Printing, Faxing, Copying and Faxing... all done with a All in One Printer
All in one printers, which also commonly known as multifunctional printers is a type of office equipment that specifically built to provide users with multiple options in one single machine.
These functions include printing, scanning, copying and faxing. The latter function normally won't be found on those smaller models that are meant more for home use; as it is targeted towards small to medium business entity.
Basically, all in one printers are primarily used in small offices where on cost wise, it is not feasible to install all types of machines and devices that perform the different tasks. And so these printers are built by combining a printer, copier, scanner and fax into a single printing machine.
During the early days, when all in one printers were still a new concept in the market, the AIO manufacturers divided them into various groups or categories based on their printing speed, DPI and duty cycle.
But now, as with the advancement of technology, these printers are not just distinguished based on these standards but also many other upcoming features such as wireless, overall performance, cost effectiveness and etc.
Today most of the leading players in the market are producing this kind of printers as part of their major manufacturing line. And some of the famous brands in the office printing equipment industry that offer these all in one printers include Canon, Epson, HP, Brothers, Dell and Lexmark.
This is quite a lucrative market and now even big offices have adopted such printers based on the laser technology and better features as it promises to provide the enterprising needs of more than having just a printer.
This could be quite convenient when a big office want to track the departmental expenses. And so by purchasing the smaller version of the all in one printer for each department, the company can track down which department might have abused the use of company facilities.
Moreover, all in one printers prices range from as low as $50 to as high as surpasses the $1000 mark. On the cheaper end, the machine might not have the faxing capability and on the other, every options and features are included. In fact, this kind of printer is quite cost effective; if buying a scanner, a printer, a copier and a fax machine separately, the combined cost will be much higher than it is in a single machine.
With the emerging trend of SOHO (even micro business that operates with a single person) and small business unit entity, all in one printers have become quite increasingly popular. Such business does not need a full fledged machine that costs up to few thousands of dollars.
To keep up with the needs of business, manufacturers are also continuously upgrading their machine with better and new features. For the premium models, these devices have become more like a computer where they are equipped with buffer size of at least 32MB and processor speed of up to 512MHz (this is quite fast considering this is not really a computer).
To meet the printing needs, some of the models even have a special storage capability through built-in hard disk or flash drives. For better enhancement and interactivity, these printers are often equipped with a LCD touch screen. And so operating it is more user friendly and easier than before.
Conclusion
All in one printers have become the better choice of office printing equipment and most small and medium scale office have chosen this machine as their choices. The technology behind these all in one printers are constantly upgraded with better quality of output while at the same time saving cost.
One of the features that has been introduced not long ago is the wireless capability. With the wireless feature, now office can reduces the use of cables which is not only messy but also quite inconvenient when having to install new computer that share the same printer. Whether it is for business or personal use, all in one printers are absolutely the better choice.
