There are plenty of ways to categorize all-in-ones (AIOs), but one of the most basic distinctions is between AIOs meant for the home and those meant for the office. The difference is so clear, in fact, that until recently you were pretty much forced to choose one or the other, with home AIOs focusing on photos and office AIOs focusing on office-centric features like faxing. Lately, however, more and more AIOs have managed to bridge the gap, with designs that address both areas. This increasingly common breed of AIOs is well suited for a dual role in the home and home office.

There are still differences in emphasis even among these dual-role AIOs, with some leaning more toward office tasks, and others weighted more heavily for the home. To qualify for home use, for example, an AIO needs to print photos at reasonably high quality, but some do the job better than others. In particular, the Canon Pixma MX850 and the HP Photosmart C7280 All-In-One are notable for their high-quality photos.

Other photo-centric features in all of these AIOs include direct printing from PictBridge cameras and memory cards as well as a flatbed to let you scan photos without damaging them. Most can also print directly from USB keys, and most include a reasonably large color LCD—3.3 inches in the case of the Brother MFC-685cw—to let you preview images before printing.

For the office role, these AIOs offer features you won't find in models meant strictly for home use. In addition to working as standalone copiers, they function as standalone fax machines, too. They also let you fax directly from your PC, so you don't have to print something before you can fax it. And they include automatic document feeders (ADFs) to handle multi-page documents easily.

As a group, these AIOs offer a little better paper handling than you'll find in AIOs aimed only for home use. Most, like the Lexmark X9575 Professional and Dell 948 All-In-One Printer, offer duplexing, to automatically print on both sides of the page. And most offer two paper trays, either standard or as an option. In some cases the second tray is designed strictly for 4-by-6 photo paper. In others, both trays are full size, giving you the choice of loading more paper, or loading two different kinds of paper—with photo paper in one tray and plain paper in the other, for example. That way, you can switch between printing documents and photos without having to change paper each time.

Finally, you'll find features in these AIOs that can come in equally handy for home and home office. Many of them offer network connections—wired, wireless, or both—making them easier to share for their dual roles. Some offer other connection options as well—notably Bluetooth, to let you print from camera phones and other Bluetooth devices. They also vary tremendously on attributes like speed, text quality, and paper capacity. In short, there are plenty of variations to choose from, as demonstrated by the five models listed here.

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Featured in this Roundup:

Brother MFC-685cw ($200 street)
Although a low paper capacity makes the Brother MFC-685cw suitable for only light-duty printing, its compact size makes it easy to find space for. It's packed with features, including a phone answering machine and both wired and WiFi network support. It also offers the convenience of a second paper tray, for 4- by 6-inch photo paper.

Canon Pixma MX850 ($279.99 direct)
As Canon's flagship business ink jet AIO, the Pixma MX850 delivers fast speed and high-quality output across the board. For office use, it not only offers duplex printing, but also a duplexing ADF, which lets you automatically scan double-sided originals. As a candidate for home use too, it's particularly notable for its photo speed and quality.

Dell 948 All-In-One Printer ($149 direct)
The Dell 948 All-In-One Printer delivers just about any AIO feature you're likely to need for an all-in-one for home, home office, or both. It lacks a network connection, which makes it primarily a personal AIO. You can, however, add an optional WiFi card ($40 direct) to make it easier to share the 948 among multiple computers.

HP Photosmart C7280 All-In-One ($299.99 direct)
Despite relatively slow print speed and low paper capacity, the HP Photosmart C7280 is a strong contender for the dual role of home and home-office AIO. In addition to offering high-quality photos for home use and all of the functions you need for office use, it adds conveniences that include a 50-sheet ADF, a network connector, and WiFi support.

Lexmark X9575 Professional ($249.99 direct)
One of the first models in Lexmark's new Professional series, the Lexmark X9575 Professional offers three features that distinguish the series: availability of a high-capacity print cartridge that ships with the printer, lifetime priority phone support, and a one-year warranty that includes next-business-day replacement.