| There are core types of office equipment available for | | | | Photocopiers themselves tend to be bulky items, taking |
| the small business - each type is intended to make | | | | up a lot of space in the room. However, for less |
| your job easier. | | | | heavy-duty work, desktop copiers are available for the |
| This short article is intended to introduce you to some | | | | small office. |
| of the main types of office equipment, so that you can | | | | Multifunction machines |
| make a purchasing decision on them: | | | | There are a variety of multifunction machines available |
| Paper Shredders | | | | for the workplace and home office. |
| Paper shredders are used to destroy paper | | | | One of the main advantages of a multifunction |
| documents, usually using one of two major methods | | | | machine is their space-saving ability. The downside is |
| of shredding. | | | | that when one function goes wrong, it can render all |
| The main reason for shredding paper is to prevent | | | | functions unworkable. |
| confidential information being retrieved and stolen, such | | | | Although multifunction machines are often aimed at |
| as business operations information. This has made | | | | small business use, the range can run into huge |
| paper shredders relatively common in business use. | | | | industrial units that integrate various common features. |
| Fax Machines | | | | Scanners |
| A fax machine is specialist piece of office equipment | | | | Scanners are copier devices, used to create digital |
| that can scan and print a document, and send a copy | | | | copies of objects. |
| over a telephone connection to another fax machine. | | | | Scanners are more often used for making copies of |
| While most people can send text documents much | | | | documents, graphics, and even three-dimensional |
| more easily via e-mail, the one big advantage of fax | | | | objects placed on the scanner surface. |
| machines is where documents require a human | | | | For most intents and purposes, scanners are little more |
| signature. | | | | than clever little colour photocopiers. However, in the |
| For that reason, fax machines still remain common in | | | | office place, scanners often provide a simple - and |
| the workplace, and ironically are becoming more | | | | cheaper - alternative to colour photocopying. |
| common in the home. | | | | Conclusion |
| Photocopiers | | | | Obviously, this is only a brief summary of office |
| Photocopiers are one of those machines most | | | | equipment for the small business - but hopefully you're |
| synonymous with the office and workplace. Even in | | | | already weighing up such points as whether a |
| the age of computing, a photocopier is one of the | | | | multifunction machine is going to be more useful for |
| simplest ways to create copies of paper documents. | | | | you at first then separate printer/fax machine. |
| Photocopiers essentially scan a sheet of paper, create | | | | Alternatively, you may find that a scanner is going to |
| an electrostatic image, and then use either laser or | | | | server your needs better than a photocopier. |
| inkjet methods to print out the result as many times as | | | | Either way, best of luck with your search for the right |
| required. | | | | office equipment. |
