Budget MFPs with Fax

Multifunction printers for $100

The HP Officejet J4680 (*Est. $100) is one of the cheapest multifunction printers (MFPs) with an integrated fax modem. It gets a good review from Macworld's James Galbraith, who writes that although it's slow, its prints, scans and copies are of decent quality. James Hutchinson at PC World (Australia) agrees, citing slow speed as a problem, and adding that photo printing isn't its strength; otherwise, the HP Officejet J4680 multifunction printer is adequate. CNET's Justin Yu, however, has far more complaints. In addition to "painfully" slow speeds, paper handling is unsatisfactory and features are sparse. Also, Yu points out that the price and size of ink cartridges mean that operating costs are much higher on the Officejet J4680 than on HP's Photosmart Premium Fax.

The HP multifunction printer boasts Wi-Fi connectivity, but about half of the owners posting reviews to Amazon.com report trouble with this feature. The Officejet J4680 gets more low ratings than it does high scores, with owners complaining that the software conflicts with other programs on their computers. They also complain of troublesome wireless setup, phantom paper jams and a scanner that works intermittently.

Competing directly with the Officejet J4680 is Canon's Pixma MX330 (*Est. $100). It also has a fax, as well as a 1.8-inch LCD screen and automatic document feeder (ADF), but no wireless connectivity built in. CNET's Justin Yu says that the MX330's output isn't particularly good on either text or photos; even so, he calls it "the most versatile and high-quality all-in-one printer" in its price range. Eric Grevstad at HardwareCentral.com likes the MX330's prints more, but he says it's hardly a photo printer and printing costs quickly add up. Also, the printer is bulky and noisy. Melissa Riofrio, writing for PC World, notes that the inks for the Officejet J4680 are more cost-effective than those of the MX330. While the MX330 gets a good average score at Amazon.com, a significant percentage of users give it low marks for ink usage and breakdowns.

HP also offers less-expensive, fax-equipped versions of their well-regarded Officejet series. What differentiates the HP Officejet Pro 6500 (*Est. $100) from the pricier 8500 (*Est. $270) is that the latter has an ADF and slightly faster printing speeds. The HP Officejet Pro 6500 Wireless (*Est. $125) is essentially the same as the 6500 printer; the Wireless model, in addition to Wi-Fi, has a duplexer and non-volatile memory (meaning it can retain incoming fax data in the event of a power outage). PCMag.com rates the 6500 Wireless highly, praising its text printing and indicating that it competes well with Epson's WorkForce series. Reviewer M. David Stone notes some problems with other features, particularly scanning, but he adds that these are software issues that can be worked around. James Hutchinson, at PC World (Australia), says that while the Officejet 6500 doesn't compete with lasers on consumables, its costs per page are good for an inkjet. However, the 6500 multifunction printer is in a competitive class and "doesn't particularly excel" in any of its functions. Eric Grevstad agrees in his review for HardwareCentral.com, giving the 6500 Wireless his "most robust recommendation." PC World's Susan Silvius recommends the 6500 for a small office.