Sharp FO-4400 Printer Review
The Sharp FO-4400 sports a bit of an awkward design for a multifunction laser fax machine, but it gets the job done for a small office environment. It uses inexpensive Sharp FO-4400 printer toner to keep costs down, and it can handle basic printing and copying in addition to its main fax features.
Speaking of its design, the FO-4400 is wider than it is deep, measuring 13.6x21.5x16.2 inches, and it weighs a little less than 30 pounds, even with the Sharp FO-4400 toner installed. The automatic document feeder on top can hold up to 50 sheets for rapid scanning, and the main input tray holds up to 250 sheets of plain paper.
What makes the design a bit awkward is the input tray on one side and the output tray on the other. The benefit of this design, however, is that it leaves a bit more room for the control panel in the center. As a result, the large screen and control panel are much easier to use.
There are quite a few time-saving features incorporated for such a compact and affordable device. Users can save up to 10 different phone books for quick dialing, and the fax machine begins connecting immediately, even before the first page has completed scanning.
The unit's replacement toners have surprisingly large capacities for its small design. The single Sharp FO-4400 toner cartridge can provide up to 6,000 pages before needing replaced. Third-party vendors even trim down the price by offering compatible Sharp FO-4400 toner cartridges, helping users save a bit more.
There is certainly a limited market for a fax-centered multifunction device in today's office world, but buyers who can look past its chunky design may like the FO-4400's solid feature set. Its copy and print functions are a bit limited, but functional, and the large control panel is very easy to use.
