Brother MFC-240C Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer with Fax Review

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(More customer reviews)I was hesitant to purchase this based on all the mediocre reviews, but I am extremely happy with the 240c. I think its about the best multi-function you can get for under a hundred bucks (with the possible exception of tha Canon Pixma). First, a few of these reviews contain critical errors about the unit. First: It IS possible to scan multiple documents into a single PDF file. One simple way is to load up your documents into the top paper feeder, then scan to PDF, and every page it scans will be put into the same file. Another way to do it is to use the Presto Pagemanager software that comes on the installation CD. Second: the 240c DOES have incoming fax capabilities...you have to enable it in the Fax options on the unit's menu setup (not on your computer). It does not have a handset so you cannot use it as a phone, but at least on the 240c that I have, it can indeed receive faxes. Third: the reason the unit will not print anything even if only one cartridge is blank is because it uses a suction type cart (different from most inkjets), and damage to the unit will occur if an empty cartridge is left in. That said, here's my review.
Build quality is overall very durable, with the possible exception of the paper tray. It won't turn any heads with its bland utilitarian appearance, but its compact and sturdy for home or home office usage. It also looks like an office machine, as opposed to the flimsy Fisher-Price looking offerings from HP and Lexmark. The controls are laid out sufficiently and you should be able to figure things out by surfing through the unit's menu, although there are alot of setup options so you may have to do some searching. The only complaints about the design are the small, non-backlit display and the paper tray. The paper tray is more like a paper container with a lid, that loads like a cartridge. If you only print on one type of paper its fine, but if you want to switch and print envelopes, 4X6, etc., it can do it but you have to take the tray out, take out all the paper, adjust the slider, then put in the new paper and re-insert.
Print and scan quality are just fine. In fact, the scanner is very impressive and scans are much better quality than the Canon it replaced. Print quality is just fine...I dont see any washed out colors or anything else others have noted. Its prints as good as any unit will under a hundred bucks. The copy and scan features work just great and fast. You can either use the computer to make copies or you can bypass your PC altogether and use it as a standalone copier. Most of the features can be run either from the software or the unit itself, which is great. The top-feeding document accepter is a huge time saver. Also, the lid on the scanner is hinged allowing you to scan thicker items, like books, easily.
As far as ink usage, some settings must be adjusted to get longer life. First, disable "bi-directional printing" as it uses alot of ink and wrinkles the paper. Set the paper-type to "plain." This is huge, because if you dont, even if you select grayscale printing, it will pull ink from the color cartidges. Also, if you print mostly text, set the print quality to the "fast" settings, and it looks just fine. You want to conserve ink, since these cartridges run about 20-25 bucks for black, and around 12-14 for each color. But, the cartridges are huge so they should last average users a while. For heavy office use, you may want to look at a a higher end or laser model.
The fax feature I dont use so I cant comment much on how that works. It also accepts most major memory cards for photo printing, but without a preview screen your better off printing pics from your computer. It is also worth noting that this unit IS Mac compatible (many of the sub-$100 machines aren't), although I had to update the drivers and software from Brother's website after installing the CD to get some scanning features to work. I'm assuming this has something to do with the whole Intel / PPC switch. I'd highly advise you to do the same...their site is just their name, and the update offerings fixed the few bugs I encountered.
Overall I am very impressed with this unit. I had returned an HP c3180 multi-function because it couldnt hold a handle to this as far as overall quality and value. Highly recommended for home and light home office use.

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The Brother MFC-240C Color Flatbed Multi-Function Center combines all your basic office equipment needs into one space-saving device. This unit is ideal for small or home-based businesses because it performs so many functions in one compact, stylish machine. Fast, reliable, and extremely user friendly, the MFC-240C can help boost efficiency and increase productivity.By offering color printing, faxing, coping, scanning and photo printing, all from an easy-to-use control panel, this PC and MAC compatible system can boost your bottom line, save you money, and help your business thrive.Fast, Reliable Printing and Scanning The MFC-240C works quickly, minimizing wait times so you can take on other tasks. This system prints color documents at remarkable speeds of up to 20 pages per minute (ppm) and 25 ppm for black-and-white, so you can have your documents in your hands fast. The 10-page Automatic Document Feeder and front-loading paper tray with 100-sheet paper capacity mean you won't have to worry about complicated paper-changing techniques slowing you down. This system also gives you professional photo lab quality results by printing borderless photos in all standard sizes. For added convenience, you can print images from your PictBridge-enabled cameras and media cards without a computer; the MFC-240C accepts Memory Stick, xD PictureCard Types M and H, CompactFlash and SecureDigital. The flatbed color scanner offers up to 19,200 dpi (interpolated) resolution and up to 600 by 2400 dpi (optical) resolution, so all your images will be sharp and clear.Easy, Versatile Copying and Faxing When you need to make copies or send a fax, there's no need to purchase a separate machine; the MFC-240C offers speedy, dependable results each and every time you use it. With copying speeds of up to 18 copies per minute (cpm) in black-and-white and 16 cpm in color, the MFC-240C virtually eliminates time spent waiting for a job to complete. You also have the option of customizing your copies so they're always clear and easy to read by simply reducing or enlarging in one percent increments from 25 to 400 percent. For added convenience, the fax machine offers both black-and-white and color faxing with a 14.4 Kbps high-speed fax modem. As versatile as it is efficient, this system also supports Caller ID and distinctive ring fax broadcasting from any PC.

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