First of all, Epinions has the name of this product slightly wrong although the model number and picture are correct. This product is not a mere printer, it is a 5 in one office machine! It is a printer, fax, copier, scanner and pc fax (okay, the fax and pc fax might be stretching it a bit).

SET-UP

I have to say that set-up was rather complex. The machine itself was pretty much in one piece inside the box. There were a few plastic panels that needed to be inserted into slots but it was easy enough.

However, there was a very thick owner's manual plus lots of extra pages thrown into the box that supplement the manual. The extra pages are all different sizes so it is hard to stick them in the manual. It was not obvious which pages to use to get started. The pages also refer to different operating systems and use lots of acronyms so unless you have some tech background, it will be hard to figure out.

The easiest operation to set up was copying. The faxing got a bit more complex but was manageable. It took me about an hour and a half to get this much going. After that I tacked the printing function which took about another 45 minutes. I am now too scarred to tackle scanning but will update when I get to this function.

DESCRIPTION OF FEATURES

Copying: The copy feature is the easiest to use and to understand. You can lay the item to be copied onto the scanner, close the cover and simply make a copy in the way you are used to. Another option is to feed the original document into the document feeder. The machine has two buttons, one for color copies and one for black & white copies. The quality is pretty good - about average ink jet quality. Copying is on plain paper by default however you can also program the machine to take special paper.

Faxing: Here is a tongue twister: The fax feature is fickle. It was rough going setting up the machine to send and receive faxes. You need to spend some time programming the fax machine with your name, the date and time. You can also program other features such as how many rings before the fax machine picks up, how loud it will ring, how loud it will beep and automatic daylight savings time adjustments. Faxing out is not a problem. Simply plug the fax machine into your phone line with the cord provided, put the original into the machine and dial the number.

Receiving a fax is a lot more complicated than receiving one unless you have a phone line dedicated to the fax machine. If you plan to share a line with your phone and have voicemail through your phone company, then the fax machine and voicemail will most likely conflict with each other. One option is to have two different rings on one phone line. Basically, this is like having two phone numbers but they share a line. You can then program the machine to recognize the ring that signals the fax phone number is incoming. The two phone numbers on one line option is not available everywhere so it makes sense to ask you phone company before you buy this machine if this is what you intend to do. If you receive faxes very infrequently, another option is to only plug in the fax machine when you know a fax will be coming in.

According to the instructions, there is also a feature that will recognize the fax beeps and will accept the fax even if you pick up the receiver when the fax is coming in. I have tried to program the fax machine multiple times to do this and have had no luck.

Yet another option is manual fax. On this mode, you pick up any calls and if you hear fax beeps then you hit a button and replace the receiver. Again, I can't seem to get this to work consistently.

PRINTER

More complicated set-up time. !!This machine does not come with the cable necessary to attach it to your computer!! You will have to purchase either a parallel or USB cable yourself depending on your computer. I bought the USB cable for this machine at Best Buy for $37. I subsequently found a cheaper USB cable through hpshopping.com for $19.99 plus 4.99 shipping.

The machine comes with a CD-Rom and separate instructions for printer set up. You can easily connect the printer to the computer with a cable. My HP home computer detected the printer and did the basic install. Then I needed to activate the CD-Rom and go through several windows to fully install the printer. The instructions were not complete and I encountered two windows not anticipated by the instructions and had to guess at the answers. The printer worked in the end but it was a hassle.

Another thing to know about this printer is that it is not Windows compliant so you get an error message during the installation that implies the software could destroy your computer "now or at any time in the future." Perhaps this is a gimmick by Windows to force vendors to buy their approval - but perhaps not. You will have to judge the risk for yourself.

Scanning: The printer has both a flatbed and a feeder that can be used for scanning. I haven't tried it yet although it seems to be installed on my machine. When I get to scanning, I promise a full Epinions update.

PRINT QUALITY

This is a color ink jet printer. The quality is pretty good and about equal with other ink jets that I have owned.

PRICE

I got this machine at Staples.com for $160 (including shipping and tax) although there was a mail in rebate of $50. My final cost was only $110 which is extremely reasonable for all of the features. My review of Staples Online Store is at: http://www.epinions.com/content_98510605956.

WARRANTY

There is a one year limited warranty and the instructions are filled with lots of bold face type disclaiming liability in every way possible. They probably had too many people trying to return the machine because they couldn't figure it out.

MORE INFORMATION

web site: www.brother.com

This machine is designed for use in the U.S. and Canada only.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION

At $110, this machine is a great value as a copier, fax and printer. I really don't need the scanning feature and it is bonus I might look into later.

The set up on this machine was by far the most complicated, frustrating experience I have ever had for any new gadget. The instructions were lengthy, unclear and complicated at times. I need to keep the instruction book near the machine to reference for all kinds of codes needed for programming.

I am recommending this machine as just a copier and fax machine. It was a good value for these features. However, if you are not a techie or willing to spend a lot of time, this is NOT the machine for you.

Update on 7/23: The printer function is not interacting well with Windows and keeps going offline.
Update on 7/24: I bought and added a HP Deskjet 3420 printer to my computer because this Brother machine is not a reliable option for printing. Now I only use it as a back up printer.

ANOTHER OPTION

If you receive or send faxes infrequently, consider getting a free account with Efax. My epinion about Efax is at: http://www.epinions.com/content_106898951812.





Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 110
Operating System: Other