Holiday roundup: All-in-one printers

Multi-function printers are one of those gadgets that everyone would like to have at their disposal, but at the same time, no one ever gets excited about going to the store to buy them. This is exactly why they make for a smart and functional gift for home-office users, small-business users, and college students alike. Here are three multi-function printers—see which one is right for you.

Epson WorkForce 600: Epson's latest flagship multi-function printer is quite an impressive one. You get a wide array of standard features: It's a Copy, scan, print, and fax device with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB connectivity, a 2.5-inch LCD navigation screen, a memory card reader, PictBridge support, and an auto-document feeder, all in a very sleek package.

The first thing I noticed right out of the gate was the menu-selection screen on the 2.5-inch LCD screen. Very appealing to the eye and easy to use, although some navigation was a little confusing at times and it might take a little getting used to. Also, all of the buttons on the WorkForce 600's tilted panel are big and easy for the eye to read. Another nice touch is that this printer uses seperate color ink tanks, which can be an important point for those who are color-specific printers.

Printing, the heart of any all-in-one device, was the first thing I examined. I was very impressed with the quality and speed of text-only document printing—text was sharp, and the pages just shot out of the device. However, with full-page borderless photos, the printer did take its time—one full sheet on premium photo paper took almost 6 and a half minutes per page. The quality of full-page (8.5x11 to be exact) photo prints was very sharp, yet the color felt a little under-saturated in some photos. As for the printer, I see this device as more suited for those who will be printing more text documents and documents with graphics, as opposed to being a photo printer.

Now, on to the scanner. This is where the WorkForce really shines. Full page scans on "Best" quality setting took only about 1:06, which is pretty swift, and the quality of the scans was excellent. Colors were very faithful to the original, no visible glare was sighted, and the images were crisp. I was left with impressive digital scans as well as direct-copy prints. 

Two minor gripes: The paper tray and feeder felt a little flimsy to me—not huge, but something to consider if you work with clumsy folks or you have a swarm of kids wanting to use the device. Also, the home button/function selector is one solid button, not four seperate buttons, so you must press down multiple times to select the function you want. Definitely not dealbreakers, but a little annoying.

At $199, the WorkForce 600 is competitively priced, and its solid performance in all arenas makes is a great choice. This one is perfect for the home-office user.

Epson.com - WorkForce 600

Lexmark X7675: Lexmark Professional series was revamped a few months back, and the X7675 sits at the top of the heap. Feature-wise, the X7675 goes toe-to-toe with the WorkForce 600: Copy, scan, print, and fax, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB connectivity, 2.5-inch LCD, PictBridge support, memory card readers, ADF, the whole nine yards. And, at $199, it's also the same price as the WorkForce 600.

The X7675 isn't quite as good looking as the WorkForce, but it still holds its own as a good looking device. The front tilting panel is neatly organized, and the 4-button function row allows for quick selection of job type. The operating system isn't as pretty or animated as the WorkForce 600, but I actually found it easier to use in some instances.

Printing is solid with the X7675. Although the X7675 was considerably slower at printing text than the Epson, it actually printed full page photo-quality prints about one full minute quicker than its counterpart (5:20). Additionally, photo prints came out with slightly better color reproduction when directly compared to the WorkForce. If you're going to be printing tons of brochures or images, this is definitely something to keep in mind.

Scanning was also good, but a little slow. A full photo image scanned at 600 dpi took about 1:46, and sharpness was on par with its competitors. However, some colors appeared to be over-saturated in some images. 

Overall, I would have to say that the Epson does edge out the X7675 in terms of general performance by a slim margin, but, there is one big ace that the X7675 has up its sleeve: A five year warranty and lifetime telephone support, as opposed to Epson's two-year and HP's one-year warranty. In my opinion, this gives Lexmark a good amount of bonus points and is something that buyers should consider before hitting the register.

So, who should pick up the X7675? With its fast speeds and five year warranty, this one is definitely suited for the small business user.

Lexmark.com - X7675 Professional Series

HP Photosmart C4599: The Photosmart enters this roundup with less features than the devices mentioned above, but it does have a more attractive $149 price. The key differences between this device and the others is: No Ethernet (Wi-Fi and USB only), a smaller LCD screen, no auto-document feeder, no fax, and no Compact-Flash reader.

There are a few aces that the Photosmart C4599 does have up its sleeve. First, its size. The C4599 is by far the smallest AIO device in the roundup, which is something you should definitely note if your workspace is a little cramped. The paper tray easily folds to seal up the device and conserve space, which is a nice touch. Secondly, the Photosmart is the fastest photo printer in this roundup by a pretty healthy margin. A full-page photo print took 3:56 seconds on best quality, which beats the Lexmark by more than a full minute and the Workforce by two minute.

Print quality was very good on this machine. For photos, the Photosmart C4599 created the best color reproduction and sharpness while also being the fastest printer in the group. As for black and white text, the Photosmart was on par with its peers with good print speeds and font clarity.

As for scanning, the HP held its own. A full page scan at 600 dpi took about 1:07, which is nearly as fast as the Epson, and the color reproduction was slightly better than the Lexmark. I did notice some blurring on very defined small text, but on photographs, scans came out looking great. There was one thing that I found frustrating, however. The C4599's scanner lid is directly attached to the base, so the lid did not comfortably fit over thick magazines and other thick objects. 

The Photosmart is a fast little device, but its lack of an auto-document feeder and faxing makes this one not well suited for a business environment. With its small size and quick speeds, the C4599 is probably best suited for photo-fanatic college students and family users. And if you already have an HP notebook, the printer's sleek design matches and complements your laptop nicely.

HP.com - Photosmart C4599