Need Help - M.Research for University - Multifunction printe

[djfido]

Hello,
i am german exchange student in UK. I need your help. I have to do a market research for my marketing lesson. Could you please answer the following questions. I need really your help.


1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)?

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection?

3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)?

4) How important is Service for you?
5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years)
6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service?

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router)

Please answer as many questions a possibile. (Scala 1 to 10)
You can just put a 1 if the feater/service is absolutly not important/not useful and a 10 if it is very important for you or very useful. You can also give me some feedbacks.

Please, i need as many answers as possibile.

Thanks a lot

[Danno]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)? 5, i only really use use the printing part however its always handy to have a scanner.

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection? 3, wired would be fine for me.

3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)? 3, i dont do much printing so dont think this would be a feature that i would need.

4) How important is Service for you? 9, i would need a printer that performs well.

5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years) 1, printers are so cheap now its not the end of the world if they fail out of warranty, if they were given longer warranty then i think the cost would go up.

6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service? 1, this would be great however would never happen as the cartridges are where manufacturers make most their money.

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router) 5, this would be quite a handy feature to have.

[NeilX90]

1) If the quality of each of the functions could be maintained at a reasonable price, I'd love a multi-function printer. At the moment, most multi-function units are compromised which is why I have a separate printer and scanner. These devices take up a lot of desk space and if I could save that with one good unit, I'd pay a slight premium. 8

2) The wireless connection is unimportant to me - we have a wireless network at home with the printer physically connected to one machine, the others accessing it wirelessly. This would only be useful for a 100% wireless network. It is no effort to get the paper from my wife's study ! 1

3) Integrated HD... again, small business use only so not important for me and would only add to the cost. We can fileshare using XP... if I need a server, I'll buy or build one. 1

4) Service - assuming you're talking about reliability, it's a resounding 10. I've had units from all the well known manufacturers break down from periods as little as 3 months to 3 years. They're not complicated devices, although mechanical, but my BMW has lasted 11 years without a single breakdown. They need to work. The last time a printer failed on me was 24 hours before my wedding with friends printing off various bits and pieces... fortunately we were able to buy a new one in time. Sometimes it just needs to work !

5) Guarantee - largely useless in my experience. You either wait for repairs or just get a budget printer to fill in the down time. 3

6) One free refill would be worth around £60 on a quality inkjet - I think manufacturers would be unlikely to offer it, but if it was there, it would influence my choice, although reliability and performance would still be my first purchasing decision. I would not pick a poor printer with one free refill over a good printer that did not. If you're talking about laser printers, then one free toner cartridge isn't going to cut it with the business folks. 3

7) Fax without landline - still very useful, even in this day and age. 7

[Mechanics Fan]

1. Have printer for document printing, good scanner and photos uploaded to Kodak and printed by them. Access to photocopiers at work. 1
2. No interest in wireless printing. 1
3. Integrated HD, not important in the least. 1
4. Service, must work. 10
5. No time for a warranty, easy to replace. 1
6. I use Epson - they don't refill. 1
7. Fax without landline, no interest to me. 1

John

[Vic]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)?

1. MFDs save a bit of desk space, but mean you have less choice over the exact spec of components in it.


2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection?

1. A printer is going to be sat close to a switch wherever I put it. Wireless access gains me nothing, but costs in over-air traffic (reduced bandwidth for other devices)


3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)?

1. Anything I print that needs saving will be saved somewhere it's properly backed up.


4) How important is Service for you?

That depends on what you mean by "Service"...


5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years)

3. Warranties rarely cover gunging of the head through lack of use - and that's what kills my printers.


6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service?

1. New cartridges are cheap. Paying a premium upfront to replace the initial ones is likely to leave me out of pocket.


7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router)

1. Asterisk already does various fax systems, and that would allow me to integrate a fax machine into my existing comms setup.

Vic.

[ZitaEmd]

I need a printer with scanner and copier for business. However I also have to have a separate scanner for my photography hobby as the resolution on all-in-1 is not up to the job at all. -10

Wireless every time, not only do I work from home but have two school age children and don't need all the cables! Makes like so much easier. -8

Don't really need an integrated memory hard drive as files are shared over the network.-4

With the price of printers service is a non-issue really, it costs less to get a new printer - not ecologically frinedly at all I realise but sadly true. -4

A guarantee of 3 years seems unecessary, I still have one printer that has been going for 12 years and another for 5 years. -4

A free cartridge refill would be great but what does 'free' really mean? In order to provide a 'free' refill someone is going to be charged somewhere. I think it's fair to pay for what you use at a reasonable rate. - 3

Fax feature is totally irrelevant to me these days, I scan and Email or email straight from creating the document, I can also if neceesary fax from the PC. - 1

[Stickyjam]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)?
5 depends on the cost premium of these features over a standard printer..

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection?
6 though it would be very handy, its cost depending..
3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)?
6 though it would be very handy, its cost depending..

4) How important is Service for you? 1 or 10..hopefully i wouldnt have to find out, if i didnt it would mean little to none to me.. if i had a problem it would get a 10.
5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years) 3 not so important but considered when comparing models.
6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service?
would be handy but depends on if it affected the cost of the printer much...

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router) 1 this wouldnt interest me.

Please answer as many questions a possibile. (Scala 1 to 10)
You can just put a 1 if the feater/service is absolutly not important/not useful and a 10 if it is very important for you or very useful. You can also give me some feedbacks.

Please, i need as many answers as possibile.

Thanks a lot.. no problem

[Baggpuss]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)? 6 Is always nice to have a scanner too

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection? 2 Irrelevant to me, happy with wired

3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)? 2

4) How important is Service for you? 7 always handy if things go wrong
5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years)/ 7 shows that the company believes their product will last
6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service? 9 great idea!

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router)? 2 irrlevant to me but i can see its use

[speedyj]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)?
10 THIS IS VERY HANDY TO ME

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection?
1 NO

3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)?
1 NO

4) How important is Service for you?
10 VERY IMPORTANT BUT RELIABILITY IS MORE SO

5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years)
10 VERY IMPORTANT

6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service?
8 WOULD BE NICE

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router)
10 THIS WOULD BE VERY HANDY

[PMM]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)?
( 1 - prefer a dedicated printer fit for purpose intended )

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection?
( 8 - Yes - too many wires under my desk so wireless would be nice )

3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)?
( 1 - I think an unwise option - printers being more volatile for failure such a feature is more suited to your wireless hub certainly not viable in a business environment.)

4) How important is Service for you? -
( 5 - Depends on initial purchase cost - a cheap inkjet I would not bother the hassles and incurred costs make it easier to just buy a new printer. )

5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years)
( 7 - Again depends on the price bracket of the printer )

6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service?
( 10 - Would be nice - but that is where printer companies make there profits on the consumables likely hood of that changing would be pretty slim )

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router)
( 5 - If I had a multifunction printer then yes Fax over IP = Good )

[Lemon]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)?
10, Wouldnt buy a printer without it being multifunction. Use scan more than I thought I would.

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection?
5, Not sure it would make much difference to me. They will always be located near to a computer so not really a requirement and problably add unnecssary expenses.

3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)?
3, See Above

4) How important is Service for you?
10, I hope it wouldnt break, but if it did give up I would want it fixed quickly and free.

5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years)
10, Very, want ot know if its breaks, they will fix it or replace it. Atleast 3 years. Happy ot pay a slight premium for longer warrenties.

6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service?
10, as long as the printer was a good one.

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router)
1, Don't fax, don't think anyone in our house has ever faxed a document from home.

[Chewie]

1) How important is a printer with a range of featers for you (Multifunction printer)?
a) 8. Although not essential, a scanner comes in handy in any modern household (especially as far as kids homework is concerned). If you can combine 3/4 items into 1, all the better. Saves on space for the owner. Packaging, materials, outgoing costs for producers (labour, raw materials) but would mean they would have to jack prices up accordingly to take into account the extra functionality of the item (and to recoup possible costs on items they would no longer be selling)

2) Would you prefer a printer with a wireless connection?
b) 5. Neither really. A wireless connection is a luxury fast becoming a neccesity (eg, keeping up with the Jones's) in todays society, but unles you plan to have it away from the main point of data (eg, next to your pc or phone point) for space or room design reasons, a wired unit is perfectly fine to have.

3) Would you like a printer with an integrated memory harddrive, where you can save your files and load it from another computer, via the wireless connection for example (file-sharing)?
c) 5. Again, it would be nice if it was used as a central storage for say digital photo's that weren't being dl'd direct to the pc for sending/uploading/editing, but as nowadays people are having external drives connected to pc's or even spare drives internally a drive in printer/scanner/fax combo is purely a gimmick and another point of breakdown.

4) How important is Service for you?
d) 10. The levels of frustration people experiance (been there done it got the t-shirt) when calling someone to report a fault in the hope of getting it fixed under a warranty, only to be told, "I'm sorry, but we can't deal with this, you need to call......" or be told that the faults department closed 2 hrs ago by an automated message (even though its only 4:30pm on a weekday) can be reduced, by having a good, helpfull, efficient system where departments talk to each other and respond amicably and understandably when dealing with frustrated customers trying to get their broken appliance fixed.

5) How important is guarantee (e.g. 3 years)
d) 10. A good long guarantee without having to fork out extra (which more often than not comes to more than 15% of the cost of the item in the first place) would be very helpfull, and doesn't really do supplier(manufacturer) any harm, because of the 1000 units sold, maybe 10 will go completely wrong before the initial warranty period is up, and if even just 50% take out extended warranties, they have covered their cost while retaining profits, even if they have to replace those 10 items with complete new units.

6) What about a 1-year free refill of the cartridge service?
e) 5. A free 1 yr refill would be good, if you actually use that cartridge in the 1 yr period (most companies would demand a 1 for 1 exchange, eg you send it back before we send you the new one), but to cover this, it would force companies to either increase the cost of either new cartridges, or the machine itself. A better option would be to offer a free replacement cartridfe ONCE the original one has run out, which may be upto 18months if it is used infrequently.

7) Would you like the FAX feater with a Fax over IP function, (to use FAX without a landline, just connecting with the router)
e) 5. You still need a landline, of a sort, in order to have IP access through your ISP and your router. Again a fax (except for those odd occaisions where you need to send a facsimilie to a business rather than a scanned image) only really has appeal to a business, in which case they would buy a purpose built unit, as required for a more heavy usage. Saying that, todays society and business need are increasingly more met by email when it comes to sending documents, so really, a fax machine is like a video. a dead machine that hasn't quite realised it yet (would have said Vinyl, but recently saw an article that stated a factory in london is producing 7" singles more than ever. Enough to say its even making a comeback)


Having done similar college business course type research in the past, i hope my comments have been helpful.

Chewie.