As multifunction devices become more popular, finding office products that are dedicated to faxing is becoming a little more difficult. However, the good news is advances in fax-related technologies -- especially print output technologies -- have given desktop fax shoppers far more options than were available a decade ago. You'll probably see fewer desktop fax machines on the store shelves these days, but they'll carry a larger variety of options and features, almost certainly making it easier to find a machine that fits your exact needs.

Sharp FO-3150

Creating extremely sharp prints will be the most important desktop fax function in some offices. You won't find a lot of desktop fax machines that make use of laser-printing technologies--especially in the consumer- and SOHO-level price ranges. Most laser fax machines don't fit in the "desktop" category, as they weigh close to 100 pounds and are extremely large machines. They're typically very expensive, too.

For those needing laser-quality faxes at a reasonable price and at a reasonable machine size, Sharp offers the FO-3150, which you can easily find for less than $300. Although it would be nice if the FO-3150 included more than mid-level fax features, it's a solid option for those needing laser faxes.

Another benefit of a laser-quality fax machine is it will yield laser-quality copies. (All fax machines can work as makeshift copiers.) Unfortunately, the FO-3150 doesn't offer any copier functions beyond making a simple copy.

Sharp FO-3150

Brother FAX-575

For the most part, we cannot recommend thermal-transfer desktop fax machines, other than in a situation where you need a low-priced option up front and you receive and send only a few faxes per month. If your fax needs are more extensive, however, the relatively high cost of replacement ribbons for thermal-transfer fax machines make such units less than ideal. Thermal-transfer fax machines also offer hit-and-miss output quality.

If you fit the criteria for a thermal-transfer, low-cost fax machine, Brother's FAX-575 is a decent option. The FAX-575 doesn't contain any high-end features, but it definitely fits the low-cost criteria at less than $60. For the right situation, this unit will suffice.

Panasonic KX-FG6550

Panasonic offers another thermal-transfer desktop fax machine with its KX-FG6550. This unit's fax features are far below average--which is especially concerning because the KX-FG6550 carries a price tag of nearly $200.

The KX-FG6550's best feature might be its cordless phone system that combines with the fax machine to give users up to three handsets. However, there are far better stand-alone fax machine options and far better stand-alone cordless phone system options.

Brother 2480C

For a nice mixture of price, mid-level features, machine size and ease of use, the Brother 2480C inkjet desktop fax is a very solid option for SOHO users. You'll easily be able to find the 2480C for less than $129, and, with some savvy shopping, you might even find it for less than $100. For the most part, this unit doesn't include anything but average fax features, but it also doesn't contain low-end features. It's a good, average machine that's available at a good price.

One advantage the 2480C holds over the other desktop fax machines we mentioned earlier is its inkjet printing technology gives it the ability to print in both black and color. Although you probably don't receive a lot of full-color faxes, having the flexibility to print faxes or make copies in color is a handy option.

If you need a fax machine that's compact enough to fit on a shelf, the 2480C is one of the few desktop fax machines that measures only about 7 inches in height and that doesn't need several extension parts. Many desktop fax machines appear compact, at least until you begin extending pieces to hold paper or to use an automatic document feeder. The 2480C doesn't make use of any extensions and is a true compact machine.

Sharp UX-B800SE

Another inkjet desktop fax option is the UX-B800SE from Sharp. The UX-B800SE offers the ability to connect the unit to a computer and the Internet with Ethernet. You then can use the UX-B800SE to convert e-mail messages to fax messages.

However, the UX-B800SE could include additional top-end features to make it more appealing. And, for those who are worried about the reliability of their office machines, Sharp only offers a 90-day warranty with the UX-B800SE versus 1 year for many other desktop fax machines.