Brother MFC-9030 Printer Review
The Brother MFC-9030 uses a similar design to some of the company's dedicated laser fax machines, but adds the capabilities of printing, scanning, and copying. Limited in speed, it can only reach up to 8 pages per minute, and its vertical design eschews a flatbed scanner, but its low price and inexpensive Brother MFC-9030 printer toner make it a good buy for those with basic needs and small budgets.
In addition to its scan, fax, copy, and print functionality, the MFC-9030 can also handle PC Faxing, allowing users to send and receive faxes to their computer, and saving on Brother MFC-9030 toner and paper.
Although limited to pages that will fit in the 20-sheet document feeder, the scanner is one of the more advanced functions of the machine. The optical resolution is limited to 200x400 dpi, but PaperPort software is included for OCR and management of digital documents, and a TWAIN driver is included for compatibility with Photoshop and other applications.
Faxing and copying can be done from the machine's control panel, though the fax transmission speed is fairly slow, at only 14.4 Kbps. Copies can be reduced and enlarged from 50 to 200% in 1% increments, and up to 99 copies can be made from an original.
The monochrome design of the machine means users don't have to replace multiple toners. In fact, with a large capacity of 2,200 pages for each Brother MFC-9030 toner cartridge, they won't be replacing them often anyway. Compatible Brother MFC-9030 toner cartridges offer an even more economical option.
Though it is a little more like an expanded fax machine than a full-fledged multifunction device, the Brother MFC-9030 could still appeal to buyers needing simple functionality. It is a very cost-effective solution, but many users might want a little more speed.
