Brother MFC-3820CN

Multifunction devices have long had a reputation for being competent all-rounders but far from outstanding in any area. The Brother MFC-3820 aims to reverse this stigma with an assortment of features at a very reasonable price.

It does, however, have low running costs. Its standard black cartridge costs £13.99 (ex VAT) and can print around 500 A4 sheets. Meanwhile, the standard colour cartridge is enough for 400 pages and retails for £7.99.

Despite its budget pricing, it is one of just a handful of multifunction devices that incorporates a built-in Ethernet port allowing you to copy, print, scan and fax over a network. It also includes a four-in-one memory card reader, allowing you to print images directly from common memory cards.

The 3920CN's print quality was of a good standard, but its results were poorer than those of many dedicated inkjet printers. Images looked a bit less saturated than they should have, giving them a pastel appearance. This can be corrected by using high-quality inkjet paper, but this adds expense and is best reserved for more critical print jobs.

Scanning results were solid but not on par with dedicated scanners. Images at 100 per cent zoom looked excellent, but zooming in closer revealed some artefacts. Print speed was also not very impressive. It took three minutes 30 seconds to print a 10-page text document, compared to the 57 seconds taken by the HP PSC 2210 reviewed in our October issue.

On the whole, the MFC-3820 does little to dispel the opinion that multifunction devices are jacks of all trades but masters of none. To its credit, though, it provides a number of useful features in one attractive and relatively compact unit.

Contact: Brother 0870 830 4030
www.brother.co.uk

Specifications:

• 600 x 2,400 scan resolution, 9,600 x 9,600 print resolution 36bit
• Inkjet technology
• 11kg
• 448 x 585 x 446mm (w x d x h)
• Software: Scansoft, Paperport, Textbridge, Presto
• USB, Lan connection