All in one...copy, print, scan & fax machines?

[Powerstroke2000]

I could currently use one of these, in that my daughter is in need of one for many of her university nursing courses she is taking at this time.

Truly though, it is mainly the "copy" & "scan" portions of it that would be used extensively, as I do currently have 2 HP printers (one being a Photosmart) already. The fax would only be used sparingly, and not as important.

Talked to a buddy of mine, who mentions, it only takes one of the "four" parts of this machine to go down...and you lose them all, when its in being fixed, which is true I suppose.
Also, the cost of ink for these machines (all HP printers at least) can keep one broke, as after talking to a salesman regarding these peripherals, says these companies really don't make alot of money on the machines...that it is the INK that pulls in the BIG dollars for them! It apparently costs very little for the ink to be made, and for the cartridge itself, but they charge an excessive amount of $$ for them in the stores.
Of course there are the companies that will re-fill some cartridges, but I don't know if all apply? Or if the quality of the ink is worthy of putting in our higher end printers? Any way around this high cost cartridge deal?

As for the Copy & Scan portion, I wonder if I would just be better off getting a flat bed scanner that can be used to copy as well?

Going into these Office Supply stores, can be a little intimidating, with self upon self of different peripherals for these uses, with many different brands/types, all a little different in what they do, and cost! You look at one, and then find there is always one that will do a little more...and walk out just as confused as when you went in!
I've done this twice now...and still have come home with none, being understandably frustrated and confused, wanting to think it over more.

I thought perhaps I could lean on the knowledge of the masses here, and then come up with a more suitable conclusion on what to do?
I've basically used HP from day one with my first computer, and basically stuck with them because they have been basically trouble free. Cartridges for them (2 printers both needing black and color) can lead to as much as some pay for their mortgage these days!

I looked at a Canon, but it seems to me that their Cameras are pretty high technology wise, and I've had many of them with no real problems either, but "scanner, copier, printer"?? Being newer to the market compared to HP or Epson (and others) I don't know?

Thanks in advance on any advice...much appreciated.

Dale

[Redfallon]

I've got an HP PSC 500 that's probably 5 or 6 years old by now, still works like a charm (with the exception of some XP problems with the older driver, but that's another story) Anyway, since you've already got 2 printers, I would personally just pick up a cheap flat-bed since most I've seen (have 2 of those also) come with software that will scan direct to your printer. The all-in-one's are great for someone buying their first comp or on a more limited budget, but for flexibility and quality, IMHO, you're better off buying individual components. For printers I also now use exclusively HP, scanners, I've got an hp and an epson, I've also used Cannon printers in the past and had no trouble from any of the three above brands.

[kram 2.0]

If ink conservation is something you're going to want to look forward to, I'd suggest avoiding Epson. Epson makes some nice printers that output very high-quality prints and pictures but they do use a massive amount of ink. I have heard some very nice things about Cannon printers though - picture quality and quality of the printer-wise.

kram

[Powerstroke2000]

I was told that Lexmark printers, if left unused for long period, the cartridges tend to dry out, so you end up replacing them more often than not for this reason?

Haven't looked into Epson cartridges, but would assume they are somewhat priced like the HP cartridges?

Regarding scanner/copiers, I was told that the type where you slide the paper in, where it gets pulled in, giving you the desired result, aren't as good for receipts or any other "thin papered" product, so the flat bed is better for that reason? Also, with the flatbed, you can scan pages, another up-side I believe, so where does this other type, that pulls the page in, make it a better option? I believe it was a "Brother" I looked at that did this, and I have seen some "office" types that did the same! I suppose they can pull in several pages (one after the other) which gives them the benefit?

Oh yes, one thing I saw was that one of the Canon flatbeds scanners was quite thin, and didn't even need a power supply, as it was all through the USB cable, but you had to have a 2.0 USB port for this to work?
Since my computer is over a year old, I would imagine mine are 1.0 USB ports, so I suppose this wouldn't work?
I was told I could buy a card to put in the computer, ($50.00 here in Canada) which would give me the 2.0 USB ports, thus allowing this kind of conversion, but is paying out that kind of money into the scanner the way to go?

Standards often change fairly quickly, so do I really need USB 2.0 ports...as in will everything be made with that standard in the future? We all have to think about how long our computers last, or become outdated, so who knows how much upgrading should be done, where it might be just as good to upgrade the whole thing?

Anyway...for now, my concern is on which copier/scanner would work best for the short term at least. I have had a flatbed scanner from when they first came out (low cost scanner) and found it to be painfully slow!
Are there flatbed scanner/copiers that actually put out much quicker now, or is the process still a slow one? Are there particular brands/types which are faster than others? Is it worth paying additional cost to get a quality unit that also is "speedy" over others?

Thanks...

Dale

[glc]

Look at the HP Officejet 5510 if you want a cheap all-in-one that works good. It's a 4-way machine (print, scan, copy, fax) with both a flatbed and a document feeder. Yes, color ink can get expensive. The Canon MP730 is a similar machine at a considerably higher price that won't kill you on ink (it uses 4 separate tanks) but its scanner is VERY slow as it makes a separate pass for each color.