Brother MFC-7340 Flatbed Laser Multi-Function Center

Brother MFC-7340 Flatbed Laser Multi-Function Center
by Brother

Brother MFC-7340 Flatbed Laser Multi-Function Center by Brother

General

Easy to install. 

USB 2.0 connection. 

Very easy to use - all in one Laser - prints, copy, scan & fax. 

Cheap to purchase and operate - separate toner cartridge and drum. 

There are many options to adjust print and scan qualities. 

Printing 

It prints very quickly. I normally print 1~2 pages at a time. It spits out 1st page very quickly. 

It also prints out several copies quickly. You can choose not to collate to save on toner & drum. 

It does not curl papers like my 10+ years old HL-1040. 

Copying 

I've copied a few pages. The quality is adjustable and output is fine. 

Scanning 

Scans fairly quickly - a lot of options to change resolution, photo/text/web, size, etc. 

You can scan from the panel or from your computer using Brother's ControlCenter3 software (PC and Mac). 

The included/download software provides many customization - including to customize the software's UI to perform specific functions. There are 4 sections - Scan, Custom Scan, Copy and PC Fax. Each section provides 4 buttons. Scan and Custom Scan allows you to quickly perform specific scan function (Image, OCR, eMail, File). Both Scan and Custom Scan allows you to further fine tune scan options - File Type, Target application, dpi, color or B/W, doc size, etc. 

Fax 

You can fax with and w/o a computer - I did not try fax. 

Other Features 

It comes with a 35 pages automatic flat bed sheet feeder (ADF) to copy, scan and fax pages of documents. The input tray can hold up to 250 pages. Everything is concealed and helps to keep dusts out. 

Power Consumption 

It wakes up quickly when in sleep mode. It also consumes very little electricity (10W - according to spec) in sleep mode - although it could be lower. From spec: Power Consumption - Sleep/Ready/Copying - 10w/75w/460w. 

Although it did not cause flicker like my older HL-1040 (10+ years old), it did cause one UPS to beep while others on the same circuit did not respond. 

Software 

You have to install the software came with the machine first. 

It will ask you to plug-in the USB cable after installation is completed. The CD will reboot the machine to complete installation. After that, you will get the Brother sets of tools including ScanSoft PaperPort 11, Brother's ControlCenter3 (to scan, copy and fax from your computer) and other diagnostic / support tools. 

After installed from CD, you can download and install the updated software. 

If you install the downloaded software first, it will NOT install ScanSoft PaperPort 11 (OCR software). However, I have only used it one or two times, the OCR software seemed ineffective to recognize and format the final document properly as scanned original version. 

Conclusion 

It has worked VERY well to suit my need. I used it mostly to scan and print; while copy and fax will come in handy. 

I originally wanted to get a networked AiO machine. But I learned that their scan and other functions does not always work flawlessly and not as fast as a regular AiO one. So I settle for this. Wife complain not being able to use the new toy - not sure if she really needs it :) 

I purchased a Kensington ShareCentral 5 @ Fry's on sale a few weeks ago. It worked great with this AiO. It worked beautifully. Both PCs can now scan, print, copy and fax directly to the AiO. I also plugged in a USB hub to Kensignton ShareCentral 5. It also worked well to connect my external hard drives.