Should I get a Ricoh or Canon?

I picked this question up this AM from my email, and thought I would post here for everyone.

My firm is deciding between Canon Brand digital copiers and Ricoh. Which should we choose and why?

"thewindmaster_11" has got it wrong about IKON, they are now owned by Ricoh and only sell Ricoh, thus he may not be a reliable source to answer your question of which is better, Ricoh or Canon. He does have a good point in reference to support. Check out support references from all parties involved.

Getting the right machine may depend on what type of business you are in and what type of volume you are looking to produce. The copiers of today are no longer about speeds and feeds, but rather what type of "apps' that can be added to improve your business process. Yes, today's copiers are similar to iphones, where apps can be loaded on the systems operating system to improve scanning, faxing, and document management, plus many additional options.

Another item to consider is what is the largest paper size that you will print, copy or scan from the unit, if you have no need for 11x17 scan, copy or print and your volume is under 15K per month, you could save thousands of dollars on a "A4" MFP device.

Ask the rep how long he or she has been with the company, as stated before there's a lot more to these devices than speeds and feeds and the new reps do not have the knowledge of those reps that have tenure in the business.

If you'd like to know more pay a visit here www.mfpsolutions.blogspot.com

Art

Buying a New or Used Copy Machine on the Internet? "Buyer Beware"

Sneakers, Software, Computers, and Clothes all good things to buy via the Internet. New or Pre-Owned and used copiers....not a good thing to buy over the Internet.

In my 28 years in the business, copy machines are service intensive machines, whether they are analog or digital, they need a qualified service engineer in order to service them correctly and keep them running. Without getting very technical and I could, but its late on Sunday and I'll need some down time later. I'll list a few reason why you should not buy used, pre-owned or off lease copy machines over the Internet.

1. There is no "car fax" for copy machines, you have no idea who serviced the unit, how qualified the service engineers were, if the machine was in a flood, dropped, re boxed or if the factory updates were ever performed. This alone should be enough to scare you away.

2. How will it be shipped? Copy Machines are very susceptible to bent frames, broken covers, trays and displays when not shipped properly. Do you want to go through the hassle of an insurance claim if the copier arrives damaged? Be wary of any copier that ships via UPS, real copiers are heavy and very susceptible to damage.

3. Who will service this new beauty or the very low volume system that only grandma used to make a few copies a week. Are there reliable service engineers in your area that are Authorized to make repairs? You could have everything go right and the copy machine is perfect, however your local service company does not know how to fix it, or they will take three days be on site or maybe the closed Authorized Dealer is 150 miles or more away!

4. Who will assist with all of advanced functionality of the unit? Are you prepared to spend hours on the Internet searching for manuals, software and drivers? Or countless hours to figure out how it making print, scan and fax connections?

5. When the machine arrives are you prepared to pay for someone to install the unit or train your staff how to use the system?

6. Meters on copy machines, if they can be turned back on cars, they can also be turned back on copy machines. Are you willing to take that risk and get a machine that has a million pages on it, when you thought the meter was 100,000 pages?

Buying anything new, used or pre-owned is a risk on the Internet, especially copiers. If you want a new, used or pre-owned call your local dealer and ask what they have to offer. Most dealers will be able to accommodate your needs with new, used or pre-owned copy machine that they have service from day one!