Wireless and comprehensive, there's a lot of features packed into this Brother Multi-Function Centre.
Brother has made a Multi-Function Centre (MFC) here that could appeal to anyone. The sheer amount of features available in this unit really set it apart from the pack. Though we’ve got the fairly standard features we’re used to seeing in multifunction units - scanning, printing and copying - Brother has picked up the ball and kept running with it.
To those basic functions Brother has added an automatic document feeder, for unattended scanning or copying. This allows you to feed about 10-15 pages at a time into the top of the unit, then the files are deposited neatly on your PC in the Brother software. The software (Scansoft PaperPort for Windows and Page Manager 7 for Mac) isn’t too painful to use. The included colour fax allows sending from your PC or Mac, but can’t automate the process of sending incoming faxes right to your PC.
Print speeds are pretty good too – claimed 35ppm (at very low resolution) in mono and 28ppm in colour aren’t too close to the truth, with our test churning out a first page in 36 seconds, then 4ppm after that. The quality of the inkjet based output was good to excellent, with prints crisp and clear and colour output relatively accurate on skin tones and sky blues.
The MFC-J415W has a progressive connectivity selection, including USB and Wi-Fi 802.11b and g, but it doesn’t have a wired Ethernet connection. If you’re running a wireless network it won’t matter (and the Wi-Fi protected setup will have you running in seconds), and if you’re on a wired network, you’re going to have to nominate a host PC or print server.
The unit’s 1.9in colour LCD allows you to use the MFC’s functions with a minimum of fuss and maximum feedback. It’s perhaps not as straightforward to use as other printers we've seen, but the flexibility and features on offer are second to none.
So if you’re in the market for a printer, a fax, a copier and a scanner, and you want to put them all on your wireless network with a minimum of effort, then the Brother MFC-J415W has all the bases covered at a price and quality point we’re not afraid to recommend.
Available from Brother, retailing for $199.
APC rating: 8/10 (Highly Recommended)