I need a multi-function laser printer
- Thread starter nitro
- Start date
I have used the Brother MFC 9600 for about 3 years. It has been a great machine and worked flawlessly with Win 98 which was current at the time of purchase. However, when I wanted to use the machine with Win 2000, the short comings of brothers customer support came to the forefront. While drivers for using most of the printing functionality were available for Win 2000, that is where it all ended. I have no scanner functionality or fax from within Win 2000. From what I have read, getting the print functionality to work under Win XP is even more of a challenge and forget use with Linux. From what I have read, even Brother's latest model MFC machines are problematic with Win XP. For me, I do not want to buy MFC machines that I must replace when I upgrade my operating system. I think it cost the Brother company to upgrade the functionality of their machines for later releases of operating systems and this is not a cost Brother is willing to absorb. Brother's response is: "We have your solution. Just replace your current Brother MFC with our latest MFC machine".
Another short coming is 1/4" around all edges of the paper is out side the supported area of all functionality of the MFC 9600 and later model MFC machines.
A disadvantage is you can not copy or scan legal size documents from the scanner glass on the MFC 9600 or 9700 models.
Other than these short comings, I could not ask more of a machine in this price range.
Another short coming is 1/4" around all edges of the paper is out side the supported area of all functionality of the MFC 9600 and later model MFC machines.
A disadvantage is you can not copy or scan legal size documents from the scanner glass on the MFC 9600 or 9700 models.
Other than these short comings, I could not ask more of a machine in this price range.
Hmmm,
Interesting. I went to the Brother website to see what I could find. It is one of the worst websites I have ever seen. If I bought products based on the persona that this company is setting forth from their website, I would run the other way as fast as I could.
However, the cost of the MFC 9700 is just to good to pass up based on features, so I am very motivated to see if I can get it to work.
My OS of choice today is Win2K. I don't know what it will be in the future, but I would be astonished if Brother at least did not kept up their drivers with the major MSFT OS offerings!
Realistically, if this printer did not offer scaning, I would not let that affect me as I do not have much if any need for that. I need this printer to send and recieve faxes, to print, and as a low capacity copier. The document feeder is nice...
Thanks for the input. After your post, I looked harder and I can honestly say that I am concerned with my choice. But I feel that if I can get it to work and the printer is a workhorse as you may have hinted, I will have found a real nugget at a bargain price.
nitro
Interesting. I went to the Brother website to see what I could find. It is one of the worst websites I have ever seen. If I bought products based on the persona that this company is setting forth from their website, I would run the other way as fast as I could.
However, the cost of the MFC 9700 is just to good to pass up based on features, so I am very motivated to see if I can get it to work.
My OS of choice today is Win2K. I don't know what it will be in the future, but I would be astonished if Brother at least did not kept up their drivers with the major MSFT OS offerings!
Realistically, if this printer did not offer scaning, I would not let that affect me as I do not have much if any need for that. I need this printer to send and recieve faxes, to print, and as a low capacity copier. The document feeder is nice...
Thanks for the input. After your post, I looked harder and I can honestly say that I am concerned with my choice. But I feel that if I can get it to work and the printer is a workhorse as you may have hinted, I will have found a real nugget at a bargain price.
nitro
I recommend a continuous flow system like this:
http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/cobra.html
Apparently they work best on Epson inkjets, especially the earlier models before they added chips monitoring the ink tanks.
I found an Epson 880 on Ebay for $50, added the CFS system plus 16 oz archival quality ink for $132.
It prints almost as fast with better quality and brighter colors than my color laser which costs 7 times as much.
http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/cobra.html
Apparently they work best on Epson inkjets, especially the earlier models before they added chips monitoring the ink tanks.
I found an Epson 880 on Ebay for $50, added the CFS system plus 16 oz archival quality ink for $132.
It prints almost as fast with better quality and brighter colors than my color laser which costs 7 times as much.
I don't know if you saw this side by side comparison:
http://www.brother.com/usa/fax/pdf/lmfc_2003.pdf
Also from this page you have links to all the MFC models and from there you can click on "Specifications" in the upper left corner to see which functions are supported under which OS:
http://www.brother.com/usa/fax/lmfc_list_cntr.html
Actually some weeks ago I saw another matrix which showed even Linux support for the newer models (8820) - can't find it anymore.
http://www.brother.com/usa/fax/pdf/lmfc_2003.pdf
Also from this page you have links to all the MFC models and from there you can click on "Specifications" in the upper left corner to see which functions are supported under which OS:
http://www.brother.com/usa/fax/lmfc_list_cntr.html
Actually some weeks ago I saw another matrix which showed even Linux support for the newer models (8820) - can't find it anymore.
Its not only cheaper but better. It allows superior quality archival ink. Prints from my old HP inkjet with genuine HP ink always faded dramatically within a year if they were left near a window in that time.
It baffles me that consumers have been tricked into thinking that tiny $20 inkjet cartridges containing non-archival ink are state of the art, when it is clearly a lie. It creates a market of substandard refill kits that can make a mess and destroy print heads.
It's amazing how some consumers aren't conscious of price/quality. I offered to set up a CFS unit plus a superior Epson inkjet for a friend who prints a lot of full page photos. She loved the idea, but balked at the price for a CFS unit, preferring to shell out $20/month on cartridges for an ailing Lexmark printer, using low quality paper and getting poor quality prints.
Nitro:
The MFC 9700 will do a great job for you and do what Brother says it will do with Win 2000 and XP. If there is a shortcoming, it would be when you wanted to upgrade to a later operating system three or more years in the future. The $380 delivered from newegg.com is a great deal. My older MFC 9600 looks identical to the 9700 and it has worked flawlessly.
If you wanted the MFC 8820D, I did find a better price than Newegg for $535.90 delivered from pagecomputers.com. The MFC 9700 can also do two sided copies, but you have to turn the sheet over and hand feed it into the single sheet slot which is slow.
The MFC 9700 will do a great job for you and do what Brother says it will do with Win 2000 and XP. If there is a shortcoming, it would be when you wanted to upgrade to a later operating system three or more years in the future. The $380 delivered from newegg.com is a great deal. My older MFC 9600 looks identical to the 9700 and it has worked flawlessly.
If you wanted the MFC 8820D, I did find a better price than Newegg for $535.90 delivered from pagecomputers.com. The MFC 9700 can also do two sided copies, but you have to turn the sheet over and hand feed it into the single sheet slot which is slow.
Quote from nitro:
I need a multi-function laser printer that can also fax (copy and scan would be nice, but not strictly necessary.)
Anyone have one that they have really pounced on that they like?
I am looking at this one, but it does not fax
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0157861
This one is possibility:
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=140546
or my favorite (it supports Postscript,) but a little outside of my price range:
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=406298
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=117916
Any suggestions?
nitro
The problem with multi-function units is when one function goes down you're left with a second rate printer..
This is a poor man's solution at best(you're not a poor man are you, if so I apologize and will be on my way)
Buy separate units each dedicated to a specific function, better quality and if you're a careful and patient shopper great deals can be had.
"Multi-function" is so "middle class" (looking for right word or phrase here)..