Why You Can Trust CNET Print, scan, copy and fax for $49.99
From the Cheapskate: This Brother all-in-one does everything, including automatic duplexing and all manner of wireless printing. Plus: learn SEO for cheap!
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If you've ever priced all-in-one printers, you know that they typically run $90-100 and deliver a fairly basic feature set. Today's deal costs half as much and delivers just about every feature you could want -- along with some of the cheapest consumables anywhere.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Staples has the Brother MFC-J480dw all-in-one printer for $49.99 shipped (plus tax). That's a full 50 percent off the regular price.
The MFC-J480dw is about as compact as these things come, yet it still packs in the important capabilities: an automatic document feeder (up to 20 sheets at a time), a color display, an automatic duplexer for double-sided printing and both USB and Wi-Fi interfaces. (Sorry, no Ethernet.)
That Wi-Fi supports not only garden-variety wireless printing and scanning, but also AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Wi-Fi Direct. Android users with compatible devices can also take advantage of Mopria, which I've never heard of but apparently is another wireless-printing protocol.
I especially love the option to scan directly to various cloud services, including Google Drive and Dropbox.
CNET hasn't reviewed this particular model, but the MFC-J470dw, which appears to have a very similar feature set, earned top marks -- most notably for its inexpensive consumables. Indeed, you can score a complete set of third-party replacement cartridges for around $25. Even the Brother-branded stuff is extremely reasonable: about $23 for the three color inks and $14 for black. (The printer relies on four individual ink tanks, meaning you replace only the color that runs out.)
Incidentally, the printer scored a 4.3-star average rating from around 150 Amazon customers.
Bottom line: If you want an inexpensive printer that does everything and doesn't cost a small fortune to operate, this is really hard to beat. Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Recently I learned that I don't know beans about search-engine optimization, more commonly known as SEO. And for any small business, SEO is critical. Life-or-death critical. That's why I'm grabbing the Complete Guide to SEO online course for $25, as it should pay for itself several zillion times over. It includes 21 learn-at-your-own-pace lessons and help with setting up Google Analytics.