So you own a home office, and you need a multi-function printer. At the same time, you’re not planning to print a lot, so you can live with a higher cost per page for consumables if it means a lower sticker price for the machine itself. Enter the inkjet all-in-one printer, which melds the image quality of a photo printer with the copying, scanning, and faxing you need for business or your personal administrative needs. In Part III of our series on award-winning printers for 2008, we cover three top inkjet all-in-ones and the key traits that won them industry-wide acclaim:
The Epson Artisan 800 won an Editors’ Choice Award from Computer Shopper Magazine for its big touch panel and easy-to-see LCD screen, fast print speed, and superlative image output. Reviewers also agree that it’s easy to use, and the Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity make the extensive feature set that much more accessible for small workgroups. In addition, the Artisan 800 frees you from your PC with PictBridge and memory card connectivity. All in all, this top-notch printer-scanner-copier-fax machine has been considered “as near a perfect all-in-one as you are likely to find,” making it a relative bargain at an MSRP of $299.99.
The HP Officejet J6480 got an Editors’ Choice designation from PC Magazine for its overall value and good balance of practical features. It copies, scans, faxes, and prints at a reported 25 ppm in color and 31 in black. In addition, the Officejet J6480 offers PC-free photo printing via memory card, as well as Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity. While reviewers concede that it’s not exactly the fastest or sharpest printing MFP in its class, consumers should feel pretty satisfied with the all-around feature set they get for $199.99.
Last but not least, the Canon PIXMA MX850 won an Eddy Award from Macworld for its top-notch text and image quality, speed, and easy-to-use control panel. The PIXMA MX850 can print, scan, copy, and fax, and it offers Ethernet connectivity for your small business. Factor in all that functionality with the PC-free photo printing options via memory card and PictBridge, and the overall value is readily apparent. Note that if you buy the printer direct from Canon.com, the price has dropped from the original $279.99 down to a more appealing $199.99.
On that note, we conclude our series on award-winning printers for 2008. Hopefully you found it interesting and helpful. But just because we highlighted a few select models doesn’t mean they’re the only ones you should consider. Check out our Printer Previews and Review Recaps to learn about the best and newest printers on the market. We update them frequently, so read up as often as possible.