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Monday November 23, 2009 12:49 PM AEST
Skip Navigation LinksPC Authority > Group Tests > Jack of all trades

Jack of all trades

by Staff Writers  on Jan 1, 1900
Tags: Jack | of | all | trades
Buying a scanner, printer or fax machine is a complicated affair as you try to juggle price, specifications and quality while struggling to keep your PC compatible. So it makes sense to have an all-in
Buying a scanner, printer or fax machine is a complicated affair as you try to juggle price, specifications and quality while struggling to keep your PC compatible. So it makes sense to have an all-in-one device that can provide a convenient solution that requires as little thought as possible. However, buying a multifunction device can pose just as many questions as it answers, but without the luxury of mixing and matching individual components to taste.

There are generally two types of multifunction devices: printing and scanning; and printing, scanning and fax combinations. Theres even further variation within each of these types flatbed scanners, inkjet printers, feed scanners and laser printers in any combination. And how well it interfaces with the PC is important to some people, while others prefer a certain level of PC independence.

This month the PC Authority Labs clears the air surrounding these multi-talented behemoths. We ran them through our speed, quality and features tests, and gave awards based on quality and speed. We used our standard PC Authority Printer Test Page to look at print quality as well as a colour photo and printout to compare scan quality. We also considered the pros and cons of purchasing a multifunction device as opposed to its individual components to see if the convenience is really worth it.

With so many devices performing different functions at different prices and with varied specifications, weve included a broad cross-section of models featuring various office-based possibilities that range in price from $600 to $1,400.
While all products were compared against each other in terms of quality and speed, each device was also looked at as an individual product, due to the high variation in functions provided.

A variety of units and functions equals a variety of needs, so read on to find out which multifunction device is best suited to your home or office.
This article appeared in the November, 2001 issue of PC Authority.


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