Best Fax Machine with Cordless Phone
Are all in one machines a good idea?

At first glance a fax machine with cordless phone would seem to be a good idea, however we have reservations. Sales of all in one fax machines are no longer as strong as they were. One clear reason is that consumers and small business operators prefer to use email whenever possible.

There are many ways to fax without a fax machine including online fax services. Fax over the internet has caught on and it's only a matter of time before the fax machine disappears altogether.

Pros and Cons

The arguments in favor:

They are compact and potentially occupy less space on the desktop.

A combined fax machine with cordless phone should be a cheaper option than buying the devices individually.

You get to share a phone line between the two devices.

On the other hand:

Consumer reports indicate that all in one solutions are often more complex to both setup and use.

They aren't that small. Consider the Panasonic KX-MB2061 and Brother MFC-990CW. Both are big enough to require their own desk or work space.

They are only as good as the weakest link. If there is problem with either the fax or phone, how do you feel about being without both while the unit is being serviced?

Because fax to email services are steadily replacing traditional fax machines there are relatively few options to choose between. If you are set on getting a fax machine with cordless phone it's a contest between Panasonic and Brother.

It should also be noted that neither of these options use the latest DECT 6.0 cordless phone technology. They are 5.8 GHz phones, which means they don't have many of the features available on the best cordless phones.

There are always trade-offs with all in one solutions. Similar arguments can be made for and against printer scanner copier fax solutions. Rather than put all your eggs in one basket it's almost always better to shop for individual components.

Fax Machine Comparison

If online fax services aren't for you, there are many excellent free standing fax machines. The entry level models are both cheaper and smaller than all in one fax machines.

Consumables are also a critical consideration. In the medium to long term many of us spend more on toner cartridges than on the original equipment. Furthermore as models age it becomes more difficult to source them. All manufacturers introduce new toner cartridges whenever they bring out a new model of fax machine or printer. It's a fairly blatant strategy to force consumers to continuously buy new products. The only way to counter it is to buy the latest models and stock up on consumables. Then hope that your fax machine or printer lasts long enough to use up your stockpile of toner ...

The ultimate solution is to go paperless using a compact scanner such as the Fujitsu ScanSnap and an online fax service.

Summary

While Panasonic sets the benchmark in the cordless phone niche it doesn't enjoy the same reputation when it comes to fax machines. However the combination of a Panasonic DECT 6.0 Plus cordless phone and a Brother, Canon or Sharp fax would be an unbeatable combination. Far better than any combination fax machine with cordless phone.

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Best Fax Machine with Cordless Phone - Related Articles

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Panasonic cordless telephones have the biggest share of the global cordless phone market by a big margin.

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