| What
is a multi-functional device? Working
as a printer, copier, scanner and often a fax in one box, a multi-functional
device (aka MFD or all-in-one) is a compact solution for a business
that's short on space and cash.
Although all-in-ones
have been around for a few years now, there used to be a catch:
while they did it all, they did nothing exceedingly well. The end
result was mediocre at best.
The times,
they are a-changin'. The following advances make the all-in-one
a more worthy consideration for more than just the home office:
Latest advancements
in MFDs
Platen-based
copying and scanning.
Primitive and lower-end MFDs justified the claim of "copier"
by calling a duplicate of an original sent through the fax feeder
a "copy." Today's platen-based, or flatbed, machines are
more honest.
Not only can
you make copies the "real" way by laying your original
on the platen glass, but you can also copy, fax, and scan items
that would never fit through a feeder, like books or magazines.
Plus, most
models let you scale your copies around a respectable 50 to 200
percent.
Laser printing.
As laser printer prices have dropped while their print speeds have
increased, so have those of their MFD counterparts.
These days,
you can get a six-page per minute laser-printing MFD for under $400,
not the thousands you would have paid a few years ago. Although
you can't yet have color laser at that price, a color ink-jet model
can afford you near-laser results.
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