When it comes to reproducing photographic images all-in-one scanner/printers can and usually are quite limited, like not providing a facility to scan film, or to print photographs with quality comparable to a dedicated photo printer. Their purpose and market is home/office functions and convenience. Like making a copy of a letter or document like a bill or receipt, for instance.

The convenience comes at the price of photographic capabilities and performance usually.

I was of the same opinion as you but after looking at MP980, HP C8180, and Artisan 800. I began to rethink my position. They are using photographic inks and their resolution specs are respectable. Kodak uses their pigment colors on their ESP models. Canon even states that their MP980 can scan film. These are a couple of reasons that got me interested in the all-in-one photo printer/scanner/copier. Yes they are intended for the home user but they might just replace the lower to mid level individual printer and scanners.

Warren

I doubt that an all-in-one will replace a dedicated photo/film scanner or a photo printer. I get the information on all these new products myself and although they are getting better, they are not competitive with the stand alones yet by a ways. Plus, I think the convenience has a risk, if either the scanner or the printer part of the all-in-one goes south, you have to replace the whole thing.

Today you can do all the things a all-in-one does with separates almost as easily with the software currently available, so that convenience factor is really minimal.

Plus, you can often get printers that are very good for next to nothing as a tag along incentive to some other purchase. I just got Canon's best letter-size photo printer free as an add on to another purchase - can't beat free.