Multi function Printers – Are they really good value??

You have all seen them, the advertising is everywhere. In magazines, on television and in the paper. The one machine that does it all. Prints, faxes, scans, copies even reads your cards from your digital camera.  All this for under $500!!!  We should put these devices in all our sites and offices right??  Not necessarily!!!!

 These devices certainly have their place, hence all the marketing to the consumer market.  But that is where they belong - for the consumer and home user.  The kids can do their school projects and you can print out a document, email or photograph, but the usage at home is generally quite low.  For this they are a great investment, and do provide more value for the consumer dollar.

 In the business environment, they do not belong. Here are some of the reasons why:

• They are based on Inkjet technology
• They are generally not supported in networked environments
• They are expensive to run and maintain
• When one part breaks, you will often lose all of the functions
• They are complex units and often unrepairable when something goes wrong
• Limited warranty and support life (generally only 1 year)

 It’s like the age-old saying “If you put all your eggs in one basket and the basket breaks, you stand to loose all your eggs”.

 Even if you are a small business where you have one computer in a home office environment, are you really able to be without your printer and fax machine for a week if the device breaks and it needs to go in for repairs??  Ask yourself that question before investing in one of these devices.

 If you want long life, robustness and reliability, purchase separate devices for each use.  The cost is not significantly more, and in years to come you will still be using these devices.  Below is a typical cost comparison between one multi function device and the separate units that together perform the same functions;

 Canon MP390 Flatbed All In Colour Copy/Print/Fax/Scan  -         RRP $398.00

• - 18 ppm mono

• - 12 ppm colour

• - 1200 x 2400 dpi resolution scanning

• - faxing of up to 3 seconds per page

• - InkJet Technology

• - 4800 x 1200 dpi print resolution

 Canon PIXMA iP1500 Printer   -                                RRP $125.00 

• - 18 ppm mono

• - 12 ppm colour

• - InkJet Technology

• - 4800 x 1200 dpi print resolution

Canon LiDE35 A4 1200x2400dpi USB Scanner             RRP $148.50

• - 1200 x 2400 dpi resolution scanning

Canon B822 BubbleJet Fax                                           RRP $199.00

Telstra FaxStream Duet2 compatibility allows you to have a separate fax and phone number on the one line. Huge 120-page memory capacity. Canon's unique UHQ (Ultra High Quality) imaging technology for sharper text and images. Ink saver mode allows you to print up to twice the amount of pages compared to normal mode - saving on ink costs (normal mode: 850, ink saver mode: 1500 pages). 79 speed dials for easy access to frequently used numbers. Compact and stylish with handset included.

Total cost for all 3 units = $472.50 vs $398 for the all in one

Although this price is more than the one unit, the separate devices generally offer more features and better performance than the “all in one”.  Quite often, customers are not even requiring a fax machine or a scanner but purchase a multi function product because a salesman told them it was value for money.

Our recent experiences with customers who have purchased these units include several fairly costly repairs, comments with regard to high running costs and in one case the multi-function device was not compatible with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and had to be returned.

Just remember, any consumer level product is in a very competitive market and the units are built to a price.  In a business environment, we can’t afford to be without our computer equipment for too long.  A few extra dollars spent now, will save you that cost ten-fold in the long run. If you run a corporate network with servers and terminal servers, the chances of these units being supported by server operating systems are at best slim as they were never designed for operating in this environment.

At Computer Image, our focus is on the solution.  We are not salespeople and our focus has never been on “the next sale”. We are not paid on sales commissions like the consumer sales people. Our focus is on what we can do to make your business run more effectively with your IT investments, and our reputation is built on offering the best solution for your specific IT requirements.

 To discuss your printing, faxing and scanning requirements in more detail and ensure a match to your business requirements feel free to call our office on (08) 8150 6100.