B rother has introduced four new multifunction printers, all under US$200. There are two sheet-feeder models, the MFC-3240c and MFC-3340cn, and two flatbed models, the MFC-5440cn and MFC-5840cn. Three of the models come with ethernet ports, two of them include media card readers, and they all include an optional wireless option. From Brother:
MFC-3240c & MFC-3340cn... Traditional Sheet-fed Models
For those users who require a low cost color inkjet solution in a traditional sheet-fed design, these new models provide significant features over the competition. Both the MFC-3240c and MFC-3340cn provide fast print speeds up to 20ppm black and up to 15ppm color, high quality 6000x1200 dpi* resolution, a 33.6k bps fax modem, and 20-page auto document feeder capacity. In addition, they incorporate a front-loading 100-sheet paper tray capacity and 2400 dpi (interpolated) color scanning.The MFC-3340cn, as the step-up model, also includes a built-in (Ethernet) interface(2)., Brotheris PhotoCapture Center feature which offers media card slots for the most popular digital camera media(1), and 16MB memory (MFC-3240c has 8MB standard memory)
MFC-5440cn & MFC-5840cn.........Flatbed Models with Auto Document Feeding
Both the MFC-5440cn and MFC-5840cn, include a versatile flatbed design plus a robust 35-page automatic document feed capacity to handle the demanding and variable copying, faxing and scanning requirements in the small business environment. Also, both models include the key standards that Brother has set for this new line-up....fast print speeds up to 20ppm black and up to 15ppm color, high quality 6000x1200 dpi* resolution, a 33.6k bps fax modem, and a built-in (Ethernet) interface(2).As the step-up model, the MFC-5840cn adds Brotheris PhotoCapture Center feature which offers media card slots for the most popular digital camera media(1) and "expanded" paper capacity up to 350 pages. This expanded paper capacity makes the first color inkjet all-in-one under $200 with dual paper input trays.
The MFC-5840cnis dual paper trays consist of one paper tray with 100-sheet capacity, and the 2nd paper tray with 250-sheet capacity. The top 100-sheet paper tray allows the user to use either premium inkjet paper or high-quality photo paper, while the lower 250-sheet tray can then be dedicated to 250-sheets of plain paper. The MFC-5840cn can be set up to print all incoming faxes on the plain paper - and the high-quality color photos on the glossy photo paper. Perfect for an office environment, since now there is no need to switch paper back and forth from plain paper to photo paper as the application changes.
Consumables & Wireless Option
Each of these models feature a 4-cartridge ink system that uses a separate cartridge for each color. The user only needs to replace the color that is empty, therefore reducing the amount of ink that is wasted.Also each new model has an external wireless network option available (NC-2200W), that can be connected via the USB 2.0 Full Speed interface.
The units are priced as follows:
- MFC-3240c - $129.99 (US$109.99 - Amazon)
- MFC-3340cn - $159.99
- MFC-5440cn - $149.99
- MFC-5840cn - $199.99
Stunningly, in addition to supporting Mac OS X 10.2.4 and above, the printers also support Mac OS 8.6-9.2. You can find more information on the new printers at Brotheris Web site.