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MultiFunction Products:
A Guide to What's Out There


Print output offers probably the most useful way to distinguish among multifunction products (MFPs) for small offices, since most MFPs--though not all--are designed as fax machines and printers first, with extra goodies like scanning and copying thrown in. Here's a look at the leading manufacturers' current offerings, grouped according to the three types of printing technologies now on the market:
1) thermal transfer, the cheapest output technology used for MFPs, which uses plain paper, ink-ribbon cartridges, and is available only in black-and-white (not to be confused with the cheapest fax-only technology which involves thermal paper)
2) ink-jet, which covers a broad range in price and quality features, including color
3) laser/LED (photoreproductive processes), the fastest, quietest, best-quality and, as a rule, most expensive. But cost comparisons can be tricky: A full comparison should consider not just the purchase price but also the cost of replacement cartridges, which can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer as well as from technology to technology. For example, ink-jet replacement cartridges are generally cheaper than laser toner cartridges but most also have a lower expected yield (500-800 pages per ink-jet cartridge vs. 2,000 or so for laser cartridges).

Additional specifications are available from many of the manufacturers' Web sites listed below and, for a fee, from such independent research firms as Gartner Group's Dataquest unit (www.gartner.com).

By Stephen Davis in New York

Thermal Transfer Printing Technology, Black & White
Vendor Product Street
Price		 Phone/Web site Fax Printer Scanner Copier PC Fax Telephone
Answering Machine		 Comments
Sharp UX-1100 $320 800 237-4277
www.sharp-usa.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Brother Intellifax 1170 $300-350 800 284-4329
www.brother.com		 Y Y* Y* Y Y* N *Requires a PC interface device (not included)
Brother MFC-1950MC+ $400-450 800 284-4329
www.brother.com		 Y Y Y Y Y Y
Sharp UX-1300 $350 800 237-4277
www.sharp-usa.com		 Y Y Y Y Y Y
Sharp UX-1400 $370 800 237-4277
www.sharp-usa.com		 Y Y Y Y Y Y
Panasonic KX-FM 210 $370 800 447-4700
www.panasonic.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Brother MFC-1770 $400 800 284-4329
www.brother.com		 Y Y* Y* Y Y* N *Requires a PC interface device (included)
Panasonic KX-FM 220 $420 800 447-4700
www.panasonic.com		 Y Y Y Y Y Y


Ink-Jet Printing Technology, B&W and Color Printing, Monochrome Scanning
Vendor Product Street
Price		 Phone/Web site Fax Printer Scanner Copier PC Fax Telephone
Answering Machine		 Comments
Canon Computer Systems Multipass C3000 $450 800 848-4123
www.ccsi.canon.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet 500 series $500-600 800 752-0900
www.hp.com		 Y Y Y Y N N
Xerox 450C Work Center $550 800 832-6979
www.xerox.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Ricoh MV 74 $840 800 637-4264
www.ricoh-usa.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N


Ink-Jet Printing Technology, Color Printing and Color Scanning
Vendor Product Street
Price		 Phone/Web site Fax Printer Scanner Copier PC Fax Telephone
Answering Machine		 Comments
Xerox Home Center $500 800 832-6979
www.xerox.com		 N Y Y Y N N
Canon Computer Systems Multipass C5000 $550 800 848-4123
www.ccsi.canon.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet 600 series $600-630 800 752-0900
www.hp.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Brother MFC-7000FC $800 800 284-4329
www.brother.com		 Y Y Y Y Y Y Video frame capture
Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet 1150Cse $900-1,000 800 752-0900
www.hp.com		 N Y Y Y N N


Laser and Other Photoreproductive Processes, B&W and Color Printing
Vendor Product Street
Price		 Phone/Web site Fax Printer Scanner Copier PC Fax Telephone
Answering Machine		 Comments
Okidata OkiOffice 44 $600 800 654-3282
www.okidata.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Brother MFC-4450 $600 800 284-4329
www.brother.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N
Brother MFC-6550MC $800-860 800 284-4329
www.brother.com		 Y Y Y Y Y Y
Brother MFC-7550MC $1,100-1,200 800 284-4329
www.brother.com		 Y Y Y Y Y Y
Canon CFX L4500 IF $1,300 800 652-2266
www.canon.com		 Y Y Y Y Y N


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Updated Nov. 6, 1997 by bwwebmaster
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