Brother MFC 5490CN Handles the Majority of Business Needs

[easyazon-image-link asin="B004R886ES" alt="New Brother Mfc-5490cn Multifunction Color Ink-Jet Fax Copier Printer Scanner Up To 35 Ppm Mono" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21aXVLZNHuL.jpg" align="left" width="200" height="150"]The Brother MFC-5490CN is an all-in-one printer that’s capable of handling the majority of business needs. The only thing it shouldn’t be used for is high volume. Otherwise, it can scan, print, fax, copy, and produce various types of reports, charts, presentations, and many other types of important business material. It also has Ethernet capability, allowing others to share the printer on the network. This is possible due to the built-in 10/100 Base-TX networking feature.

The listed price for the MFC-5490CN is $130. That said, it can also be found new on Amazon from around $122. At the present time, new models are selling at a price range of $122 to $310 from different sellers. If you want a refurbished model, you can buy one at prices that start from around $80. And if you really want to save money, there are used models selling for as low as $50.

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Features

Printer

The Brother MFC-5490CN can print up to 35 pages per minute in black and 28 pages per minute in color, which is well above average. As far as quality goes, resolution can reach up to 6000 x 1200, which is standard for today’s models. The printer can handle documents up to 8 x 14 inches.

Some other good features are the 150-sheet input tray and that you only have to replace the ink of the cartridge that runs out. The latter will help you save time and money. A 50-sheet automatic document feeder will also help you save time so you can get more work done in other areas. Due to the PhotoCapture Center, you won’t need a computer to print photos. You can use the built-in memory card slot or any PictBridge-compatible digital camera.

Copier

The copier can produce up to 23 pages per minute in black and 20 pages per minute in color. This is above average. You will be able to enlarge and reduce documents from 25% to 400%, which is a standard all-in-one Brother feature. The copier can sort and has 2-in-1 and 4-in-1 copying.

Scanner

The scanner can reach resolution as high as 1200 x 2400 dpi and 38-bit color depth. The scanner numbers are in the lower end but not too bad. This is unique considering Brother Models are known for their excellent scanners on all-in-one machines. It seems as though they put more focus into other areas with the 5490CN.

Fax

The fax machine has Super 3G speed at 33.6 Kbps. It takes approximately three seconds to produce one page. This is exceptionally fast. The MFC-5490CN comes with a 2-year limited warranty with Brother’s Express Exchange program. It is a bit of a heavyweight at 20.7 lbs, measuring 17.3” wide x 15.9” deep x 8.7” high.

What People Say

Now let’s get to the negatives. The Brother MFC-5490CN has a customer approval rating of 57%. This is more than half, which is good, but it’s still not a spectacular number. It’s only listed as a negative because models like the 885cw and 7440n have ratings of 90% and 70%, respectively.

Another downside although not really a big deal which can be annoying is that the fax machine will scan pages prior to sending them. Another annoying aspect of the 5490CN is that you will get constant pop-ups if the ink is running low. This isn’t necessarily such a bad thing, though, considering it won’t print at all if your ink is too low. The only other issue is that the automatic cleaner takes several minutes to complete its job.

User Review #1: I know this is designed for business people, but I bought it for my sophomore year in college. All I can say is … WOW! All my assignments have looked so professional that I even had one professor ask if I was buying my homework online. LOL! Brother, I love you!

User Review #2: Just above average quality and speed in all areas at a very fair price. If you own a small business, this is a perfect option. If you need bulk printing or high quality photo prints, choose something else.

Click Here To Find The Best Price On This Printer

In a Nutshell

The Brother MFC-5490CN is PC and Mac compatible. It is one good, middle-of-the-road, multifunction printer which is easy to maintain and offers all the essential features, including fax.

However, it’s not very cheap to operate; its plain paper print performance can be quite pale throughout; and typical day-to-day speeds may vary from what the spec sheet implies. Its biggest selling point is its versatility and ability to deliver in regards to small business needs.

The bottomline is, for a home office, small business, or workgroup, the Brother MFC-5490CN will deliver the basic services that your organization requires. If you need to print in high volume, or looking for a high quality photo printer that produces lab quality photos, then you would have to look elsewhere.

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About James Wikkee

James Wikkee has held several positions at two of the largest printer and scanner manufactures in the world. He knows the in and out of these devices through his +13 years of experience in the field.

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