Are All-In-One Printers a Good Deal?

Quite often, we’re asked about desktop all-in-one printers. Usually, we suggest that you stay away from them.

Why is that? The units have numerous features and appear to be robust. But if you’re planning on mixing business with pleasure (so to speak), you may want to think twice about a consumer all-in-one. Here’s why:

They usually don’t play nice with business networks. These machines are intended for home use. This is true for the software too. Because of this, you may run into problems when you bring it into the office and connect it to your business network. Working from home and remoting in? All-in-ones are notoriously problematic with virtual private networks (VPNs) and remote desktop. If you need to print frequently, skip the problems and get a basic printer. You’ll be happier and less frustrated in the long run.

All-In-One printer software tends to bog down even the fastest computers. Most all-in-ones add niceties such as low ink/out of paper pop ups and software update notifications which add to the load of your computer. And it’s not so simple to turn these “features” off after installing the printer software.

You get what you pay for. Inexpensive printers don't exist. Have you ever thought about the cost per printed page? The printer manufacturers make up for low printer prices with high cost ink. If you’re at a retail store looking at printers, walk to the ink and toner aisle and see what refills cost so you’ll know how much that bargain will cost you in the long run.

The whole is the not greater than the sum of its parts. With an all-in-one, you’ll find that’s true as most of the components are mediocre and don’t last very long with regular use. And servicing these units usually costs more than a replacement unit.

Getting serious about going paperless? All-in-ones are not the way to go. Get a business class scanner instead. They work better, have better software and last longer. Often, the software included with all-in-ones are trial or “basic” versions requiring an upgrade to be useful in business.

All-in-ones are great for family use - light volume printing, scanning and the occasional fax. If you regularly work from home and connect to the office, skip the frustration and the hassles and go with a single purpose printer. You’ll be more productive and save money in the long run.