Need suggestion for good budget Multi-Function Printer for home

[jediphx]

Looking for $100 or less

Need, fax, scanner and will print limited photos on it (We normally just upload and have pictures printed at Walgreens). Mostly will be just general document printing in color and B/W. I have a home wifi network as well. Main computer runs Windows 7 64bit and the others run WinXp Pro. My Brother MFC-240c which I used for years just died so that is why I need to find something quick.

I actually really like these

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ica-_-28103388

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828115454

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828102358

 

[Brian Stirling]

If you intend to print photos that's going to push you towards an inkjet and so long as the monthly print volume is low enough the higher cost/page of an inkjet may not be an issue, but if you plan to print more than a 250 prints/month and expect to have and use the printer for at least a couple years then it would pay to go with a more expensive printer that is cheaper per page to operate. The cheap printers are also the most expensive per page to operate -- that's the game they play.

But, most homes do not have a monthly print volume of 250 so the cost savings you get when you buy a better printer may not wash out.

One thing you should know if you plan to print your own photos is that you NEED to use good photo paper. A great photo printer using regular paper will output cruddy photos but a cheap inkjet using good photo paper will blow it away.


Brian

 

[jediphx]

bump

 

[Absolution75]

Stay away from EPSON

Every single EPSON i've had has encountered major problems (4 of them so far). The last one wouldn't accept 3rd party cartridges sometimes "Non Genuine. . .", and sucks ink like none other. The print heads would also get clogged all the time.

I bought an HP Officejet 6200 and haven't encountered any problems yet. Drivers are pretty slim and they tend to just work. My only problem is that I haven't found 3rd party ink cartridges yet - not that I need them. It is pretty light on ink.

 

[jediphx]

Absolution, what do you think of this Canon one I listed? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16828102358

 

[Lemon law]

I suppose there is no definition on the word photoprinter, but like many cheap so called photoprinters, the Canon mx330 uses only a single tricolor cartridge, and uses black for only text printing. And to get black in photoprinting mode, it mixes cyan, yellow , and magenta which produces a rather muddy looking black while guzzling ink. IMHO, to be considered a real photoprinter, an inkjet has to have at least four or more photocolors, each in its own individual cartridge. Some of the high end photoprinters have up to nine individual color cartridges.

That and the fact that the mx330 is not particularly economical on ink means its suitable for only small yearly printing uses. But for the price, you get a lot of features.