The Brother MFC-8890DW is an all in one print/fax unit with the same hardware as the popular Brother MFC-8480DN, but with added wireless networking capability and automatic duplexing. It is similar in many ways to the other printers in Brother’s Multifunction Center or MFC line, and also includes a few modern, extra touches, such as a convenient front loading USB direct port.
A USB direct interface allows the user to bypass the PC and print directly from a USB flash memory drive, and can also upload scanned images to the drive in either JPEG or PDF format. The print speed has been given a slight boost up from the older top of the line standard of 30 pages per minute, clocking in at an incredibly fast 32 ppm. The unit also operates with not only PC Fax, but I-Fax as well. Other than these little bonuses however, Brother turned to their old tried and true methods to make the MFC-8890DW a truly top of the line all around performer.
This Energy Star compliant unit comes equipped with a built in 802.11 b/g wireless interface, which not only cuts back on unsightly cords snaked around the office, it also allows for super simple connectivity to devices such as laptops thanks to the convenient auto network detect feature. For those who lack a wireless network, Brother has also included the standard Ethernet port, as well as USB ports and Parallel ports which allow direct connectivity with a single PC or MAC, and can run on either popular operating system including Windows Vista.
The rather large 64 MB on board random access memory makes it possible to store up to 600 pages worth of fax data in memory, and is also upgradable to 576 MBs for offices with extremely high multitasking demands. The memory also makes room for up to 300 numbers in the speed dial, 40 of which can be assigned to convenient “one touch” buttons thanks to an entire dedicated keypad full of single touch fax buttons.
Print resolution of 1200 X 1200 dots per inch is fairly standard on a unit of this caliber, and the MFC-8890DW makes no exception. It does choose to stand out, however, with the extra fast print speed, and automatic duplexing that could theoretically cut a businesses paper usage in half when fully taken advantage of, which in turn cuts down dramatically on the overall print cost per page.
With a printer this complex, a large control screen is absolutely necessary and, with that in mind, Brother included an ample 5 line, 22 character LCD screen to accommodate scrollable menus and easy to read setup controls. If wading through complex menu screens is not your cup of tea, huge one touch dedicated scan and copy buttons are also at your fingertips which make this unit not only a versatile networking machine, but also a formidable stand alone unit.
When you’re looking for the absolute top of the line in multifunctional units, Brother’s 8000 series is the place to start. The Brother MFC-8890DW stands as the current flagship of the line and leaves no feature unincorporated.
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