Why the All-in-One Multifunction Inkjet Printer is Obsolete

The greatest trick the computing industry ever pulled was convincing consumers that multifunction printers were worth their money. These are big, monolithic machines that wouldn't look out of place on the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. They are slow. They perform a hundred damn functions, most of which are never used.

The problem is that we see perceived value in the things we don't necessarily need. Why buy just a printer, we might argue, when we can get one with a scanner, copier, SD Card reader, fax machine and mini fridge built in? Those things could come in handy one day, so it's better to have them than not — or so the thinking goes. 

But in reality, that's not so wise. The simple fact is, a multifunction printer — and perhaps printers in general — just aren't worth your time.

Printers satisfy a niche that no longer exists. It was once the case that, if you had information trapped away on your PC, you would print it out and bring it with you in portable form. Now, however, we have digital devices that do the exact same thing. Instead of printing off a website or link for later use, we can simply send it to our phones or tablets. Information that we would once print is not only transferrable, but persistent wherever we may be.

In fact, think about the last time you actually used a printer — not at the office or school, but in a home environment. Concert tickets, driving directions, essays and plane tickets are all things that, though we could still print out, have largely been replaced by digital means.
 
But lets assume, for whatever reason, you're a somewhat regular printer. What advantage does a multifunction, all-in-one model have? The answer should be obvious by now. All-in-one printers simple aren't any good. They have lots of features, but do none of them particularly well. If you simply need to print, shouldn't you buy just a printer? Common sense would have you say yes, but reality is a whole lot different.

In fact, for frequent home printers, the best purchase you could probably ever make is a monochrome laser printer. Not only are these devices home office workhorses, they actually last forever. While you may be changing ink on your traditional inkjet mere months at a time, laser toner has a much longer lifespan. You'll be paying a little more initially, but the money — and time — you save in the long-run is well worth it. 

A printer is one of those devices that seems like a necessity, but in reality, is used a lot less frequently than you'd think. In fact, unless you're printing photos or running a home office, you'd be much better off taking your occasional printing elsewhere. Your school, office, library or friend's house can serve as far more feasible printing destinations — and save you money in the long run too. You might not be able to scan, fax or copy documents on a whim, but we feel like that's a small price to pay for printer-less freedom.      
 
Image via flickr user DTrigger05.