Need one printer to replace them all!

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I have just about 47 printers and i would really like to free up some office space and replace them with one mega unit! so i have been going over some options and just wanted to get some feedback from anyone who has gone down this path before.  what did you end up going with and are you happy with what you picked?  I wonder how much i would miss the color option?

** requirements - duplex printing, scan and copy & document feeder, Fax, Network (wire or wireless)

• Option 1
  
  • A monochrome All-In-One laser printer
  • This would mean all color prints and photos would need to be done at some retail store.
  
  
• Option 2
  
  • A color All-In-One laser printer
  • This would allow me to print basic color if needed
  • Would still require me to farm out photo prints
  • i dont print a lot of photos
  
  
• Option 3
  
  • A monochrome All-In-One laser printer
  • AND a Photo printer
    
  • This would allow me to print documents etc but only in black and white and i could also print some photos when i wanted to.
  
  
• Option 4
  
  • A color All-In-One laser printer
  • AND a Photo printer
  • This would give me everything that i should need but its also very $$$ to do this.

Printers that i have been looking into:

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113627
  
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828112190
  
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113655
  
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113430
  

[yttrium]

After a quick peek, out of those four, I would go with the MFC-8480dn simply by feature set and ratings. I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to printers so don't heed my advice as all-knowing, but that's what I would go with.

[fohat.digs]

I have decided that "all-in-one" is a compromise on many levels.

If you are doing a lot of printing, why not buy a black laser printer that is an absolute battleship, to do the mass work, and then fill in around the edges?

Even if the second unit is an "all-in-one" it should be spared from the big grind.

Just my opinion.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I have decided that "all-in-one" is a compromise on many levels.

If you are doing a lot of printing, why not buy a black laser printer that is an absolute battleship, to do the mass work, and then fill in around the edges?

Even if the second unit is an "all-in-one" it should be spared from the big grind.

Just my opinion.

This is how i have it today and i'm just tired of having 3 different printing devices.  I have my mono laser, photo printer, and an all-in-one for scan/fax.  I really hate having all of these and really want to get down to one device if at all possible, i have been living in and out of NYC and have been looking at living locations in Italy and for most places that i want to live space is at a premium; if i can cut down on what i have to move each time i leave a place then it also makes the move easier.  With all that said i know that an all-in-one is typically not the best in any one category but i'm trying to find the best of both worlds.  all the features with minimal space/# of devices.

I'm leaning towards getting a A-I-O color laser that would give me the most features (except photo prints) in one device.  I dont print photos as much as i used to so i'm even willing to farm out those.

[kriminal]

i wouldve pointed you to the MFD printers made by Ricoh and Xerox, but then i clicked your link and realised your price range

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

i wouldve pointed you to the MFD printers made by Ricoh and Xerox, but then i clicked your link and realised your price range

i dont really have a range... though i would rather not spend 2.5k+ on a printer; this is for a home office with one employee, me.  With that said i would be happy to hear any and all suggestions no matter the price range.

[nar]

If you don't print many photos, it's probably better to just print your photos at a retail store. Good places (like print shops and camera shops) usually print better than what photo printers (at least in your price range) can. No need to worry about your photo printer refusing to print because your ink is "expired".

[Spharx]

I would stick to Option1 because it is and will be the cheapest way, just don't buy by any means a color ink-jet printer! The only purpose of those things is to rip of you money.
Also you should keep in mind that laser printers like to fingerprint your documents with tracking dots

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

...fingerprint your documents with tracking dots

wow i never thought about that... is this only something that takes place in a color lasers, or maybe just this one model?  crazy.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I use a Brother HL-3070CW.  Details in the Computing Setup thread - see the OP.  Still haven't burnt through the original cartridges.

HP is dead meat as Ink dries up and we move to the Post PC era.

And I do my photos at Costco using their printer custom profiles.

I currently use the HL-2140 (as my mono laser) which is a very cheap model but i have been using it for about 3 years now and i'm still on the starter cartridge as well.

[quickcrx702]

To tell you the truth, if this is for an office and you do a massive amount of printing, it doesn't make sense for you to buy a printer.  I have an IT consulting business, and for clients that print a LOT(like thousands of pages to tens of thousands per month), it makes more sense to lease printers from document management companies than to buy them outright.  Basically you pay per printed page, and they provide you with all of the consumables and take care of maintenance, plus you get a much better printer.  Printers break down quite frequently in high usage office environments, and having same day service is a life saver.  You end up saving money and getting a better printer and service.

[boost]

Xerox docutech 6180

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