
The problems? The printer would print once, and then turn itself off. HP absurdly placed the switch in the back (lower left side), so in order to power cycle the printer, it's really handy if you know how to do yoga. However, power cycling it would do nothing after awhile. The printer turned itself off and stayed off.
HP tech support asked me to FAX them the receipt, which I did (before the printer finally decided to stay dead), and HP's tech support had the gall to complain that it was too blurry to read. Having been sent with one of their printers and received on their equipment, the quality of the FAX would be HP's problem--not mine.
The machine would not scan. Trying to run the scan software resulted in a pop-up window telling me that the scan had failed, did I want to try again. It never scanned.
The computer I installed the software on unfortunately runs Vista. I asked if this could be the problem. HP tech support thought not. However, when trying to input data into the FAX feature on the computer, I ran into a series of annoying problems. For example, inputting the business name required that I input one letter and then the HP software would spit up a yellow caution sign window with the letter and a question mark. I'd click "OK," and then enter another letter, at which point HP software would spit up the same yellow caution sign with the new letter and a question mark. I'd click "OK"...and this is how the entire business name had to be entered! One letter at a time and no spaces. Hitting the space bar would bounce the cursor back to the beginning. I kludged that problem by inserting an underscore between words. It's insane!
Finally HP tech support decided it was a bad printer and that they needed to replace my brand new straigh-out-of-the-box printer with a used refurbished one! That's when I blew up. And that's when HP lost me as a customer.
I complained vociferously. They said they'd review the issues, but replacing with a used refurbished unit was all HP policy allows.
I wrote scathing emails to HP tech support and to HP's CEO (whose email address is on the HP website if you're patient enough to search for it). I decided to cc Amazon.com as well.
Next morning, I received a wonderful email from Amazon telling me that due to the extenuating circumstances, they'd already shipped me a new printer and sent a label for the return of the non-functional unit. Amazon ROCKS!
Then I received a call from HP tech support telling me in pidgin English that they'd reviewed the situation and would send me a used refurbished unit. It was great fun to tell them to go pound sand.
My new printer arrived as scheduled. I spent hours on my computer--weeding through folders, uninstalling every particle of HP software I could find--looking in hidden folders (they're in there too), as well as taking ownership of items and changing permissions in order to dump eons of the nasty buggers. I plugged the printer INTO THE WALL RECEPTICLE. I installed the software from a fresh download.
It works. It FAXes. (The first two FAXes failed, but after that it worked. I still had to enter the business name header one letter at a time, each letter followed by the annoying sign and clicking "OK.") It scans. It prints. It doesn't turn itself off. BUT--after reading these reviews, I have to wonder how long this "success" will hold.
I wish I'd bought any other brand printer. Brother printers seem to be garnering good reviews, but based on past experience with having to kick those suckers to print, I decided against Brother. Epson seems to be having success. Really, ANYTHING has to be better than an HP printer.
Until HP gets its act together with technically-correct software and printers that work, and more importantly--MOVES THEIR TECH SUPPORT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES--I refuse to do business with them. I've bought probably 10 HP printers over the past few years. Maybe more. I don't mind spending a little time on the phone with tech support for minor issues. But in the past two years--it's happened with every single printer with every single set-up, and it's gotten old. So long, HP. Your printers don't work. Your software doesn't work. And your tech support is atrocious.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Laserjet M1522NF Printer

HP M1522nf LaserJet Multifunction Printer Fax Bundle. Need a little elbow room. HPs surprisingly compact all in one LaserJet M1522nf Printer has a flatbed design that can copy and scan a variety of documents; it also sends faxes and its networkable. You will get sharp looking text in speeds as fast as 24 pages per minute. This model also includes one RJ 11 fax port, as well as an RJ 11 line out telephone port.

Click here for more information about HP Laserjet M1522NF Printer

Read More...

Visioneer 9450 Color Flatbed Scanner with ADF. Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Had to download driver to operate on my Vista machine. Also the SCANSOFT PaperPort CD that came with Visioneer 9450 was not compatible with Vista, so had to go to SCANSOFT site to download upgrade. Also had to call Visioneer technical support regarding the connections, since the instructions weren't 100% clear. After finally loading the right Vista driver and software, and making the correct connections,the Visioneer scanner has worked well.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Visioneer 9450 Color Flatbed Scanner with ADF.

Flatbed Scanner - 1200 x 1200 dpi Hardware - 9600 x 9600 dpi Interpolated - 600 dpi Optical - 1 x Type B USB - PC

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about Visioneer 9450 Color Flatbed Scanner with ADF.

Read More...

Epson WorkForce GT-1500 B11B190011 Document Imaging Scanner (White) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This scanner uses LEDs as a light source and so has zero warm-up time. The paper feeding system is very fast and and handles irregular sheets and ragged corners with no trouble. The scanner itself beats the HP 5550C I've been using.
Epson's scanner interface is not to my taste but has presets for office and graphic professional scanning needs. What keeps it from getting highest marks is the abysmal customer service.
I couldn't get the twain driver to work under Windows Vista. The WIA driver did work, but doesn't support acquisition from the sheet feeder (which defeats the whole purpose of buying this scanner). Lack of sheet feeder support is a crippling blow to the usability of Paperport (which I have used for years). Epson should not be bundling software that their own product does not support.
I spent hours on the phone with three levels of Epson's technical support to no avail. They tried to pawn me off on Nuance to get Paperport support (Nuance's policy is that software bundled with hardware is supported by the manufacturer of the hardware!)
One of the technicians I spoke to did not even know that twain and WIA were different drivers. How can they possibly address my problem when they have such poor background in the product?
The answer of course, is that Epson's support is provided by a call center in India or some such place and the support people are reading canned responses off a computer screen.
The level two technicians knew nothing more that the level one technicians. After a lengthy conversation with a level three technician I was promised a resolution and a return phone call, which as you might guess, never happened.
In the end, I was left to my own devices and discovered a workaround. Scan using the Epson interface (which does support the document feeder) and set its destination directory to the main Paperport directory.
Then open Paperport and manage your documents from there. Not as good as scanning directly from within Paperport, but it gets the job done.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Epson WorkForce GT-1500 B11B190011 Document Imaging Scanner (White)

Get superior image quality and enhanced productivity from the WorkForce GT-1500 color document imaging scanner. This easy-to-use scanner offers the versatility you need to electronically archive important documents or share records with your workgroup. And, with 1200 x 2400 dpi resolution, it delivers truly amazing quality, so you can capture every detail all with easy, one-touch scanning. This powerful performer makes it easy to scan stacks of records, applications and forms. Use the high-capacity Automatic Document Feeder to quickly scan a variety of sizes up to 8.5x14. The WorkForce GT-1500 speeds through scans up to 20 pages per minute, giving you more time to tackle other tasks. And, it not only offers greater productivity, it ensures more efficient operation. With innovative ReadyScanTM LED technology, theres no warmup time required. Best of all, this earth-friendly LED technology does not include any mercury, and it reduces power consumption. The smart choice for all your document imaging needs, the WorkForce GT-1500 includes a powerful software package. ABBYY FineReader Sprint Plus OCR allows you to create editable text from scans, while ScanSoft PaperPort makes it easy to organize all your documents. Use Epson Scan to create multi-page PDFs, or to copy or send scans as e-mail attachments. Its all right at your fingertips with the WorkForce GT-1500, a powerful performer available at an amazing value.

Click here for more information about Epson WorkForce GT-1500 B11B190011 Document Imaging Scanner (White)

Read More...