Find The Right Multifunction Devices

Kodak 5250

Kodak's ESP 5250 multifunction printer isn't marred by the errors of its predecessors, but it still needs improvement before it can keep up with the competition. Right now, its pleasing photo quality and satisfactory output speed don't justify the $170 price tag and lack of features.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 dpi

HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web

Aside from the never-ending name, the HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer looks good and prints high-quality photos at competitive speeds. We also appreciate the effort put into the downloadable applications for the interactive touch screen, but the innovation is offset by a hefty price tag. Unless Web connectivity and touch screens are a top priority, we recommend checking out HP's other multifunction printers, which still offer high performance but at a much lower cost.

Specs: Thermal inkjet, Fax / copier / printer / scanner, Mac, PC, 1 year warranty

Lexmark Platinum Pro 905

The Lexmark Platinum Pro 905 is a fully capable all-in-one business device, but its touch screen might throw a wrench in your workflow. The Smart Solutions widgets add virtual customization to the control panel, but we wish Lexmark had retained a few hard buttons as well. As the top dog in the Lexmark printer family, the Platinum Pro 905 does the job, but the HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless does it better.

Specs: 5 years warranty

HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless

The HP Officejet Pro 8500 wireless makes a convincing inkjet argument for offices with a high volume of prints. With a function touch screen, multiple networking options, and an astoundingly fast print speed, it makes perfect sense to give this workhorse an Editors' Choice award.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 2400 x 4800 dpi

Brother MFC-990CW

The Brother MFC-990CW is a speedy, fully capable all-in-one device that earns our recommendation for an individual or a family that will make use of its touch screen and telephone/answering machine. Mechanical issues notwithstanding, this is the highest-scoring Brother printer we've tested to date.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi, Cordless handset

Brother MFC-3360C

The Brother MFC-3360C does decent quality text and graphics, but anyone printing a large volume of photos won't be happy with the extremely slow output speed. If you're set on buying a multifunction printer, put your $90 toward a more capable device, like the Canon Pixma MX330.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 600 x 1200 dpi, Corded handset

Brother DCP 165C

We've tested plenty of printers at CNET, but very few have frustrated us as much as the Brother DCP-165C multifunction has. The counterintuitive setup, bland design, deplorable print quality, and crawling output speeds earns this printer a double thumbs down. Spend $30 more and you can get the Canon Pixma MX330, an all-in-one printer that adds a fax machine on top of the copy, scan, and print features.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi

Epson Stylus NX515 (printer/copier/scanner)

The Epson Stylus NX515 is a capable machine that will improve the efficiency of any office or work-at-home setup. Not only is it a lightning-fast all-in-one, but it also has a broader range of features than most other $150 AIOs. As long as you don't need a full creative software suite, the Epson Stylus NX515 will make a dependable sidekick to your computer.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 2400 x 2400 dpi

Brother MFC-490CW

The Brother MFC-490CW is an improvement over the more expensive MFC-5890CN, but that still doesn't excuse its drudging print speeds and mechanical issues under the hood. Instead of dealing with these headaches, we recommend you look toward the Canon Pixma MX330, which will give you consistent performance and a variety of extra features for the same price.

Specs: 1 year warranty

Brother MFC-5890CN

The Brother MFC-5890CN all-in-one is hands down the worst printer to take up space in our lab. From the irritating initial set up to the horrendous output quality and slow print speed, this device is the easiest way to flush $200 down the drain.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi, None

HP Officejet 6000

We like the simplicity of the HP Officejet 6000 single-function inkjet printer. The print quality meets HP's high standards, and it outputs full color photos at an impressive rate, but its lack of an LCD screen takes some getting used to. Nevertheless, the HP Officjet 6000 performed well and earns our recommendation as a great single-function printer.

Specs: Workgroup printer - Ink-jet - Color, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Workgroup printer, None, None, None, PC, Mac, 1 year warranty, USB, Ethernet

Canon Pixma MX860

The Canon Pixma MX860's auto-document feeder, large LCD screen, and quick print speeds are sure to increase your productivity, but it also includes plenty of software to nourish your creative interests. At $199, this multifunctional printer earns our recommendation.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 2400 x 4800 dpi

HP Photosmart C6380 all-in-one

The HP Photosmart C6380 is a good fit for beginning photographers who want more than just a simple printer. Its six-ink cartridge bay, and scanning and copying capabilities extend its versatility, and while the output quality suffers a few missteps, the C6380 remains a worthwhile deal for the money.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 dpi

Canon Pixma MP980

The Canon Pixma MP980 multifunction printer, copier, and scanner are a step up from its predecessor, but the print quality isn't up to standard and it doesn't perform as quickly as the competition. The HP Photosmart Premium Fax all-in-one is a less expensive alternative that adds value with a fax machine and faster, higher quality output.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 9600 x 4800 dpi

HP Officejet J4680

The HP Officejet J4680 offers more features at a cheaper price than most of its competitors, and small offices and home professionals will appreciate its print quality as well. Unfortunately, its negatives far outweigh the positives: your office productivity will take a major hit because of sluggish output speeds and faulty paper handling. For a better rounded all-in-one printer, we recommend picking up the Lexmark x7675 Pro or investing an extra $90 in the HP Officejet J6480.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi

HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One

The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One printer makes it easy to increase productivity thanks to its streamlined user interface. The fax, copy, print, and scanning features boast helpful extras like double-sided printing, wireless connectivity, separate photo trays, and quick-access control panel buttons, all while maintaining lab-quality photos and a low cost to print. We highly recommend this printer to anyone who can benefit from its multifunctionality.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 x 4800 dpi

Lexmark X7675 Pro

Aside from a few design hang-ups and a slower than average output speed, the Lexmark X7675 Professional all-in-one printer is a cut above other multifunctional printers. Its excellent quality prints, easy-to-set-up wireless connectivity, and generous five-year warranty catapult it to the top of our list of favorites.

Epson Artisan 800

The Epson Artisan 800 produces impressive color prints, photos, and text documents, and it outpaces the competition in almost all of our speed tests. We're impressed by its performance, but hesitate to recommend this printer based on the poor build quality and error-prone software.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 dpi

Kodak ESP 5

The Kodak ESP5 is an attractive full color all-in-one printer, scanner, and copier, and casual photo enthusiasts will be happy with the watered-down editing software, but hard-core users should look elsewhere for a multifunction printer. The ESP5 is too expensive and suffers from too many mechanical deficiencies for us to give it our CNET stamp of approval.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet

Brother MFC 7440N

The Brother MFC-7440N prints quickly and is fairly inexpensive to sustain, but we simply can't get behind a printer with poor quality graphics, significant hardware defects, and a boring design.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 600 x 2400 dpi, None