- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 86 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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69 out of 71 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"There is a lot more to this 420CN then the reviews let you know about."
Pros: Built-in media card reader, Fast set-up, Networkable in minutes, Easy to use, and is not a HP product.
Cons: Would have liked to see 1200x1200 on the scan, but that is the next level up in model and price.
Summary: A week ago my wife's printer failed to operate any longer. The HP DeskJet 920 grinded its gears to halt. It was a good printer and my wife printed miles of digital pictures on the unit. You could say she printed it to death.
This week I was in the need of a new printer and decided to look at multi-function units. The prices have dropped and I thought it may be a good time to look since I planned to drop a couple a hundred on a new printer anyway.
I moved my printer (DeskJet 932c) to her desk in our home office so she may continue to print pictures while I look for a replacement. We have a pretty good setup with a wireless and wired network throughout the house, but there was just something missing. While we are pretty much paperless with our documents. In the last few months I have found myself faxing and copying more then ever. The set-up I had was just not working out any longer. A multi-functional product had to be added to our home office.
I started to scan the reviews here at CNet. I saw the same HP series units and really did not want HP. My father has a very high end HP and really has had no problems with it, but he did pay $450+ for the unit. I was not really looking forward to spending that much. So I started to look at options. Not many popped up until I looked in the Sunday inserts and noticed a model that looked promising at Office Depot. The MFC-210CN.
I quickly switched my tabbed FireFox Browser to CNet and punched in 210CN in the search window. The MFC-210Cn popped up and I started to read. The one feature I love about the review section at CNet is the videos. It allows me to see the product a little closer. So I scrolled down and hit play to see the MFC-210CN. Wow! I was really impressed. The price was under $150 and the product looked great. But then it hit me. The video on the 210CN page is actually the 420CN.
After the fog of confusion rose from my desk I jumped in the car and went to Office Depot to get a better look. Well to make a longer story short I bought the 420CN due to the reviews at CNet, the video, and the salesperson at Office Depot who looked at me like I was stupid for not wanting an HP. I made the best decision to go with Brother. I mock the salesperson by buying something other then HP.
I came home and plugged the unit in with the quick start guide. 15 minutes later (after I inserted the ink cartridges that came with the unit) I was copying, faxing, scanning, printing, and using the media card slots.
Here are a few things people do not tell you I would like to pass on.
1) The 420CN has a feature that allows you to copy up to four pages into one. The copier part of this device copies 4 pages and then skinks the individual pages into 4 sections on one page. This alone is a very useful feature that I did not even know about until I read the user's guide.
2) The media card readers that are built in are used just as if you were to plug them into your machine (I have a laptop). I popped in a Compact Flash and selected 'Network PhotoCapture Center' from the 'Start' menu in XP. Next thing I saw was a window pop up and there were all my files. It treats the media cards as external drives. Awesome feature. You can add, delete, or edit any file on the media cards. I moved pictures, word files, and regular data files back and forth with ease.
3) The built in media card reader prints a thumbnail sheet before you start working on pictures. This is a nice feature to have before you start pulling pictures into Photoshop or gimp.
4) There is a 3x3 poster print option. This takes a picture and prints sections so you can piece them together in a 3x3 poster. Great artsy way to display your photos.
5) The network feature was too easy. In fact it was so easy I thought it did not work. I am running zonealarm, my laptop is wireless into a linksys access point (wap11), the access point is plugged into a netgear websafe router (rp114), and the 420CN is plugged directly into the rp114. The software installed and ran one test. That was it. We are printing, scanning, and faxing wireless from anywhere in our house. It works.
There is a lot more to this 420CN then the reviews let you know about.
My home network that is working with my new 420CN with no problem is as follows:
All my faxes come into eFax. All my outgoing faxes are on my 420CN over Packet 8 on my cable modem. My rebate form for $20 that I filled out was copied and printed on my 420CN. I am pretty happy that I spent $139 after rebate and taxes.
If you need a good multi-function unit that has it all, well this 420CN is probably worth your time. It has worked like a champ in my home office. The price was right at $149 plus a $20 rebate. The functions are perfect for me and the usability was well worth dealing with the salesperson at Office Depot (I am so tired of asking a question and the sales person reads me the features right off the box. Its like hearing a really bad bed time story. Hello mister salesman. I am right here and can read the box too!)
- 6 replies to this review
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Read the other reviews regarding ink problem before you buy this printer.
After using this printer for 16 months the issue is clear and expensive. It drinks ink 24h a day, 12 months a year, even when not in use.
DONT BUY THIS PRINTER ! -
due to your post, I'll probably run out and buy one.
my HP4C scanner, which i love, does not work with XP so i need to replace it.
I'll be purchasing this for the scan/fax/copy functions, and it sounds like it will fit the bill perfectly.
at the moment Office Depot has it for 129.99 and i have a $50 gift card.... so it's a steal at that price.
If it prints photos good enough, i may use it for that too.
thanks again for your review! -
Are the ink cartridges easy to get? also how much are the ink carttridges in total?
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You say, "All my outgoing faxes are on my 420CN over Packet 8 on my cable modem." Can you explain this in more detail? Is this a feature of the printer, or integrated with the printer somehow? Exactly what steps do you go through to fax?
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I am so happy to hear I am not the only only from the planet HUH?? when it comes to this "Non_Technical" Bubble Wrap store!!
I'm impressed you had someone who could actually read!!
I went in once, and told the "Person", I'm looking for a computer monitor, could you provides some help"?
"Yep, We Got Em.;...."
Another time I was looking (Okay Non-Tech here), Pens.....\
Well, Uh, whut u c is whut we got.....
ten feet away was a HUGE display of what I was looking for, which I very "Frasier Crane" like found the manager, had him and "Forrest Chump" made da-n certain they both were aware of......
'Best Buy" Anyone???
PS BUY That Extended warranty..... -
I love the style and everything that this machine is supposed to do. I cannot get a picture to come out straight. About half way through, the paper starts to get crooked, so every picture I have tried (about 5) have been good quality but not finished because it goes off the page. Is there something I am missing?
