As far as faxing was concerned, I could send out faxes from Word or from other programs, but if I needed to fax something back that I had received with my notes on it, I had to print it out, make changes, then scan it back in and fax it from a graphics program. That was not convenient. (I could also use a regular fax machine, too.)

Last year, Hewlett-Packard came to the user group and showed off their multifunction Printer/Scanner/Copier machines. I was convinced that this was what I needed. I had installed plenty of these machines and liked the way they worked. I was not too sure about the fact that they were inkjet technology, though. But I looked at the models available anyway. I checked out other companies as well. I looked at Lexmark, HP, Canon, Brother, and Sharp.

I was convinced that Hewlett-Packard was coming out with a model that would work for my needs. It wasn't even released yet. It was the HP OfficeJet DL55xi, which had more paper capacity than the rest, as well as network connectivity. I checked with HP and they said it would take a couple of weeks before they would release this particular model. So I waited.

Then I went to a client and installed a Xerox copier with printing capabilities. It was a half-size copier with laser technology that was also a printer that could be hooked up to a PC. I convinced them that they could connect it to the network with a ntwork device. Xerox makes a CentreDirect device similar to an HP JetDirect box. It worked. Everyone can use it as a printer and a copier. It had several features that network copiers had as well. You could print out several copies with "Draft" watermarked across the page, if you like. You can even copy with reduction and enlargement features. If only they had faxing capabilities and built-in scanning, it would work for me.

When I got back to my office, I searched the Xerox Web site and found the model for my needs. It is the WorkCentre Pro 412. It is a true copy machine, made by the leader in the industry: Xerox. It is a printer with laser technology that can be shared from the network. It is a color scanner and it is a fax machine with 80 speed dial numbers that you can program into it.

It met every one of my needs. It was, however, twice the price of the HP. Yet, it is laser and not inkjet technology. So I searched the Internet and found a great price on that model. HP does not discount their prices as Xerox does, so I found the price to be very satisfying.

When I received the machine, everything worked very well except the fax, which could not be connected to the computer. It is a standalone fax machine, so you can not fax from your PC. This was OK with me, because I have a fax server for that service. All I needed was a simple fax machine to fax documents out. I was satisfied. It will even send out color faxes for fax machines that can accept color faxes.

The scanner worked well and can scan color images up to 4800 dpi. It came with PaperPort Deluxe 7.0—the full version! The only problem was that it wouldn't scan to networked computers. It only worked with the machine that was connected to it. That was OK, though. I am a one-person business and this solution worked for me.

If I needed a larger unit, Xerox makes a larger model, the 416, that works in a network environment with network scanning and faxing capabilities. However, the little model I purchased does do network printing and standalone faxing and scanning from the one machine it is hooked up to. It is a total solution for me.

In short, I am very happy about the model I purchased and would highly recommend it to any small business owner. It has the duty cycle of a larger copier machine, as well as all the functions of a fax machine, scanner, and laser printer. It beats inkjet technology, as well.