4in1 vs. 3in1. Price? Make?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jack Ricci
  • Start date Start date
J

Jack Ricci

A local store is advertising a 4 in 1 printer/copier/scan/fax Brother
MFC-3240 color-sheet-fed all-in-one for $49.98 after easy rebate. You
actually pay $89.98 out the door and send for the rebate.
My question: I don't need anything fancy, just the simple functions that
it advertises, in particular the copy feature appeals. I have an iMac
G4, with USB and Firewire connections. The $50 price seems awfully low.
Is there a caveat there? I now have an HP printer that I am fairly happy
with. Would the new machine be as versatile? I also was given a 2
megapixels digital camera and I would like to be able to print simple
photos, nothing fancy, no retouching.
Thank you for your responses.
 
Jack Ricci said:
A local store is advertising a 4 in 1 printer/copier/scan/fax Brother
MFC-3240 color-sheet-fed all-in-one for $49.98 after easy rebate. You
actually pay $89.98 out the door and send for the rebate.
My question: I don't need anything fancy, just the simple functions that
it advertises, in particular the copy feature appeals. I have an iMac
G4, with USB and Firewire connections. The $50 price seems awfully low.
Is there a caveat there? I now have an HP printer that I am fairly happy
with. Would the new machine be as versatile? I also was given a 2
megapixels digital camera and I would like to be able to print simple
photos, nothing fancy, no retouching.
Thank you for your responses.
Click to expand...

Just as with HiFi you have fans of all-in-one systems and those who prefer
"seperates". Me I prefer a seperate scanner and printer. You might be able
to find a scanner that has a button on it that triggers a scan and sends it
to the printer automatically.

You didn't say which HP printer you have - chances are you can print digital
photos already. The printed image quality from a 2 megapixel camera might
actually be limited by the camera rather than the printer. What HP printer
have you got? Have you tried printing onto glossy photopaper?

A 2megapixel camera should be ok for 6"x4" prints but don't expect really
stunning high quality at 10x8 and above. The first digital camera I had
wasn't very good at getting the exposure right - I found I got better
results by adjusting the brightness, contrast etc on-screen before printing.
The neat thing about digital is that you can taking far more photos and
print just the better ones.
 
A local store is advertising a 4 in 1 printer/copier/scan/fax Brother
MFC-3240 color-sheet-fed all-in-one for $49.98 after easy rebate. You
actually pay $89.98 out the door and send for the rebate.
My question: I don't need anything fancy, just the simple functions that
it advertises, in particular the copy feature appeals. I have an iMac
G4, with USB and Firewire connections. The $50 price seems awfully low.
Is there a caveat there?
Click to expand...

The main consideration seems to be "consumables" i.e.
ink and paper: will you be obliged to pay high prices for
special inks or paper?
I now have an HP printer that I am fairly happy
with. Would the new machine be as versatile? I also was given a 2
megapixels digital camera and I would like to be able to print simple
photos, nothing fancy, no retouching.
Click to expand...

The best way of gaining experience wiith a digital
camera is to take as many photos as the batteries
allow, and then store them on your home PC. This
involves no printing. You can print only the select
few you want to frame, give to friends etc.

You should experiment with photo software. Most
free software (and all purchased photo software) has
an "Auto Levels" command that adjusts the light/dark
balance in your photo. The beginner is likely to find
this improves the photo more than half the time.
 
Whenever a printer, and particularly a color printer is advertised for a
price too good to be true, you might say, it likely is.

Check the prices on consumables and I think you will see where the
profit is to be found.

Lexmark often gives their printers away with bundled purchases. They
hope you buy a few ink cartridges sometime during its life.

Art
 
Arthur said:
Whenever a printer, and particularly a color printer is advertised for
a price too good to be true, you might say, it likely is.

Check the prices on consumables and I think you will see where the
profit is to be found.

Lexmark often gives their printers away with bundled purchases. They
hope you buy a few ink cartridges sometime during its life.
DUH


Art
Click to expand...
 
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