Brother MFC-990CW is an all in one printer which means you can do literally everything that you can think of in such a device – print, scan, fax, copy, and on this printer, there are a few bells and whistles like answering machine and a cordless handset. Such all-in-one printers are also called multi function devices or MFDs. The cost of a printer goes up when it offers more and more functions. So be prepared to shell out more from your pocket.
Brother MFC-990CW also has a built in touch screen LCD. Now I am a bit wary of these touch screens ever since they came out on the printers. To start with, you really don’t need a touch screen display on your printer. Having standard physical buttons is much better since they are much better to use. Touch screen technology is good for cell phones but they don’t serve the same purpose on a printer.
The cost of the printer rises quickly if there is a touch screen LCD and you don’t get good value for money. The manufacturers are trying to lure you with apps for the touch screen but I still don’t think they are worth spending the extra buck. However, if you are looking for a touch screen display printer, take a look at this one.
Price
Brother MFC-990CW is priced at $230 which is a bit costly as compared to other printers but you get a cool feature set that is quite rare on such printers. Some features aren’t offered by the competition at all. To start with, there is the touch screen LCD. You might have seen this on other printers too but this device’s screen is really big at 4.2 inches.
There are also a series of buttons on both the sides of the screen for printer operation. I really liked that the manufacturer put in physical buttons in the printer; it is meant for people who don’t like using the touch screen ones. I personally prefer using physical buttons instead of the touch screen simply because you don’t get the same tactile feed back on the touch screen buttons. I think touch screen printers are more of a novelty than useful feature.
However, the touch screen on the Brother MFC-990CW is a bit different. It has backlighting and has an adjustable angle. You can lift it up for better viewing. You may also love using the virtual shortcut buttons on the touchscreen. The printer does have some bigger problems too though. For instance, the paper tray sits flush inside the printer and hence taking out smaller sized prints out of the tray is a bit hard.
Problem
My biggest problem was that the USB and the Ethernet ports are located deep inside the hood. This means you have to lift the lid up to access these ports and if you are going to connect the wires, the hood will always remain open. Fortunately, there is a wireless option too. There is also Bluetooth connectivity. However, I was a bit disappointed with the slow speed of the printer.
