Panasonic KX-FLM551 Laser Fax Machine

Comment: After searching for about three weeks I just bought this printer. For the price and my purpose this was the best one. Mainly I wanted a laser printer (for the quality of print and savings on ink) and a fax machine, which could automatically recognize and answer an incoming fax (I didn't want a separate phone line). This printer's print quality is excellent (far better than my inkjet) and I've tested the automatic fax recognition and it works fine. I read somewhere that all-in-one-printers are "jacks of all trades - master of none", so I wasn't too concerned with what kind of scanning clarity I would get (I haven't tested this feature yet) (I figured the scanner and copier to just be a bonus) or the fact this machine isn't a flatbed. I figured if I wanted a real good scan quality of photos I would buy a separate scanner for this. Also, I read another review of this product and the buyer was upset because the version of the printer he bought didn't work with XP (he should have read the outside of the box. The store I went to had a version which on the box didn't list XP as compatible and a newer version which did list XP as compatible) (Panasonic now has the driver for XP on their Website. I assume this is for those who bought the older version). The toner and drum also seem to be a lot cheaper than compatible Brother Machines I've seen.

Comment: This printer would probably be a great printer IF, & ONLY IF, you don't use XP. It crashes my system every time it "self-checks" & only prints about a third of the time and rarely two pages in a row, esp. from the Web. I have spent hours on the phone with tech support & they don't have a solution except to go back to an older operating system. No thanks! I have just disconnected it from my PC & use it only as a (very high priced) fax machine. Buyer Beware!!

Comment: Sets up easily, print is outstanding, and the jog dial is very convenient. Careful shaking the print cartridge, when it says horizontially, take care to do that, or it will come out of the cartridge. Having it hooked up to your computer is a nice feature as well, and it works very well. I haven't had it long, but it is great so far. Sure like it better than the ink jet set up I had before. Well worth the extra money.

Comment: I tested over 30 multifunctional devices at my local...store before purchasing this item. The print quality is clearly the BEST out of all the multifunctional copiers I've seen to-date. Laser printer definitely makes all the difference in the world!

Toner cartridge for this device costs only $24 at the store; that is $75 cheaper than most other toners in other devices. What's even better is that each toner can output upto 2000 pages. Other more expensive toners only prints upto 600-1100 pages. OUCH! I would've had to spend 8 times the money for lesser quality printer...NO WAY!

That is one of the reasons I purchased this device without hesitation. It is definitely a consideration if you demand high quality printing frequently. I've been using it for 3 months now and I couldn't be happier. Recently, I purchased two additional units as gifts for my close relatives.