Get a loaded HP all-in-one printer for $79.99
HP's Photosmart Premium C309G packs goodies like 802.11n Wi-Fi, a color touch screen, a combination letter/photo paper tray, and a duplexer for two-sided printing.
Most of the bargain multifunction printers I see are pretty bare-bones. Not today.
TigerDirect has the refurbished HP Photosmart Premium C309G for $79.99, plus around $10 for shipping. What puts the "Premium" in this model? It starts with the screen.
The C309G sports a 3.5-inch color touch screen, which not only previews any photos you want to print, but also serves as the all-in-one's interface. That's just plain awesome, especially when you compare it to the awkward, button-powered menus on my non-touch screen AIO.
Other amenities include Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi, the latter a nice perk in that it won't drag down network performance if you have a non-dual-band router. And if your mobile phone supports Bluetooth printing, you have yourself a quick and easy way to crank out photos. You can also connect to the unit via USB or Ethernet should you prefer a wired approach.
Speaking of printing, the C309G offers something you rarely see nowadays, particularly in sub-$100 models: a duplexer. That means it can produce double-sided pages, which is great for stuff like brochures and flyers. And it has the potential to save you a ton of paper. Love it.
The printer's 125-sheet input tray includes a separate slot for photo paper, so you don't have to make any changes when switching between standard and photo printing.
As for scanning, the single-sheet bed (sorry, no feeder) can accommodate letter-size pages and capture images at up to 4,800 dpi and 48-bit color. It cranks out both black and color copies at better than 30 per minute, at least according to HP's specs.
CNET Australia reviewed the C309G last year, giving it high marks for its print speed and quality (for text, anyway), but dinging its photo output and lack of fax capability. (Who sends faxes nowadays?) TigerDirect customers, however, collectively rated it 4.6 stars out of 5.
Although this is a refurbished unit, it comes with a 12-month warranty from HP. That's just icing on the cake of what appears to be a fantastic deal on a multifunction printer.