The Cheapskate

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January 5, 2009 6:19 AM PST

Print, scan, copy with $55 Epson Stylus Photo printer

by Rick Broida
  • 3 comments

This multifunction photo printer normally sells for $150 or more.

(Credit: Epson)

Epson's having a rare sale: you can get a refurbished Epson Stylus Photo RX595 all-in-one printer for just $55 shipped.

What's significant about this model? Most of the cheapie multifunction printers I come across have low-end print engines, meaning they're not great for photos. The Stylus Photo RX595, as you might infer from the name, was built with glossies in mind.

It accepts just about any memory card on the planet (USB drives, too), previews images on a 2.5-inch color LCD, and prints using a six-cartridge system. It can also print on CDs and DVDs, scan directly to PDF, and crop/edit photos--no PC required.

CNET hasn't reviewed this model, but it rates 3.5 stars from Amazon customers. It's Windows- and Mac-compatible; all users will need to supply their own USB cable. Thankfully, even though this is a refurb, Epson backs it with a full one-year warranty.

One final note: Yes, replacement ink is expensive. That's true of all printers. So you might as well get the best possible deal on the hardware.

December 2, 2008 5:32 AM PST

Get a Wi-Fi multifunction printer for $75 shipped

by Rick Broida
  • 11 comments

Check out the wide-screen LCD on this wireless MFP.

(Credit: Buy.com)
Fwip-fwip-fwip. That's the sound of my beanie propeller spinning furiously. You see, Buy.com has the Brother MFC-490CW multifunction printer on sale for $75.24 shipped. Why all the fwipping? Because this baby's wireless.

As regular readers know, I've seen sweet deals on wireless inkjets and lasers and on Ethernet-equipped multifunction printers. But I've never seen such a great price on a wireless MFP.

Built for smallish offices, the Brother MFC-490CW prints, scans, copies, and faxes, all in color. It features an unusually large (3.3-inch) wide-screen LCD, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, a media-card reader, and a 15-sheet document feeder.

It also has a couple offbeat features I find cool, like the option to scan documents directly to a USB flash drive. I particularly like the four-cartridge ink system, which eliminates the ink waste associated with tri-color cartridges.

I have an older, less wireless Brother MFP I use for making copies, sending faxes, and the like, and to my thinking it's a compact champ. It's rare enough to find a network-ready MFP at a price this low, but wireless? Icing!

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About The Cheapskate

The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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