The Toshiba E-Studio 203L is a member of an ever widening range of multifunction devices from the Japanese manufacturing giant. The E-Studio 203L is also aimed firmly at business as this is definitely a business class workgroup machine. It would suit a small to medium office with low to medium monthly duty requirements.
Once unpacked, the device can be working in minutes. The setup process is straightforward, and is suitable to users of all skill levels. The E-Studio 203L comes with USB, Ethernet, wireless and parallel connections built in. Ethernet and USB were up and running as soon as they were connected and the drivers installed. Wireless took a little longer, but nothing outrageous.
The control panel is laid out well, with a movable screen that can be tilted to suit. The touch screen is intuitive and easy to read, while having all the features logically laid out. There is a comprehensive array of buttons for even the most demanding of users, while almost all the functions can be accessed over a network.
The build quality is solid, with a reassuring feel, none of the trays feel flimsy or weak, and overall it looks built to last.
The standard paper tray holds 550 the multipurpose tray a further 100, and the document bypass 100 more. Toner is handled discreetly, and replacement cartridges are good for 23000 pages. The device also has a toner save feature, that once activated, offers to save toner by applying it a little thinner on each print. If you don’t mind lighter documents, this can save quite a lot of money in a busy environment.
Printing and Copying produced quality pages, with text appearing clean and clear. Documents containing images were okay for a laser multifunction, we were pleased with the outcome. It is often hit and miss with lasers as to how they can handle a photograph or image, and the E-Studio 203L handled them well. The speed of operation is also acceptable with a print or copy coming out at up to 20 pages per minute.
This is a very flexible machine that has enough features to serve any office well, with more optional feature to allow it to grow with you. The E-Studio 203L is a good prospect for almost any office.
8.31.2010
Toshiba E-Studio 170F
The Toshiba E-Studio 170F is a variation of the theme of multifunction devices that offer printing, copying faxing and scanning, all in one machine. The main difference with this one is that the fax seems to be the primary function rather than printing or copying. Traditionally, multifunction’s have printed or copied first, then scanned, then faxed. With the E-Studio 170F, fax comes first.
For its relatively modest size, the 170F is fully featured. It’s Super G3 modem can send faxes at a rate of one every 2-3 seconds and has enough memory to remember around 100 of them if you run out of paper. There is a full fax control panel, with complete dialing face, feature buttons and a clearly delineated section for each function. The menu system is fluid and understandable, while the small LCD screen tells you all you need to know.
The E-Studio 170F can print and copy at 17 pages per minute, and the output isn’t that of an afterthought printer. The finish is good, especially text only prints, whose results are clear and crisp. The device struggles a bit with images, as most laser printers do, but the results are still acceptable for most situations.
The scanner is a fast and capable device that makes short work of even the longest documents. It can scan and fax across a network through a connected computer and reproduces them accurately.
Setup is simple, simply connect it via USB, switch it on and get working. The drivers are simple and take no time at all to install. There is no networking feature, but USB is quick enough for most SOHO users, which is where the E-Studio 170F is pitched.
The E-Studio 170F is a small, hardworking multifunction aimed at users with modest needs. Everything it can do, it does well. Coupled with a reasonable purchase price and economical running costs, this is an excellent choice for low volume users.
For its relatively modest size, the 170F is fully featured. It’s Super G3 modem can send faxes at a rate of one every 2-3 seconds and has enough memory to remember around 100 of them if you run out of paper. There is a full fax control panel, with complete dialing face, feature buttons and a clearly delineated section for each function. The menu system is fluid and understandable, while the small LCD screen tells you all you need to know.
The E-Studio 170F can print and copy at 17 pages per minute, and the output isn’t that of an afterthought printer. The finish is good, especially text only prints, whose results are clear and crisp. The device struggles a bit with images, as most laser printers do, but the results are still acceptable for most situations.
The scanner is a fast and capable device that makes short work of even the longest documents. It can scan and fax across a network through a connected computer and reproduces them accurately.
Setup is simple, simply connect it via USB, switch it on and get working. The drivers are simple and take no time at all to install. There is no networking feature, but USB is quick enough for most SOHO users, which is where the E-Studio 170F is pitched.
The E-Studio 170F is a small, hardworking multifunction aimed at users with modest needs. Everything it can do, it does well. Coupled with a reasonable purchase price and economical running costs, this is an excellent choice for low volume users.
Xerox Phaser 7300
When the Xerox Phaser 7300 was first released in 2003, it took the printer world by storm. Winning awards and accolades as it went, including many editors choice, and printer of the month awards. For a color laser printer, the 7300 offers great value for money.
Although, to call it a laser is a slight misnomer. It is actually an LED printer. There are four LED arrays inside that expose the photosensitive drum for each color. So the process is largely the same, but the technology isn’t.
Out of the box, the Phaser 7300 is a hefty beast. It is a generous 26 by 25 inches and weighs in at 149 pounds. The singles 550 sheet paper drawer that can handle anything up to 12 x 18 inches and a single sheet feeder for everything else. The drawer is upgradeable to 1650 sheets if you need that kind of output.
Installation took minutes once the printer was unpacked. The toner slotted in nicely, and the sturdy paper tray was already in place. To install the drivers took literally three clicks of the mouse. The installer is complete and needs the minimum of direction. Networking was just as easy, with the setup finding the IP address and installing the device on our network without us having to do a thing. This is the mark of a truly office friendly device. Not every company has, or can afford tech support, and to provide a device as easily configurable as the 7300 is a quality feature.
The most important quality of any printer, is how it outputs, and here the Phaser 7300 doesn’t disappoint either. Text is clear and crisp, black is black and there were no jaggies to be seen, even at the smallest point. Images were superb, toner coverage was smooth and solid with no obvious banding. It takes quite a bit longer than text to output, but they were well worth the wait. The official speed rating is up to 30 pages per minute for color and 37 for black. While we didn’t get that, they were close enough to still be impressive.
Overall, the Phaser 7300 is an excellent piece of kit. There are still plenty of them around the secondhand market, and the consumables are still readily available. Support needs are minimal as it is so easy to maintain and look after. For a small office, the Phaser 7300 is ideal.
Although, to call it a laser is a slight misnomer. It is actually an LED printer. There are four LED arrays inside that expose the photosensitive drum for each color. So the process is largely the same, but the technology isn’t.
Out of the box, the Phaser 7300 is a hefty beast. It is a generous 26 by 25 inches and weighs in at 149 pounds. The singles 550 sheet paper drawer that can handle anything up to 12 x 18 inches and a single sheet feeder for everything else. The drawer is upgradeable to 1650 sheets if you need that kind of output.
Installation took minutes once the printer was unpacked. The toner slotted in nicely, and the sturdy paper tray was already in place. To install the drivers took literally three clicks of the mouse. The installer is complete and needs the minimum of direction. Networking was just as easy, with the setup finding the IP address and installing the device on our network without us having to do a thing. This is the mark of a truly office friendly device. Not every company has, or can afford tech support, and to provide a device as easily configurable as the 7300 is a quality feature.
The most important quality of any printer, is how it outputs, and here the Phaser 7300 doesn’t disappoint either. Text is clear and crisp, black is black and there were no jaggies to be seen, even at the smallest point. Images were superb, toner coverage was smooth and solid with no obvious banding. It takes quite a bit longer than text to output, but they were well worth the wait. The official speed rating is up to 30 pages per minute for color and 37 for black. While we didn’t get that, they were close enough to still be impressive.
Overall, the Phaser 7300 is an excellent piece of kit. There are still plenty of them around the secondhand market, and the consumables are still readily available. Support needs are minimal as it is so easy to maintain and look after. For a small office, the Phaser 7300 is ideal.
8.30.2010
Xerox Phaser 6125
If you’re after a reasonably priced low use color laser printer, then the Xerox Phaser 6125 might be just what you need. Its relatively small footprint makes it ideal for space conscious users, or home workers.
The dimensions are small, but the printer is quite tall. The single-pass laser working over vertically mounted toner cartridges to save space. The paper tray is at the bottom, and can hold up to 250 sheets. It feeds the paper up and through the printer and deposits the on the top. While there is enough input space for a decent print job, there is no way that the output tray on the top could cope with the whole 250 sheets.
The standard is set high by this machine. Considering the low purchase price, built in networking and decent print quality, this little machine is going to be hard to beat. The control panel is basic to say the least, a simple two-line LCD screen and a couple of buttons. The menu us comprehensive and can provide access to just about all the features. If you don’t like it, the Xerox web interface can also control every aspect of the printer, while also giving information on fault codes and toner status.
Talking of toner, there is a starter cartridge included which is good for around 500 pages, replacements are good value, at around $29 for a 2000 page black, or a 1000 page color cartridge.
Print quality is good for the price. Monochrome prints appear black when they need to, and the grayscale is evenly spread and lacked any noticeable banding. Color images appeared a bit on the red side, but a quick adjustment using the printer web interface remedied that in seconds. Text was great, and images were good at the native 600 dpi. The print quality of the Phaser 6125 is good enough for most situations.
At a speed of up to 12 pages per minute for color and 16 pages for monochrome, the Phaser 6125 isn’t going to be breaking any speed records, but it is perfectly adequate for the low use market it is aimed at. Saying that, this printer has a monthly duty cycle of up to 40,000 pages per month, which is much more than the target market would ever use. I guess it’s nice to have that kind of flexibility, just in case a big print job comes along.
The Phaser 6125 offers solid performance and value for money. It doesn’t excel at anything, but if proficient enough to be a worthy contender in the color laser market.
The dimensions are small, but the printer is quite tall. The single-pass laser working over vertically mounted toner cartridges to save space. The paper tray is at the bottom, and can hold up to 250 sheets. It feeds the paper up and through the printer and deposits the on the top. While there is enough input space for a decent print job, there is no way that the output tray on the top could cope with the whole 250 sheets.
The standard is set high by this machine. Considering the low purchase price, built in networking and decent print quality, this little machine is going to be hard to beat. The control panel is basic to say the least, a simple two-line LCD screen and a couple of buttons. The menu us comprehensive and can provide access to just about all the features. If you don’t like it, the Xerox web interface can also control every aspect of the printer, while also giving information on fault codes and toner status.
Talking of toner, there is a starter cartridge included which is good for around 500 pages, replacements are good value, at around $29 for a 2000 page black, or a 1000 page color cartridge.
Print quality is good for the price. Monochrome prints appear black when they need to, and the grayscale is evenly spread and lacked any noticeable banding. Color images appeared a bit on the red side, but a quick adjustment using the printer web interface remedied that in seconds. Text was great, and images were good at the native 600 dpi. The print quality of the Phaser 6125 is good enough for most situations.
At a speed of up to 12 pages per minute for color and 16 pages for monochrome, the Phaser 6125 isn’t going to be breaking any speed records, but it is perfectly adequate for the low use market it is aimed at. Saying that, this printer has a monthly duty cycle of up to 40,000 pages per month, which is much more than the target market would ever use. I guess it’s nice to have that kind of flexibility, just in case a big print job comes along.
The Phaser 6125 offers solid performance and value for money. It doesn’t excel at anything, but if proficient enough to be a worthy contender in the color laser market.
Xerox Phaser 3250
The Xerox Phaser 3250 is a monochrome laser printer that is ideally suited to the home or small office. It is a compact unit with a built-in duplexer for added flexibility.
The Phaser 3250 comes in two varieties. The 3250D base model with USB2 connection, and the 3250DN which adds a network port and PostScript compatibility. This is a small, fast little printer that can support a single user or small workgroup with ease.
The automatic duplexer offers a lot of options for going green, or printing business or marketing material. The print quality is good enough for either. Text is printed loud and clear, with clean, straight lines and black appearing black. Graphs and images are equally good, with even spread, good tone and accurate grayscale reproduction. At up to 28 pages per minute, this printer is no slouch either.
Considering the fact this device is a laser, that prints well at almost 30 pages per minute, it is good value for money. Not only is the purchase price more than reasonable, the consumables are too. You can pick up a toner for around $55, which will last up to 5000 pages. The memory is upgradeable too if you need it for larger or more complex print jobs. It comes with 32Mb built in which is expandable to 160Mb.
Adding to the money saving features are the toner saving mode, which reduces the depth on the page, and power saving mode, which puts the printer to sleep while idle. Both work quite well, especially the toner saving mode if you don’t mind your prints a little light.
Installing the Phaser 3250 is as easy as unpacking it, installing the toner and plugging it in. Connect to a computer via USB, or network if you bought the DN version. It works with all operating systems and the driver suite is complete and easy to install. The Xerox web-based control panel makes up for a lack of direction on the printer itself, and makes maintenance simple. It will tell you if the toner is running out, in advance of it actually doing so, keeping downtime to a minimum.
The Phaser 3250 is a solid, small user mono printer that is great value for money. Despite being budget conscious, there have been no real compromises on quality of built, or the quality of the print. This device is ideal for the budget conscious office or home worker that wants good quality prints without the corporate price tag.
The Phaser 3250 comes in two varieties. The 3250D base model with USB2 connection, and the 3250DN which adds a network port and PostScript compatibility. This is a small, fast little printer that can support a single user or small workgroup with ease.
The automatic duplexer offers a lot of options for going green, or printing business or marketing material. The print quality is good enough for either. Text is printed loud and clear, with clean, straight lines and black appearing black. Graphs and images are equally good, with even spread, good tone and accurate grayscale reproduction. At up to 28 pages per minute, this printer is no slouch either.
Considering the fact this device is a laser, that prints well at almost 30 pages per minute, it is good value for money. Not only is the purchase price more than reasonable, the consumables are too. You can pick up a toner for around $55, which will last up to 5000 pages. The memory is upgradeable too if you need it for larger or more complex print jobs. It comes with 32Mb built in which is expandable to 160Mb.
Adding to the money saving features are the toner saving mode, which reduces the depth on the page, and power saving mode, which puts the printer to sleep while idle. Both work quite well, especially the toner saving mode if you don’t mind your prints a little light.
Installing the Phaser 3250 is as easy as unpacking it, installing the toner and plugging it in. Connect to a computer via USB, or network if you bought the DN version. It works with all operating systems and the driver suite is complete and easy to install. The Xerox web-based control panel makes up for a lack of direction on the printer itself, and makes maintenance simple. It will tell you if the toner is running out, in advance of it actually doing so, keeping downtime to a minimum.
The Phaser 3250 is a solid, small user mono printer that is great value for money. Despite being budget conscious, there have been no real compromises on quality of built, or the quality of the print. This device is ideal for the budget conscious office or home worker that wants good quality prints without the corporate price tag.
Xerox Phaser 6360
I bought the Xerox Phaser 6360 color printer in late 2007 when I first started my web studio. It seemed like a good idea at the time, I knew the Xerox name from when I work in for corporations and knew it gave good copies. I didn’t know at the time that they did printers too.
I wanted something middle of the road that could service my small office of three people, while not breaking the bank. I often print on non-legal sized paper so wanted something that could cope with that, and also that had a paper tray that could handle it. There’s nothing worse than having to stand in front of a printer and hand-feed envelopes or A3 into it.
The 6360 is all I wanted, and more. It only takes around 10 seconds to warm up, and the first print in out a few seconds after that, it prints up to 40 pages per minute, which is plenty enough for my needs. I was a little worried at first, because I would rather have great prints take a little longer, than worry about a fast printer that produced sub-standard images. I needn’t have worried, this printer is fast, but it also prints well.
I’m in design so I’m pretty exact in my requirements. Print quality is excellent with text and basic images. Lasers have never been that good with photographs or more complex images. The 6360 does Xerox proud. Image reproduction is excellent, color gradiations are accurate and clear. There is no evidence of banding, or the criss-crosses that some printers give when faced with a complex print job.
The paper trays hold 700 sheets as standard. Like I said, they can also handle non-standard sizes. They can also be expanded if you print a lot, to 2350 sheets, which then makes the printer able to stand on the floor. The duty cycle is 100000 sheets per month, although I don’t use it anywhere near that much, it’s nice to know the kit can handle it if I need it to.
Setting it up was a breeze. Once it was unpacked, I installed the toner, and connected it up to the network. It appeared in my workgroup in around 20 seconds and once the drivers were installed we could all use it straight away. I have a mix of Windows and Mac machines, and they can all use the printer. The 6360 also supports PostScript 3 which means it not only prints text quickly, it also works with my Adobe suite without any messing around.
I like this printer, for an office machine it does exactly what it says on the box. It’s easy to use, not too noisy, easy to look after and not too expensive. The toners last for about 9000 pages and I can get them online from Quikship toners delivered next day.
Cost of ownership is low, it does what I want it to do and hasn’t let me down yet. I thoroughly recommend it.
I wanted something middle of the road that could service my small office of three people, while not breaking the bank. I often print on non-legal sized paper so wanted something that could cope with that, and also that had a paper tray that could handle it. There’s nothing worse than having to stand in front of a printer and hand-feed envelopes or A3 into it.
The 6360 is all I wanted, and more. It only takes around 10 seconds to warm up, and the first print in out a few seconds after that, it prints up to 40 pages per minute, which is plenty enough for my needs. I was a little worried at first, because I would rather have great prints take a little longer, than worry about a fast printer that produced sub-standard images. I needn’t have worried, this printer is fast, but it also prints well.
I’m in design so I’m pretty exact in my requirements. Print quality is excellent with text and basic images. Lasers have never been that good with photographs or more complex images. The 6360 does Xerox proud. Image reproduction is excellent, color gradiations are accurate and clear. There is no evidence of banding, or the criss-crosses that some printers give when faced with a complex print job.
The paper trays hold 700 sheets as standard. Like I said, they can also handle non-standard sizes. They can also be expanded if you print a lot, to 2350 sheets, which then makes the printer able to stand on the floor. The duty cycle is 100000 sheets per month, although I don’t use it anywhere near that much, it’s nice to know the kit can handle it if I need it to.
Setting it up was a breeze. Once it was unpacked, I installed the toner, and connected it up to the network. It appeared in my workgroup in around 20 seconds and once the drivers were installed we could all use it straight away. I have a mix of Windows and Mac machines, and they can all use the printer. The 6360 also supports PostScript 3 which means it not only prints text quickly, it also works with my Adobe suite without any messing around.
I like this printer, for an office machine it does exactly what it says on the box. It’s easy to use, not too noisy, easy to look after and not too expensive. The toners last for about 9000 pages and I can get them online from Quikship toners delivered next day.
Cost of ownership is low, it does what I want it to do and hasn’t let me down yet. I thoroughly recommend it.
Xerox Phaser 4510
The Xerox Phaser 4510 is another printer which expands the range of the office machine giant recently. It slots in neatly to their expanding home/small office offerings to the market. Offering themselves up as direct competition to the big names like Brother, Canon and Dell.
The Phaser 4510 comes with a standard 700 sheet paper tray, with the option of increasing that to 1800 with an extra purchase. Toner cartridges are easily replaceable after they have served their 19000 page life. The cost is reasonable, at an approximate cost of $125 each.
The simple control panel is simple and straightforward with decent sized buttons and a clear LCD gray screen. The navy blue surroundings add a nice bit of color to an otherwise standard gray box. The buttons are simple, and spaced out enough to not get in the way of each other, which is ideal for those of use with larger fingers.
The print output is excellent. It prints around 45 pages per minute according to Xerox, but real life tests saw nearer 40. Text is clear and bright, with definite edges and no obvious banding. Images were of a similar quality, with an even spread of toner across even the most complex tests.
This is a printer that would suit a small business or home office. Flexibility is one of the benefits of the 4510. The memory can be upgraded, as can the paper tray, you can add a hard drive, network port, wireless and a duplexer. So if your needs grow with your business, the printer can grow with you.
It can print good quality monochrome pages at up to 45 pages per minute at a resolution of 600 dpi, and supports Windows and Mac. Native support for PostScript, PCL and PDL, there is no problem with compatibility either. With a maximum duty cycle of 250000 pages per month, it is a little box with a big heart.
The 4510 is a solid performer. Perfect for the small/home office who need a good quality printer at a decent price. Consumables are cheap so the printer doesn’t cost a fortune to run. Combined with the decent turn of speed, that makes it a winner in the market as far as we are concerned.
The Phaser 4510 comes with a standard 700 sheet paper tray, with the option of increasing that to 1800 with an extra purchase. Toner cartridges are easily replaceable after they have served their 19000 page life. The cost is reasonable, at an approximate cost of $125 each.
The simple control panel is simple and straightforward with decent sized buttons and a clear LCD gray screen. The navy blue surroundings add a nice bit of color to an otherwise standard gray box. The buttons are simple, and spaced out enough to not get in the way of each other, which is ideal for those of use with larger fingers.
The print output is excellent. It prints around 45 pages per minute according to Xerox, but real life tests saw nearer 40. Text is clear and bright, with definite edges and no obvious banding. Images were of a similar quality, with an even spread of toner across even the most complex tests.
This is a printer that would suit a small business or home office. Flexibility is one of the benefits of the 4510. The memory can be upgraded, as can the paper tray, you can add a hard drive, network port, wireless and a duplexer. So if your needs grow with your business, the printer can grow with you.
It can print good quality monochrome pages at up to 45 pages per minute at a resolution of 600 dpi, and supports Windows and Mac. Native support for PostScript, PCL and PDL, there is no problem with compatibility either. With a maximum duty cycle of 250000 pages per month, it is a little box with a big heart.
The 4510 is a solid performer. Perfect for the small/home office who need a good quality printer at a decent price. Consumables are cheap so the printer doesn’t cost a fortune to run. Combined with the decent turn of speed, that makes it a winner in the market as far as we are concerned.
8.29.2010
Xerox Phaser 6120
The Xerox Phaser 6120 is a good looking color laser printer from the company’s ever growing inventory of top notch devices for the office. Mainly know for its photocopiers, Xerox has been making inroads on the printer market for a few years now. They are never the cheapest around, but they almost certainly offer the most value for money of any other brand we know.
The usual grey or beige box is nowhere to be seen in the 6120, instead we have a cream box with navy blue panels. It’s surprising how much difference the hint of color is to the overall aesthetics of the machine. While not bulky by any means, the 6120 is a large printer.
Paper is loaded through a 200 sheet paper tray at the bottom and feeds through to the top where it outputs on the top cover. The paper tray can be expanded to 500 sheets for heavier users along with the memory, hard drive and duplexing. This makes the 6120 a very flexible and customizable unit.
On the top right is a small control panel with grayscale LCD. The ring of four buttons surrounds the center one are all easy to use, and easy to select individually without accidentally hitting one of the others. The screen is a bit dim, and can be hard to read, but the functions are intuitive enough to not need much reference.
Lifting the top cover and folding down the front exposes the toners. There are four in total, the black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Once exposed they are pretty easy to swap out and for once, the starter cartridges are already installed!
Print quality overall was excellent. Both solid colors, business graphics and photos were reproduced with surprising accuracy. Photo images are also free of noticeable banding and color is graduated nicely. Even shadow detail is better reproduced than on many other color lasers we've tested, including some much more expensive ones.
The Phaser 6120 averaged print speeds of around 10 pages per minute for black text and just over 2 for color. It takes a little over a minute for internal diagnostics and set up when you switch it on at the start of the day before you see any prints, but once warm, response time is good.
The Phaser 6120 is a good quality printer that would be right at home in a small or home office. The reproduction is of good enough quality for almost any use. The flexibility of being able to upgrade the machine as you go along is also a great selling feature. We would have no compunction about recommending this printer to anyone.
The usual grey or beige box is nowhere to be seen in the 6120, instead we have a cream box with navy blue panels. It’s surprising how much difference the hint of color is to the overall aesthetics of the machine. While not bulky by any means, the 6120 is a large printer.
Paper is loaded through a 200 sheet paper tray at the bottom and feeds through to the top where it outputs on the top cover. The paper tray can be expanded to 500 sheets for heavier users along with the memory, hard drive and duplexing. This makes the 6120 a very flexible and customizable unit.
On the top right is a small control panel with grayscale LCD. The ring of four buttons surrounds the center one are all easy to use, and easy to select individually without accidentally hitting one of the others. The screen is a bit dim, and can be hard to read, but the functions are intuitive enough to not need much reference.
Lifting the top cover and folding down the front exposes the toners. There are four in total, the black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Once exposed they are pretty easy to swap out and for once, the starter cartridges are already installed!
Print quality overall was excellent. Both solid colors, business graphics and photos were reproduced with surprising accuracy. Photo images are also free of noticeable banding and color is graduated nicely. Even shadow detail is better reproduced than on many other color lasers we've tested, including some much more expensive ones.
The Phaser 6120 averaged print speeds of around 10 pages per minute for black text and just over 2 for color. It takes a little over a minute for internal diagnostics and set up when you switch it on at the start of the day before you see any prints, but once warm, response time is good.
The Phaser 6120 is a good quality printer that would be right at home in a small or home office. The reproduction is of good enough quality for almost any use. The flexibility of being able to upgrade the machine as you go along is also a great selling feature. We would have no compunction about recommending this printer to anyone.
Xerox WorkCentre XE60
The multifunction printing market is one with plenty of competition. It seems there are new ranges being released all the time. A device has to be truly outsatanding in order to dominate this market. The Xerox WorkCentre XE60 is just such a device.
The XE60 is a color multifunction device that offers color printing, copying and scanning in one chassis. Setting it up is easy, merely a matter of unpacking slotting it together. Connections are made by USB or parallel, which offers flexibility, and is easy to install. The paper tray holds up to 250 sheets, which is enough for a smaller office or home worker. The tray, and single feeder can handle media of all sizes from legal sized all the way to A3. It can handle smaller media too like labels, postcards and envelopes without getting jammed.
Toner is easy to insert and remove and is good value for money. The black toner is good for 3000 pages of an average 5% coverage and costs around $50.
Printing and copying is the real strength of the XE60. Image quality is excellent and monochrome text is especially crisp at standard resolution of 600 dpi. There were rough transitions when reproducing photographs, but the overall quality was acceptable for normal use. The print speed averaged 6 pages per minute which is about average for this class of device.
Scanning is a breeze, as the device is simple and effective, and produced excellent results when tested. The copy was just about identical to the original and came out in no time at all. The lid is adjustable, meaning it can cope with thicker media such as books or magazines without any trouble.
Ideally this is a multifunction for the smaller office or home worker who doesn’t print all that much. There are enough features to satisfy most needs, and the print quality is easily good enough for any office but the relatively low duty cycle of 8000 sheets restricts its appeal slightly. Just as well then that this is marketed squarely at the small/home office market, and it fits in with the intended audience.
Overall this is a great little printer for those it is directed towards, i.e. the small business or home worker. Six pages a minute isn’t a blistering pace, and the lack of Ethernet capability limits its appeal. However, for those who want printer that produces great quality prints on any kind of media, the XE60 is ideal.
The XE60 is a color multifunction device that offers color printing, copying and scanning in one chassis. Setting it up is easy, merely a matter of unpacking slotting it together. Connections are made by USB or parallel, which offers flexibility, and is easy to install. The paper tray holds up to 250 sheets, which is enough for a smaller office or home worker. The tray, and single feeder can handle media of all sizes from legal sized all the way to A3. It can handle smaller media too like labels, postcards and envelopes without getting jammed.
Toner is easy to insert and remove and is good value for money. The black toner is good for 3000 pages of an average 5% coverage and costs around $50.
Printing and copying is the real strength of the XE60. Image quality is excellent and monochrome text is especially crisp at standard resolution of 600 dpi. There were rough transitions when reproducing photographs, but the overall quality was acceptable for normal use. The print speed averaged 6 pages per minute which is about average for this class of device.
Scanning is a breeze, as the device is simple and effective, and produced excellent results when tested. The copy was just about identical to the original and came out in no time at all. The lid is adjustable, meaning it can cope with thicker media such as books or magazines without any trouble.
Ideally this is a multifunction for the smaller office or home worker who doesn’t print all that much. There are enough features to satisfy most needs, and the print quality is easily good enough for any office but the relatively low duty cycle of 8000 sheets restricts its appeal slightly. Just as well then that this is marketed squarely at the small/home office market, and it fits in with the intended audience.
Overall this is a great little printer for those it is directed towards, i.e. the small business or home worker. Six pages a minute isn’t a blistering pace, and the lack of Ethernet capability limits its appeal. However, for those who want printer that produces great quality prints on any kind of media, the XE60 is ideal.
Xerox Phaser 7750
Not so long ago color laser printers were restricted to the manager’s office or to marketing. They were simply too expensive to have too many of them, and too slow to be efficient in a busy office. Not only were the printers themselves expensive, the toners could be extortionate. Xerox changed all that, and with the Xerox Phaser 7750, they continue the trend of bringing great quality color laser printing to the masses.
The advent of the single pass laser is what turned things around for laser printers. Once resigned to a pitiful 5 or 6 pages per minute, they can now enjoy performance on par with monochrome. The Phaser 7750 can output at a rate of 35 pages per minute, which is more than acceptable for a device of this caliber.
The prints were of a high quality until you get to print text at low points. 3 and 4 pt text became a little fuzzy, but overall the text quality is of a high standard. Image reproduction was a surprise though. Images were never the strong suit of a laser printer, yet the Phaser 7750 outputs some great quality photos with real depth to their color. There were no artifacts, or criss-crosses like you see with many other lasers.
There are four versions on the Phaser 7750. The base model 7750B, the 7750DN with a network card, automatic duplexing, hard disk and extra ram, the 7750GX which adds even more ram and a 1500 sheet paper drawer, and the 7750DXF which adds a finisher and a bigger paper drawer to take the total to 3150 sheets.
Setting the 7750 up was as easy as unpacking it and connecting it up. Once powered the networked versions were automatically configured on the network and were configured in minutes. The Xerox remote management package, CentreWare is a pleasure to work with and had everything up and running within 20 minutes.
Starter toners are included which are good for a couple of thousand sheets each. Replacements are easy to acquire and reasonable considering they are Xerox. A black toner will last for 32000 pages, and the color ones 22000.
We would have no hesitation recommending the Phaser 7750 to any office, even ones were graphic designers need to print. It is easily competent enough to handle even the most complex of designs and print it accurately.
With a high duty cycle, large paper capacity and long lasting toners it would also be equally at home is a busy office. Anybody looking for an affordable printer/copier with lower than usual running costs and professional quality finishing should look no further than the Phaser 7750.
The advent of the single pass laser is what turned things around for laser printers. Once resigned to a pitiful 5 or 6 pages per minute, they can now enjoy performance on par with monochrome. The Phaser 7750 can output at a rate of 35 pages per minute, which is more than acceptable for a device of this caliber.
The prints were of a high quality until you get to print text at low points. 3 and 4 pt text became a little fuzzy, but overall the text quality is of a high standard. Image reproduction was a surprise though. Images were never the strong suit of a laser printer, yet the Phaser 7750 outputs some great quality photos with real depth to their color. There were no artifacts, or criss-crosses like you see with many other lasers.
There are four versions on the Phaser 7750. The base model 7750B, the 7750DN with a network card, automatic duplexing, hard disk and extra ram, the 7750GX which adds even more ram and a 1500 sheet paper drawer, and the 7750DXF which adds a finisher and a bigger paper drawer to take the total to 3150 sheets.
Setting the 7750 up was as easy as unpacking it and connecting it up. Once powered the networked versions were automatically configured on the network and were configured in minutes. The Xerox remote management package, CentreWare is a pleasure to work with and had everything up and running within 20 minutes.
Starter toners are included which are good for a couple of thousand sheets each. Replacements are easy to acquire and reasonable considering they are Xerox. A black toner will last for 32000 pages, and the color ones 22000.
We would have no hesitation recommending the Phaser 7750 to any office, even ones were graphic designers need to print. It is easily competent enough to handle even the most complex of designs and print it accurately.
With a high duty cycle, large paper capacity and long lasting toners it would also be equally at home is a busy office. Anybody looking for an affordable printer/copier with lower than usual running costs and professional quality finishing should look no further than the Phaser 7750.
Xerox DocuColor 250
The Xerox DocuColor 250 was one of the most popular copiers ever made. It sold in its hundreds of thousands, and many can still be found today. It is a printer and copier, but is also has a scan function, although it is definitely an addon function rather than a primary one.
The DocuColor 250 is a color laser printer that can output up to 50 pages per minute for monochrome and 50 for color. Print quality is excellent in the default 2400 x 2400 dpi resolution. In monochrome mode, blacks and grays are clean and well formed. No bleeding or banding was evident on any of our large text or image heavy documents. Color was much the same, with accurate reproduction and smooth clean lines throughout.
Paper is fed into one of five drawers at the front which can hold up to 3260 sheets. There is also the option of adding a further 2000 with a paper feeder that sits at the bottom. Toner cartridges are also fed from the front, and like other devices in the Xerox range, features two black toners for quick changes. The black cartridge will print up to 30000 standard pages, with the color ones reaching 34000 each.
The screen is bright, and almost a full size PC screen. It is full color with function buttons at the bottom which are well laid out and easy to use. The menu system is intuitive and has been well thought out. Each function of the device is accessible within a couple of choices, so getting lost should be a thing of the past.
Configuration and driver installation is easy, with the software package installing in just over a minute. There is a decent software package to accompany the drivers featuring many tools to improve and enhance printing and copying quality, plus various settings for different finishes.
The DocuColor 250 supports PDL, PCL and PostScript, and will work with Windows and Mac computers. The drivers and software suite will also work with either platform.
As an all round printer/copier the DocuColor 250 is an excellent prospect. It became so popular because of its superior features and print quality. Even though it is now a few years old, there are still plenty of them around and consumables are still produced and sold in numbers.
For a busy office, or even a creative office that needs top-notch prints at all different shapes and sizes, this is an excellent device to try. With a flexible paper handling system, accurate lasers and a duty cycle of up to 300000 sheets per month, the DocuColor 250 can handle anything.
The DocuColor 250 is a color laser printer that can output up to 50 pages per minute for monochrome and 50 for color. Print quality is excellent in the default 2400 x 2400 dpi resolution. In monochrome mode, blacks and grays are clean and well formed. No bleeding or banding was evident on any of our large text or image heavy documents. Color was much the same, with accurate reproduction and smooth clean lines throughout.
Paper is fed into one of five drawers at the front which can hold up to 3260 sheets. There is also the option of adding a further 2000 with a paper feeder that sits at the bottom. Toner cartridges are also fed from the front, and like other devices in the Xerox range, features two black toners for quick changes. The black cartridge will print up to 30000 standard pages, with the color ones reaching 34000 each.
The screen is bright, and almost a full size PC screen. It is full color with function buttons at the bottom which are well laid out and easy to use. The menu system is intuitive and has been well thought out. Each function of the device is accessible within a couple of choices, so getting lost should be a thing of the past.
Configuration and driver installation is easy, with the software package installing in just over a minute. There is a decent software package to accompany the drivers featuring many tools to improve and enhance printing and copying quality, plus various settings for different finishes.
The DocuColor 250 supports PDL, PCL and PostScript, and will work with Windows and Mac computers. The drivers and software suite will also work with either platform.
As an all round printer/copier the DocuColor 250 is an excellent prospect. It became so popular because of its superior features and print quality. Even though it is now a few years old, there are still plenty of them around and consumables are still produced and sold in numbers.
For a busy office, or even a creative office that needs top-notch prints at all different shapes and sizes, this is an excellent device to try. With a flexible paper handling system, accurate lasers and a duty cycle of up to 300000 sheets per month, the DocuColor 250 can handle anything.
8.28.2010
Xerox WorkCentre 7665
The Xerox WorkCentre 7665 is a color multifunction color laser printer, copier, fax and scanner and is a great device for the large business or busy office. It is a heavy duty cycle machine, that means business. The sheer size of the unit and the blue screen on the left gives you an idea of its intended duty cycle.
The WorkCentre 7665 can be configured and working in no time, despite its size and complexity. The configuration process is simple and straightforward, with the only complication being setting up the network connection. The WorkCentre 7665 comes with USB, wired and wireless network connections built in. Network and USB worked as soon as they were plugged in and we had the drivers installed. Wireless took a little longer, but is still straightforward enough for most skill levels. Chances are that you would have this device installed anyway, rather than do it yourself.
The oversized touch screen may look a little daunting at first, but is very easy to use. Each button has a solid feel despite being on a stand. The clear, bright full color LCD offers a great way to control the many features of the WorkCentre 7665 while not being too complicated. The menus are very intuitive and there is plenty of on-screen help if you get lost.
The WorkCentre 7665 has one of the largest paper capacities around. A standard 3260 sheets which is expandable to 5260 with the purchase of extra paper drawers. It also uses 2 black toners, which means downtime is virtually nil. As soon as one begins to run out it automatically switches to the other one.
On top there is an automatic multiplexed document feeder for copying or scanning. That alone can carry 250 sheets of paper.
Copying and printing produced very good quality documents.
Text quality was crisp, and image heavy pages were surprisingly good. The standard print resolution is 2400 x 2400 so we expected a good result, but this surpassed our expectations. Color reproduction was a little heavy in places, but was more than acceptable.
The speed of operation is impressive too with a first print appearing in just under 7 seconds. The following prints came out at a rate of 50 pages per minute for color and 65 for monochrome. The WorkCentre 7675 can do everything this model can at a speed of 50 pages per minute for color and 75 for monochrome. Impressive indeed.
The scanner and fax are also well featured, producing good quality documents. Both can be controlled via the network or from in front of the machine.
This is a superior machine that would serve any busy office with speed and grace. It has excellent print quality, with good speed and the flexibility of features like the duplexer and wireless connectivity make this a winner.
The WorkCentre 7665 can be configured and working in no time, despite its size and complexity. The configuration process is simple and straightforward, with the only complication being setting up the network connection. The WorkCentre 7665 comes with USB, wired and wireless network connections built in. Network and USB worked as soon as they were plugged in and we had the drivers installed. Wireless took a little longer, but is still straightforward enough for most skill levels. Chances are that you would have this device installed anyway, rather than do it yourself.
The oversized touch screen may look a little daunting at first, but is very easy to use. Each button has a solid feel despite being on a stand. The clear, bright full color LCD offers a great way to control the many features of the WorkCentre 7665 while not being too complicated. The menus are very intuitive and there is plenty of on-screen help if you get lost.
The WorkCentre 7665 has one of the largest paper capacities around. A standard 3260 sheets which is expandable to 5260 with the purchase of extra paper drawers. It also uses 2 black toners, which means downtime is virtually nil. As soon as one begins to run out it automatically switches to the other one.
On top there is an automatic multiplexed document feeder for copying or scanning. That alone can carry 250 sheets of paper.
Copying and printing produced very good quality documents.
Text quality was crisp, and image heavy pages were surprisingly good. The standard print resolution is 2400 x 2400 so we expected a good result, but this surpassed our expectations. Color reproduction was a little heavy in places, but was more than acceptable.
The speed of operation is impressive too with a first print appearing in just under 7 seconds. The following prints came out at a rate of 50 pages per minute for color and 65 for monochrome. The WorkCentre 7675 can do everything this model can at a speed of 50 pages per minute for color and 75 for monochrome. Impressive indeed.
The scanner and fax are also well featured, producing good quality documents. Both can be controlled via the network or from in front of the machine.
This is a superior machine that would serve any busy office with speed and grace. It has excellent print quality, with good speed and the flexibility of features like the duplexer and wireless connectivity make this a winner.
Xerox XC830
The XC830 is a quality copier from Xerox, aimed squarely at business users. It offers features that are normally reserved for much larger and more expensive devices.
The controls are crude but effective. Simple enough to be able to satisfy most demands but nothing more. The buttons cover most of the features, and the small LCD displays copy numbers, error codes and toner levels.
Out of the packaging, the XC830 is easy to install and configure. The toners are good for 4000 pages duty cycle for even the most busy offices. The paper drawer won’t last too long though at 150 sheet capacity. It will be enough to low users, but may become annoying to the busier environment.
Warm up takes around 15 seconds, with the first copy appearing a further 14 seconds after that. In sleep mode the device is silent, and when copying the noise is evident but not overbearing, there are certainly much louder devices out there.
Reproduction is accurate, with monochrome text appearing crisp and clear. Photos looked a little on the dark side, but once the settings were changed appeared fine. While this is easy to do, we shouldn’t really have to do it on a machine of this caliber. With a copy speed of 17 pages per minute for monochrome, it is a quick mover for such an affordable machine. Probably more suited to a home office or small business than a busy office or workgroup.
Overall, the XC830 is a value for money office device with rich enough copying quality to satisfy most needs. Replacement consumables are readily available and good value, while robust enough to last the test of time. Anyone in the market for a good, solid copier would be advised to check out the XC830.
The controls are crude but effective. Simple enough to be able to satisfy most demands but nothing more. The buttons cover most of the features, and the small LCD displays copy numbers, error codes and toner levels.
Out of the packaging, the XC830 is easy to install and configure. The toners are good for 4000 pages duty cycle for even the most busy offices. The paper drawer won’t last too long though at 150 sheet capacity. It will be enough to low users, but may become annoying to the busier environment.
Warm up takes around 15 seconds, with the first copy appearing a further 14 seconds after that. In sleep mode the device is silent, and when copying the noise is evident but not overbearing, there are certainly much louder devices out there.
Reproduction is accurate, with monochrome text appearing crisp and clear. Photos looked a little on the dark side, but once the settings were changed appeared fine. While this is easy to do, we shouldn’t really have to do it on a machine of this caliber. With a copy speed of 17 pages per minute for monochrome, it is a quick mover for such an affordable machine. Probably more suited to a home office or small business than a busy office or workgroup.
Overall, the XC830 is a value for money office device with rich enough copying quality to satisfy most needs. Replacement consumables are readily available and good value, while robust enough to last the test of time. Anyone in the market for a good, solid copier would be advised to check out the XC830.
Xerox Phaser 7400
Continuing the trend of producing good quality laser printers, Xerox released the Phaser 7400. It is a large format color laser printer that has been designed for busy offices or businesses that need fast, high quality copying.
The large format option allows it to print at up to 12 x 18 paper, which is a standard format for artists and graphic designers. Not many other lasers can support paper of that size, certainly not at this price point anyway.
There is a small control panel on the front with one of the clearest and most informative LCD screens on the market. The menu is very intuitive and it’s obvious that a lot of thought went in to designing it. Each menu function is a maximum of three button presses away, and there is also a back button, which saves a lot of time when you choose the wrong function.
Performance-wise the 7400 is pretty good. Print speed is around 35 pages per minute for a typical business document, and color around 32 pages per minute. This isn’t far off the Xerox promotional material, of 36 pages per minute for color, and 40 for black and white.
Print quality is good for both black and white, and color. Text and images are sharp, even down to fine details. There were examples of banding on grayscale images, and a little darkness for color, but overall the quality was good.
The 7400 is network ready, including a built-in Ethernet port. Connecting it to a network was as easy as plugging it in and switching it on. It appeared in our workgroup a couple of minutes later. The included driver package is good, easy to use and worked first time. There were also useful programs in there to add features to it.
The standard paper drawer holds 800 sheets. As this is a large format printer they natively support the larger 12 x 18 in the drawer. This makes a nice change as normally, to print at that size we have to use the manual feeder. Paper capacity can be enlarged to 3000 sheets with additional drawers.
It also includes a hard drive for storing and scheduling large print jobs, a finisher for stapling, hole punching etc, PostScript support, and optional duplex printing to allow for a fully functioning almost commercial printing environment.
Toner is relatively inexpensive, with high yield versions being able to produce around 15000 sheets before needing replacement. Color ones cost more, but also produce more, with an average lifespan of 18000 pages.
This is a good printer for business or those who want to provide commercial printing services on a budget. The Xerox Phaser 7400 puts the company in the fight for a share of the lucrative laser printer market.
The large format option allows it to print at up to 12 x 18 paper, which is a standard format for artists and graphic designers. Not many other lasers can support paper of that size, certainly not at this price point anyway.
There is a small control panel on the front with one of the clearest and most informative LCD screens on the market. The menu is very intuitive and it’s obvious that a lot of thought went in to designing it. Each menu function is a maximum of three button presses away, and there is also a back button, which saves a lot of time when you choose the wrong function.
Performance-wise the 7400 is pretty good. Print speed is around 35 pages per minute for a typical business document, and color around 32 pages per minute. This isn’t far off the Xerox promotional material, of 36 pages per minute for color, and 40 for black and white.
Print quality is good for both black and white, and color. Text and images are sharp, even down to fine details. There were examples of banding on grayscale images, and a little darkness for color, but overall the quality was good.
The 7400 is network ready, including a built-in Ethernet port. Connecting it to a network was as easy as plugging it in and switching it on. It appeared in our workgroup a couple of minutes later. The included driver package is good, easy to use and worked first time. There were also useful programs in there to add features to it.
The standard paper drawer holds 800 sheets. As this is a large format printer they natively support the larger 12 x 18 in the drawer. This makes a nice change as normally, to print at that size we have to use the manual feeder. Paper capacity can be enlarged to 3000 sheets with additional drawers.
It also includes a hard drive for storing and scheduling large print jobs, a finisher for stapling, hole punching etc, PostScript support, and optional duplex printing to allow for a fully functioning almost commercial printing environment.
Toner is relatively inexpensive, with high yield versions being able to produce around 15000 sheets before needing replacement. Color ones cost more, but also produce more, with an average lifespan of 18000 pages.
This is a good printer for business or those who want to provide commercial printing services on a budget. The Xerox Phaser 7400 puts the company in the fight for a share of the lucrative laser printer market.
Xerox Phaser 6180
The Xerox Phaser 6180 is a color laser printer that places the company firmly in the printer market. Known mainly for its photocopiers, this foray into printers is a bold move by Xerox. The industry already has some heavy hitters, so attempting to join them is an ambitious thing indeed.
The 6180 is a bulky machine, but not so big that you couldn’t use it as a home worker or telecommuter. It looks remarkably similar to the Dell 3110cn, but maybe that just coincidence. They both have a more vertical construction than many others on the market, so it’s footprint is kept to a minimum.
Paper is handled by a 250 sheet paper tray at the base, and a 150 sheet tray you can use by folding down a flap at the front. There is also an optional 550 sheet drawer you can buy if you’re a heavy user. Under the flap for the manual tray is where the toners can be found. There are four that sit in a row one above the other.
Print speed is average in its class with it producing text at a rate of 23 pages per minute and images at 2 pages per minute. If you want to print in photo mode, on glossy paper then that rate drops to .5 pages per minute.
Print quality is excellent for text, and good for images. Color tended to appear dark until we adjusted it in the control panel. After that it was clear and even from then on. Image quality was pretty good, with only a little evidence of artifacts on our photo sample. Text was very clear, with edges being clear and sharp even down to the smaller point sizes.
The enclosed documentation is excellent. The 6180 has a very clear and well produced user guide and set up instructions. Users of any skill level will be able to have the printer up and running in no time.
The control panel is simple and easy to use. It has a few buttons for features and menu navigation and the screen is mainly there for maintenance. It displays error codes, paper and toner levels, so you have a constant idea of when they might need replacing.
The 6180n is network ready and is straightforward to add to workgroups. There is also a 6180dn which adds a duplexing function to the printer. The basic 6180 has the option of upgrading but it will cost an extra $200 to do so.
Overall the Xerox Phaser 6180 is a good, solid performer. It prints well, reasonably quickly and has the Xerox brand behind it.
The 6180 is a bulky machine, but not so big that you couldn’t use it as a home worker or telecommuter. It looks remarkably similar to the Dell 3110cn, but maybe that just coincidence. They both have a more vertical construction than many others on the market, so it’s footprint is kept to a minimum.
Paper is handled by a 250 sheet paper tray at the base, and a 150 sheet tray you can use by folding down a flap at the front. There is also an optional 550 sheet drawer you can buy if you’re a heavy user. Under the flap for the manual tray is where the toners can be found. There are four that sit in a row one above the other.
Print speed is average in its class with it producing text at a rate of 23 pages per minute and images at 2 pages per minute. If you want to print in photo mode, on glossy paper then that rate drops to .5 pages per minute.
Print quality is excellent for text, and good for images. Color tended to appear dark until we adjusted it in the control panel. After that it was clear and even from then on. Image quality was pretty good, with only a little evidence of artifacts on our photo sample. Text was very clear, with edges being clear and sharp even down to the smaller point sizes.
The enclosed documentation is excellent. The 6180 has a very clear and well produced user guide and set up instructions. Users of any skill level will be able to have the printer up and running in no time.
The control panel is simple and easy to use. It has a few buttons for features and menu navigation and the screen is mainly there for maintenance. It displays error codes, paper and toner levels, so you have a constant idea of when they might need replacing.
The 6180n is network ready and is straightforward to add to workgroups. There is also a 6180dn which adds a duplexing function to the printer. The basic 6180 has the option of upgrading but it will cost an extra $200 to do so.
Overall the Xerox Phaser 6180 is a good, solid performer. It prints well, reasonably quickly and has the Xerox brand behind it.
8.27.2010
Konica Minolta MagiColor 2300W
The Konica Minolta MagiColor 2300W is another quality printer from the electronics giant from Japan. It is marketed as a desktop printer for the SOHO market, and is just that. It differs from the similarly named 2300DL in color, shape performance and capability, and it is odd that they used a very similar designation for a totally different machine.
Printing is of good quality, the reproduction during testing were clean and accurate. Image detail was good with no banding on black and white images, and accurate reproduction on color. Our test document is 28 pages of text, mono images, colored text and colored images, so gives us a real flavor of what a printer can do. The speed is also okay with a rating of 16 pages per minute for monochrome and 4 for color.
The 2300W can handle 200 sheets of paper in the drawer, with no option to expand. The built in 32Mb memory can be so it reaches the maximum of 288Mb.
Toners are easy to replace, and relatively inexpensive. Cartridges are good for 4500 sheets in black, and the drum is also good for 4500. All are fairly easy to change, and shouldn’t present any problems to experienced users. Like relatively few others on the market, this printer came with standard cartridges included as opposed to “starter” ones, which are often half or less than half full.
Connecting and configuring the 2300W is as straightforward as it gets. It can be connected via USB or parallel, with no network option included. The drivers and user manual are easy to use and logical. Overall, setup took less than 30 minutes, from the time we started opening the package to the time we ordered the first print.
The 2300W is a no-nonsense dedicated printer. What it prints it does with luster and good quality. The price and general usability makes up for a lack of features making this a viable option for those offices who aren’t in a hurry, and prefer quality over quantity.
Source: http://hubpages.com/hub/Konica-Minolta-MagiColor-2300W-Printer-Review
Printing is of good quality, the reproduction during testing were clean and accurate. Image detail was good with no banding on black and white images, and accurate reproduction on color. Our test document is 28 pages of text, mono images, colored text and colored images, so gives us a real flavor of what a printer can do. The speed is also okay with a rating of 16 pages per minute for monochrome and 4 for color.
The 2300W can handle 200 sheets of paper in the drawer, with no option to expand. The built in 32Mb memory can be so it reaches the maximum of 288Mb.
Toners are easy to replace, and relatively inexpensive. Cartridges are good for 4500 sheets in black, and the drum is also good for 4500. All are fairly easy to change, and shouldn’t present any problems to experienced users. Like relatively few others on the market, this printer came with standard cartridges included as opposed to “starter” ones, which are often half or less than half full.
Connecting and configuring the 2300W is as straightforward as it gets. It can be connected via USB or parallel, with no network option included. The drivers and user manual are easy to use and logical. Overall, setup took less than 30 minutes, from the time we started opening the package to the time we ordered the first print.
The 2300W is a no-nonsense dedicated printer. What it prints it does with luster and good quality. The price and general usability makes up for a lack of features making this a viable option for those offices who aren’t in a hurry, and prefer quality over quantity.
Source: http://hubpages.com/hub/Konica-Minolta-MagiColor-2300W-Printer-Review
Konica Minolta MagiColor 2300DL
The Konica Minolta MagiColor 2300DL is still going strong after many years in production. Before it came along, consumers had three choices. Either spend money on an inkjet for decent color output, a mono laser and do without color, or save up and spend a considerable amount on a color laser printer. The 2300DL is the ideal middle ground. It offers good quality printing at a remarkably reasonable price.
It comes with an Ethernet port as standard for sharing on the network, which makes for a very flexible package. To add to flexibility, there is the option of adding a duplexer, a second paper cassette and even a copying and scanning unit to the 2300DL to make it a multifunction.
There is a 200 sheet capacity paper drawer and a 10 sheet manual feed slot.
This printer will work straight out of the box. Installation is a breeze and will have you up and running in minutes rather than the hours some printers take. The package contains everything needed to print different sized documents on differing media. The straight out of the box line was no exaggeration either. The toner cartridges are pre-installed so there is no fiddling around there.
The starter cartridges are good for around 3000 pages, and the replacements 4500. This model uses a drum which is a departure, as other models used an integrated cartridge/drum all in one. Luckily replacements have a duty cycle of 45000 sheets before needing a change.
The print speed isn’t the fastest on the market at an average of 15 pages per minute for a mixed document of color and mono. However, the print quality is what makes this printer something special.
The polymerized toner gives everything a nice sheen when it’s printed. All text and images were sharp, precise and evenly toned. Even a photograph, which gives so many laser printers pause, came out looking great. Almost as good as an inkjet could produce.
While not the fastest printer, the 2300DL produces prints of such quality as to make it well worth the cost. A color laser printer that produces images almost as good as a decent inkjet isn’t to be sniffed at.
It comes with an Ethernet port as standard for sharing on the network, which makes for a very flexible package. To add to flexibility, there is the option of adding a duplexer, a second paper cassette and even a copying and scanning unit to the 2300DL to make it a multifunction.
There is a 200 sheet capacity paper drawer and a 10 sheet manual feed slot.
This printer will work straight out of the box. Installation is a breeze and will have you up and running in minutes rather than the hours some printers take. The package contains everything needed to print different sized documents on differing media. The straight out of the box line was no exaggeration either. The toner cartridges are pre-installed so there is no fiddling around there.
The starter cartridges are good for around 3000 pages, and the replacements 4500. This model uses a drum which is a departure, as other models used an integrated cartridge/drum all in one. Luckily replacements have a duty cycle of 45000 sheets before needing a change.
The print speed isn’t the fastest on the market at an average of 15 pages per minute for a mixed document of color and mono. However, the print quality is what makes this printer something special.
The polymerized toner gives everything a nice sheen when it’s printed. All text and images were sharp, precise and evenly toned. Even a photograph, which gives so many laser printers pause, came out looking great. Almost as good as an inkjet could produce.
While not the fastest printer, the 2300DL produces prints of such quality as to make it well worth the cost. A color laser printer that produces images almost as good as a decent inkjet isn’t to be sniffed at.
Konica Minolta MagiColor 5450 DL
The Konica Minolta MagiColor 5450DL is another quality printer from the Japanese camera manufacturer. It builds on the successes of the 5430 and 5440DL series and improves on almost everything.
The 5450DL is a color laser printer that has a duty cycle of up to 60,000 copies per month, so is aimed directly at business customers. It is designed to handle everything the average office or workgroup needs with practised ease and never give any problems. The design is the standard functional cude shape and measures somewhere around 20 x 16.5 x 16.5, and weighin in at something like 60 lbs. This really isn’t a printer for the feint hearted or space limited office.
It performs well though. Producing monochrome prints at a rate of 27 pages per minute for both mono and color. While not the fastest on the market, it is fast enough to hold it’s own against the competition.
The print quality is good, at a standard resoltuion of 9600 x 600 dpi. The monochrome text reproduction is the real strength of the 5450DL. While printing images is never a laser printers strong point, the image quality is high enough for basic marketing or promotional materials, with only a little banding when translating full color pages into monochrome. Printing color is also reassuring as the machine produces great quality text and images from our test document.
The 667Mhz processor and 128Mb memory is horsepower enough for even the most demanding projects. It can be connected via USB or via network and doesn’t use the host PC protocol of it’s predecessors. It was found to be a bit of a shortcoming, which is why this iteration has it’s own processor and enough memory to cope with larger jobs.
The paper drawer is at the bottom fron of the machine and can handle up to 500 sheets. There is also a 100 sheet multi-purpose drawer at the topwhich can either be used for non-standard media, or in addition to the paper drawer to take it’s total capacity to 600. As with other Minolta models there is also the option to increase paper handling by 1000 sheets by adding a pair of 500 sheet drawers to the bottom of it.
Replacement toner is plentiful and most online retailers stock them. The standard toner comes with a built in drum and can print approximately 6000 pages each. At $99, they are competitlvely priced and offer a lower cost per page than many other manufacturers on the market.
The 5450DL is a solid, practical printer. It is ideally placed to fulfill the needs of the larger office or workgroup.
The 5450DL is a color laser printer that has a duty cycle of up to 60,000 copies per month, so is aimed directly at business customers. It is designed to handle everything the average office or workgroup needs with practised ease and never give any problems. The design is the standard functional cude shape and measures somewhere around 20 x 16.5 x 16.5, and weighin in at something like 60 lbs. This really isn’t a printer for the feint hearted or space limited office.
It performs well though. Producing monochrome prints at a rate of 27 pages per minute for both mono and color. While not the fastest on the market, it is fast enough to hold it’s own against the competition.
The print quality is good, at a standard resoltuion of 9600 x 600 dpi. The monochrome text reproduction is the real strength of the 5450DL. While printing images is never a laser printers strong point, the image quality is high enough for basic marketing or promotional materials, with only a little banding when translating full color pages into monochrome. Printing color is also reassuring as the machine produces great quality text and images from our test document.
The 667Mhz processor and 128Mb memory is horsepower enough for even the most demanding projects. It can be connected via USB or via network and doesn’t use the host PC protocol of it’s predecessors. It was found to be a bit of a shortcoming, which is why this iteration has it’s own processor and enough memory to cope with larger jobs.
The paper drawer is at the bottom fron of the machine and can handle up to 500 sheets. There is also a 100 sheet multi-purpose drawer at the topwhich can either be used for non-standard media, or in addition to the paper drawer to take it’s total capacity to 600. As with other Minolta models there is also the option to increase paper handling by 1000 sheets by adding a pair of 500 sheet drawers to the bottom of it.
Replacement toner is plentiful and most online retailers stock them. The standard toner comes with a built in drum and can print approximately 6000 pages each. At $99, they are competitlvely priced and offer a lower cost per page than many other manufacturers on the market.
The 5450DL is a solid, practical printer. It is ideally placed to fulfill the needs of the larger office or workgroup.
Konica Minolta MagiColor 5440DL
The Konica Minolta MagiColor 5440DL is a real advance from its predecessor, the 5430DL. While slightly larger it is for those who really do have to print in color.
The 5440DL is relatively quick for a lower end laser, and comes with a duplexer for double sided printing. Color prints appear at a rate of 4 pages per minute and monochrome pages at 15.
Setting up is easy, merely insert the cartridges, connect it, install the drivers then plug it in. Just like the 5430DL, this printer needs a host computer in order for it to work properly. The computer does all the work, processing the images and sending instruction to the printer, rather than the printer having its own processor and doing it itself. This means that the computer will always need to be on and connected to use the printer.
The standard paper tray can now hold 500 sheets, and there is also a multipurpose tray which is good for another 100. A pair of optional 500 sheet trays are also available if you need more. The built in 64Mb memory is plenty enough for most uses, but is also expandable to 576Mb for busier offices.
Performance is good, with that average print speed of 15 pages per minute for monochrome and 4 for color. Warm up time entailed a little wait of 54 seconds, but that isn’t unusual for a color laser printer. Print resolution is a standard 600 dpi, with text and image printing both offering good quality output. Text especially was well done with detailed and straight edges all the way down to 3pt. Diagrams and images were also well produced and colors were even and accurate, which is ideal for office use.
If you’re considering buying a color laser printer but are worried about the cost of running one, the 5440DL is well worth a look. It offers a reasonable purchase price, good quality backup from Konica and cheap consumables. With a per page cost of around 1.6 cents for a mono page, and 10.1 for color, it doesn’t cost too much to run. All of which should be an appealing prospect to any small or home office that is in the market for a new color printer.
The 5440DL is relatively quick for a lower end laser, and comes with a duplexer for double sided printing. Color prints appear at a rate of 4 pages per minute and monochrome pages at 15.
Setting up is easy, merely insert the cartridges, connect it, install the drivers then plug it in. Just like the 5430DL, this printer needs a host computer in order for it to work properly. The computer does all the work, processing the images and sending instruction to the printer, rather than the printer having its own processor and doing it itself. This means that the computer will always need to be on and connected to use the printer.
The standard paper tray can now hold 500 sheets, and there is also a multipurpose tray which is good for another 100. A pair of optional 500 sheet trays are also available if you need more. The built in 64Mb memory is plenty enough for most uses, but is also expandable to 576Mb for busier offices.
Performance is good, with that average print speed of 15 pages per minute for monochrome and 4 for color. Warm up time entailed a little wait of 54 seconds, but that isn’t unusual for a color laser printer. Print resolution is a standard 600 dpi, with text and image printing both offering good quality output. Text especially was well done with detailed and straight edges all the way down to 3pt. Diagrams and images were also well produced and colors were even and accurate, which is ideal for office use.
If you’re considering buying a color laser printer but are worried about the cost of running one, the 5440DL is well worth a look. It offers a reasonable purchase price, good quality backup from Konica and cheap consumables. With a per page cost of around 1.6 cents for a mono page, and 10.1 for color, it doesn’t cost too much to run. All of which should be an appealing prospect to any small or home office that is in the market for a new color printer.
8.26.2010
Konica Minolta MagiColor 5430DL
The Konica Minolta MagiColor 5430DL is a multifunction device from the Japanese camera specialists at Konica. As you would expect from a company with such a pedigree, the 5430DL is a solid performer that does justice to the brand.
It is a color printer, that makes easy work of just about everything you could throw at it. It’s print quality and design characteristics are designed to be attractive to the small office or workgroup and it is reviewed to reflect that.
The 5430DL is a breeze to install and configure, just unpack it and connect it, that’s about it. It can be attached by a USB, network or parallel port and includes drivers for both Windows, Linux and Mac. Toner can be added quickly and is quite cheap considering.
Adding the 5430DL to a network is slightly different to many of the other printers we have reviewed. This is a host-based printer which means it needs to be paired with a PC which will do most of the processing for it. This is just a matter of installing the software onto that PC and letting it be found on the network.
The printer produces good quality, sharp prints at a rate of 3 pages per minute for color and 3.4 for mono. While certainly not the fastest, it is perfectly acceptable. Text is where the 5430DL is at its best, being able to print at any size and produce good results each time, even at smaller points. Edges are smooth and clean, and toner is evenly spread across the larger letters.
There is a 250 sheet paper tray with the option to expand to 1250 with an extra pair of drawers that can take 500 sheets each. Replacement cartridges are easy to come by and will last an average of 6000 pages each. Changing them is simply a matter of removing a panel at the front and unclipping them from their housing. Then just replace them with new ones and recycle the empty ones. The process takes mere moments.
Overall the 5430DL is easy to use, easy to manage and easy to own. With the backing of a firm like Minolta, after-sales service should be good if you ever need it.
It is a color printer, that makes easy work of just about everything you could throw at it. It’s print quality and design characteristics are designed to be attractive to the small office or workgroup and it is reviewed to reflect that.
The 5430DL is a breeze to install and configure, just unpack it and connect it, that’s about it. It can be attached by a USB, network or parallel port and includes drivers for both Windows, Linux and Mac. Toner can be added quickly and is quite cheap considering.
Adding the 5430DL to a network is slightly different to many of the other printers we have reviewed. This is a host-based printer which means it needs to be paired with a PC which will do most of the processing for it. This is just a matter of installing the software onto that PC and letting it be found on the network.
The printer produces good quality, sharp prints at a rate of 3 pages per minute for color and 3.4 for mono. While certainly not the fastest, it is perfectly acceptable. Text is where the 5430DL is at its best, being able to print at any size and produce good results each time, even at smaller points. Edges are smooth and clean, and toner is evenly spread across the larger letters.
There is a 250 sheet paper tray with the option to expand to 1250 with an extra pair of drawers that can take 500 sheets each. Replacement cartridges are easy to come by and will last an average of 6000 pages each. Changing them is simply a matter of removing a panel at the front and unclipping them from their housing. Then just replace them with new ones and recycle the empty ones. The process takes mere moments.
Overall the 5430DL is easy to use, easy to manage and easy to own. With the backing of a firm like Minolta, after-sales service should be good if you ever need it.
Muratec MFX-3050
With the Muratec MFX-3050 you can get all the features of four office machines into one chassis thanks for multifunction technology. These kinds of devices are becoming increasingly popular as they offer savings on space, money, power and time.
The MFX-3050 is a monochrome printer, copier, scanner and fax all in one. It is ideal for the sole trader, small office or workgroup being both quick and quiet. Noise travels a long way in small spaces, but Muratec thought of that with this device.
The printing function is good, and quick. It can produce prints up to a resolution of 600 dpi at a rate of 30 pages per minute. The print quality is very good, with text on our test document sharp, with crisp, clear edges and good toner fill, especially in larger points.
Images were equally promising, with no banding, distortion or fading. They were accurate and clear, with the shading even, what more do you need from a mono office printer?
The same can be said for the copier, which uses the same elements as the printer. The ability to copy to or from the desktop is also a neat feature to have. Both the printer and copier are served by a 500 page paper drawer which is unfortunately not expandable.
Scanning can be done at a native resolution of 4800 x 600 dpi, which produces good results. You can scan to or from a USB drive or from the network. The software package includes tools to scan straight to pdf or email too.
The fax is fully featured, with all the features you would expect from one. Fast dial, phonebook, broadcast and the ability to email faxes to specific workstations. There is a 50 page document feeder on the top and enough built-in memory to store up to 600 pages of faxes should you run out of paper.
The enclosed toner is good for around 1000 pages, replacements will go to 8000. As the MFX-3050 is aimed at the lower duty cycle user, running costs should be minimal. The cartridges are readily available from online retailers like Quikshiptoner.com who offer much better prices than the manufacturer or other retail outlets.
As a multifunction device, the MFX-3050 is a good prospect. It produces quality documents, is cheap to own, with a reasonable cost per page. It doesn’t take up too much room and is pretty quiet when it’s working. This is one device that a home worker should be able to work with.
The MFX-3050 is a monochrome printer, copier, scanner and fax all in one. It is ideal for the sole trader, small office or workgroup being both quick and quiet. Noise travels a long way in small spaces, but Muratec thought of that with this device.
The printing function is good, and quick. It can produce prints up to a resolution of 600 dpi at a rate of 30 pages per minute. The print quality is very good, with text on our test document sharp, with crisp, clear edges and good toner fill, especially in larger points.
Images were equally promising, with no banding, distortion or fading. They were accurate and clear, with the shading even, what more do you need from a mono office printer?
The same can be said for the copier, which uses the same elements as the printer. The ability to copy to or from the desktop is also a neat feature to have. Both the printer and copier are served by a 500 page paper drawer which is unfortunately not expandable.
Scanning can be done at a native resolution of 4800 x 600 dpi, which produces good results. You can scan to or from a USB drive or from the network. The software package includes tools to scan straight to pdf or email too.
The fax is fully featured, with all the features you would expect from one. Fast dial, phonebook, broadcast and the ability to email faxes to specific workstations. There is a 50 page document feeder on the top and enough built-in memory to store up to 600 pages of faxes should you run out of paper.
The enclosed toner is good for around 1000 pages, replacements will go to 8000. As the MFX-3050 is aimed at the lower duty cycle user, running costs should be minimal. The cartridges are readily available from online retailers like Quikshiptoner.com who offer much better prices than the manufacturer or other retail outlets.
As a multifunction device, the MFX-3050 is a good prospect. It produces quality documents, is cheap to own, with a reasonable cost per page. It doesn’t take up too much room and is pretty quiet when it’s working. This is one device that a home worker should be able to work with.
NEC SuperScript 870
Personal laser printers are becoming more affordable as the market becomes saturated with quality offerings. While the technology is only really suited to document printing, image reproduction can be surprisingly good. The NEC SuperScript 870 is such a printer.
It is a nice compact unit, that is very simple to install. Once unpacked, the toner fits right into its slot, fill it with paper and it’s ready to go. The drivers are straightforward and will have you running in a few minutes. The only thing the printer lacks is an Ethernet connection, there isn’t any built in.
As this printer is geared towards SOHO setups it shouldn’t make too much difference, but if business expansion was a possibility then this may not be the printer for you. NEC have plenty of larger or more scalable devices in their stable that may be more suitable.
Print quality is excellent for text and good for images. Text was finely detailed with very straight edges. Image quality was clear and accurate, certainly good enough for office needs. The grayscale was evenly distributed but some large shaded areas looked a little fuzzy. The detail was still there and the picture was as clear as day.
It prints at a respectable 8 pages per minute and is quiet when working. Paper is fed in from the top and output at the bottom. The capacity isn’t the largest in the world, but adequate for a small or home office. Toner is accessed through a flap at the front and are easy enough to get to, and replace. Prices are reasonable, with a toner lasting for around 6000 pages, and a drum which is good for 20000.
As this is pointed firmly at home or small office users who don’t print a lot of documents, this is a well priced device. The NEC brand is solid one, and they produce some good quality equipment. There is no reason why the SuperScript 870 should be any different.
It is a nice compact unit, that is very simple to install. Once unpacked, the toner fits right into its slot, fill it with paper and it’s ready to go. The drivers are straightforward and will have you running in a few minutes. The only thing the printer lacks is an Ethernet connection, there isn’t any built in.
As this printer is geared towards SOHO setups it shouldn’t make too much difference, but if business expansion was a possibility then this may not be the printer for you. NEC have plenty of larger or more scalable devices in their stable that may be more suitable.
Print quality is excellent for text and good for images. Text was finely detailed with very straight edges. Image quality was clear and accurate, certainly good enough for office needs. The grayscale was evenly distributed but some large shaded areas looked a little fuzzy. The detail was still there and the picture was as clear as day.
It prints at a respectable 8 pages per minute and is quiet when working. Paper is fed in from the top and output at the bottom. The capacity isn’t the largest in the world, but adequate for a small or home office. Toner is accessed through a flap at the front and are easy enough to get to, and replace. Prices are reasonable, with a toner lasting for around 6000 pages, and a drum which is good for 20000.
As this is pointed firmly at home or small office users who don’t print a lot of documents, this is a well priced device. The NEC brand is solid one, and they produce some good quality equipment. There is no reason why the SuperScript 870 should be any different.
OkiData CX2032 MFP
Multifunction printers are a great invention. Four devices with the running costs and footprint of one. Ideal for the new, small or home office as they are compact, cost-effective and can do the job of four machines in one convenient chassis.
The OkiData CX2032 MFP is one such device, and one of the few multifunctions that Oki produces. The size is average for a multifunction device, measuring 19.7 inches wide, 23.6 inches deep and 26.4 inches high. This is larger than a standalone printer, but pretty good for a multifunction.
Print quality is exactly what you have come to expect from Oki. Crisp, precise prints, with clean edges on text and images alike. Our test document pushes a printer to the limit, but we are pleased to say the CX2032 passed with flying colors. Toner spread was even and detailed enough even the most demanding users. Mono prints are produced at an average of 32 pages per minute for mono and 20 for color, so there will be no hanging around, even for documents as good quality as these.
The user manual is easy to follow and will have users of all abilities up and running in no time at all. There is even a piece of Velcro on the back so you can attach it to the printer.
If you want a standalone printer, copier, fax and scanner, this is all the machine you need. If you want to use it in conjunction with a computer, you just need to install the drivers and connect the CX2032 to a computer. You can do that by using USB, parallel or network cables. Each are supported, and each is easy to get working properly.
The control panel is clear and easy to use, with different buttons for each different function. This is great for ease of use, as each area has a distinct function. There shouldn’t be too much hunting around for the right key once you get used to it.
Overall the CX2032 is a no-frills multifunction device for those who like speed and quality all in one. It is a reliable performer, has the Oki guarantee of quality which won’t let you down. Consumables last a decent amount of time and won’t cost the earth. A good bet if you find yourself in the market for a quality multifunction.
The OkiData CX2032 MFP is one such device, and one of the few multifunctions that Oki produces. The size is average for a multifunction device, measuring 19.7 inches wide, 23.6 inches deep and 26.4 inches high. This is larger than a standalone printer, but pretty good for a multifunction.
Print quality is exactly what you have come to expect from Oki. Crisp, precise prints, with clean edges on text and images alike. Our test document pushes a printer to the limit, but we are pleased to say the CX2032 passed with flying colors. Toner spread was even and detailed enough even the most demanding users. Mono prints are produced at an average of 32 pages per minute for mono and 20 for color, so there will be no hanging around, even for documents as good quality as these.
The user manual is easy to follow and will have users of all abilities up and running in no time at all. There is even a piece of Velcro on the back so you can attach it to the printer.
If you want a standalone printer, copier, fax and scanner, this is all the machine you need. If you want to use it in conjunction with a computer, you just need to install the drivers and connect the CX2032 to a computer. You can do that by using USB, parallel or network cables. Each are supported, and each is easy to get working properly.
The control panel is clear and easy to use, with different buttons for each different function. This is great for ease of use, as each area has a distinct function. There shouldn’t be too much hunting around for the right key once you get used to it.
Overall the CX2032 is a no-frills multifunction device for those who like speed and quality all in one. It is a reliable performer, has the Oki guarantee of quality which won’t let you down. Consumables last a decent amount of time and won’t cost the earth. A good bet if you find yourself in the market for a quality multifunction.
8.25.2010
Okidata C5650n
When you think of a laser printer, it is almost always in an office or large company space somewhere. Like most technology, once it has been around a while, the prices become more reasonable and it moves into the reach of ordinary people. The ease of use, good quality prints and decent toner prices combine to make this an worthy proposition for home users who like printing as the usual small business audience.
With a rated duty cycle of 60000 pages a month, it is perfectly adequate for the large workgroup, except it lacks scalability. Other models in the Oki range are better suited to those, like the C6100 or C6200 where more paper capacity can be added as needed. The standard paper capacity with the C5650n is 400 sheets. The drawer holds 300 and the multi-purpose tray a further 100.
The processor is a fast 200Mhz and the memory is 64Mb as standard, which is upgradeable to 320Mb for larger print jobs. There is also the option to upgrade to an automatic duplexer if you need to print double-sided.
Connection is by USB, ethernet or parallel. If you want to network it then you just need to add it to a workgroup router and let it be auto detected. Once the group sees it you can push the drivers to them and it’s ready to go straight away.
It won’t take the C5650n too long to print either, with a rated print speed of 26 pages per minute for mono and 22 for color. The print quality is great when printing text. The 1200 x 600 dpi resolution means that the print is clear and all the edges crisp. Printing graphics or images is where no laser printer is at its best, but this holds its own well with no obvious artifacts or bleeding on our test document.
The printer is easy to install, configure and manage. The starter cartridge is good for 1000 pages, and when it comes time to change, simply lift the lid and pull them out. They are laid out horizontally which makes replacing them much easier than some. Replacement cartridges are good for another 5000 pages, for black and color, which drops the cost per page significantly compared to other devices.
With its ease of use, simple but effective controls and good build quality, the Oki C5650n is a great buy for users who want laser printing at a reasonable cost.
With a rated duty cycle of 60000 pages a month, it is perfectly adequate for the large workgroup, except it lacks scalability. Other models in the Oki range are better suited to those, like the C6100 or C6200 where more paper capacity can be added as needed. The standard paper capacity with the C5650n is 400 sheets. The drawer holds 300 and the multi-purpose tray a further 100.
The processor is a fast 200Mhz and the memory is 64Mb as standard, which is upgradeable to 320Mb for larger print jobs. There is also the option to upgrade to an automatic duplexer if you need to print double-sided.
Connection is by USB, ethernet or parallel. If you want to network it then you just need to add it to a workgroup router and let it be auto detected. Once the group sees it you can push the drivers to them and it’s ready to go straight away.
It won’t take the C5650n too long to print either, with a rated print speed of 26 pages per minute for mono and 22 for color. The print quality is great when printing text. The 1200 x 600 dpi resolution means that the print is clear and all the edges crisp. Printing graphics or images is where no laser printer is at its best, but this holds its own well with no obvious artifacts or bleeding on our test document.
The printer is easy to install, configure and manage. The starter cartridge is good for 1000 pages, and when it comes time to change, simply lift the lid and pull them out. They are laid out horizontally which makes replacing them much easier than some. Replacement cartridges are good for another 5000 pages, for black and color, which drops the cost per page significantly compared to other devices.
With its ease of use, simple but effective controls and good build quality, the Oki C5650n is a great buy for users who want laser printing at a reasonable cost.
OkiData C3200
The OkiData C3200 is a single pass color LED printer that provides good quality printing at a decent price. Aimed squarely at the small business or office, it can handle most things you can throw at it.
The control panel is just a matter of four LEDs, no screen, and a couple of buttons. It doesn’t have to feature anything else as it’s a printer, not a multifunction.
The toner cartridges themselves are pretty standard. The C3200 comes with the usual starter toners which will last for a thousand sheets or so. Changing the toner is simply a matter of lifting the lid and exposing the recess. They all sit horizontally in the bay and can all be removed easily. The package contains a starter toner which print around 2000 pages. New ones should last around 5000 for an average business document both black and color.
At an estimated 12 pages per minute for color and 20 for mono, the C3200 is no slouch. The print quality is very good, with the ink being spread evenly over large images and text, while being fine and sharp on even the smallest text. Printing grayscale documents also produced good results, with ink spread evenly across the whole image, with a good range of shades to simulate the color.
The top of the C3200 opens like a clam shell to allow access to the toners and drums underneath. The LEDs are fixed to the lid to prevent damage when changing the cartridges.
The drums and cartridges all lift out to expose much of the machinery underneath. This makes clearing paper jams easy as pretty much the whole path is open for you to see inside. Not that you will get any jams. The simple, straight paper path keeps the potential for jamming to a minimum, and the single pass system won’t keep the paper too long anyway.
With a simple, well thought out design, simple operation and faultless printing, the Oki C3200 is a user friendly, reliable printer. The ease of operation, coupled with reasonable running costs make this a worthwhile contender in the SOHO printer market.
The control panel is just a matter of four LEDs, no screen, and a couple of buttons. It doesn’t have to feature anything else as it’s a printer, not a multifunction.
The toner cartridges themselves are pretty standard. The C3200 comes with the usual starter toners which will last for a thousand sheets or so. Changing the toner is simply a matter of lifting the lid and exposing the recess. They all sit horizontally in the bay and can all be removed easily. The package contains a starter toner which print around 2000 pages. New ones should last around 5000 for an average business document both black and color.
At an estimated 12 pages per minute for color and 20 for mono, the C3200 is no slouch. The print quality is very good, with the ink being spread evenly over large images and text, while being fine and sharp on even the smallest text. Printing grayscale documents also produced good results, with ink spread evenly across the whole image, with a good range of shades to simulate the color.
The top of the C3200 opens like a clam shell to allow access to the toners and drums underneath. The LEDs are fixed to the lid to prevent damage when changing the cartridges.
The drums and cartridges all lift out to expose much of the machinery underneath. This makes clearing paper jams easy as pretty much the whole path is open for you to see inside. Not that you will get any jams. The simple, straight paper path keeps the potential for jamming to a minimum, and the single pass system won’t keep the paper too long anyway.
With a simple, well thought out design, simple operation and faultless printing, the Oki C3200 is a user friendly, reliable printer. The ease of operation, coupled with reasonable running costs make this a worthwhile contender in the SOHO printer market.
Okidata C5500n
The Okidata C5500n is a solid, small workgroup printer for people who need to print a lot. The speed and quality of the output belies it’s now discounted cost and makes it a good bet for small businesses or workgroups who want quality printing at a discount price.
Because the C5500n handles legal sized paper as standard, it is a bit bigger than usual. It is 17 inches wide, by 22 inches deep and 13.5 high. It isn’t as heavy as some though at 58 pounds, but if you buy one, find somewhere to put it and leave it there.
The control panel is basic, but then it doesn’t have to do much, this isn’t a multifunction after all. The small LCD is backlit and is readable despite its small size. The controls are simple, with simple back, print up and down for the menu options. The simplicity works in its favor though because it makes the C5500n very simple to use.
The simple design is continued with the toner placement. Lift the lid to reveal a recess where all the toner sit horizontally in their space. This makes replacement easy. Removing the toners will further reveal the inner workings of the machine, which makes it easy to resolve paper jams if they occur.
Replacements are relatively inexpensive with the blacks costing around $55 for 5000 sheets worth, and the colors costing $70 each for the same yield. That makes the average cost of a page of black print 2.2 cents, which is less than many of Oki’s competitors.
Print speed was a respectable 17 pages per minute for mono text and 11 for color. The quality is outstanding, especially the mono text. It produced professional quality prints in a decent time, for a reasonable cost. You can’t really argue with that.
After sales support is good, with an overnight warranty for the first year, 24 hour toll-free support and good documentation. We obviously couldn’t test this out as our unit worked perfectly, but we haven’t heard of any complaints from disgruntled users.
The C5500n is good platform to use for your business documentation. While not the cheapest option, it is head and shoulders above much of the competition with regards print quality, and the Oki name means you have the backing of one of the biggest names is office equipment.
Because the C5500n handles legal sized paper as standard, it is a bit bigger than usual. It is 17 inches wide, by 22 inches deep and 13.5 high. It isn’t as heavy as some though at 58 pounds, but if you buy one, find somewhere to put it and leave it there.
The control panel is basic, but then it doesn’t have to do much, this isn’t a multifunction after all. The small LCD is backlit and is readable despite its small size. The controls are simple, with simple back, print up and down for the menu options. The simplicity works in its favor though because it makes the C5500n very simple to use.
The simple design is continued with the toner placement. Lift the lid to reveal a recess where all the toner sit horizontally in their space. This makes replacement easy. Removing the toners will further reveal the inner workings of the machine, which makes it easy to resolve paper jams if they occur.
Replacements are relatively inexpensive with the blacks costing around $55 for 5000 sheets worth, and the colors costing $70 each for the same yield. That makes the average cost of a page of black print 2.2 cents, which is less than many of Oki’s competitors.
Print speed was a respectable 17 pages per minute for mono text and 11 for color. The quality is outstanding, especially the mono text. It produced professional quality prints in a decent time, for a reasonable cost. You can’t really argue with that.
After sales support is good, with an overnight warranty for the first year, 24 hour toll-free support and good documentation. We obviously couldn’t test this out as our unit worked perfectly, but we haven’t heard of any complaints from disgruntled users.
The C5500n is good platform to use for your business documentation. While not the cheapest option, it is head and shoulders above much of the competition with regards print quality, and the Oki name means you have the backing of one of the biggest names is office equipment.
Okidata C5800
The Okidata C5800 is a no-nonsense duplexed color printer suitable for the small offices or small workgroups. It is an effective all round printer for low demand environments that will occasionally need some good quality documents.
The build quality is typical Oki, solid and compact with no flimsy bits or weak looking plastic trays. The construction feels reassuringly solid, while the output is good enough for most office needs. Setup is a breeze with either USB or network connections included. The software suite and drivers are enough for just about any use and the fact that is supports PCL and PostScript means it can be used with Windows, Mac or Linux.
Like many other printers Oki makes, the C5800 uses LEDs instead of lasers. It makes no difference to the output but improves print speed and reliability as there are fewer moving parts. LEDs are also cheaper to manufacture and replace if they go wrong, which should lower the total cost of ownership somewhat.
Text quality is good, with the edges appearing straight with no jaggies. Larger text areas were even, with no banding visible in any of the test documents. Color printing is just as good, with our color document being printed in 1 minute 22 seconds. The average print speed of the C5800 is 32 pages per minute for mono and 26 for color which is about equal to the other models in the Oki “C” range.
Toner cartridges are replaced from the top. It lifts up like a clamshell which exposes the cartridges underneath. They are easily extracted using the clearly labeled latches and the replacements clip into place in their place. Both the monochrome and color cartridges are purported to last for 5000 sheets each.
Scalability isn’t an option with the C5800, as this is a complete printer. There are no options to buy more trays, memory or anything. You would need to look at the C6100 for that.
The C5800 is a good printer for companies who don’t print much. It is a very capable machine, but doesn’t have the duty cycle of some of the bigger models.
The build quality is typical Oki, solid and compact with no flimsy bits or weak looking plastic trays. The construction feels reassuringly solid, while the output is good enough for most office needs. Setup is a breeze with either USB or network connections included. The software suite and drivers are enough for just about any use and the fact that is supports PCL and PostScript means it can be used with Windows, Mac or Linux.
Like many other printers Oki makes, the C5800 uses LEDs instead of lasers. It makes no difference to the output but improves print speed and reliability as there are fewer moving parts. LEDs are also cheaper to manufacture and replace if they go wrong, which should lower the total cost of ownership somewhat.
Text quality is good, with the edges appearing straight with no jaggies. Larger text areas were even, with no banding visible in any of the test documents. Color printing is just as good, with our color document being printed in 1 minute 22 seconds. The average print speed of the C5800 is 32 pages per minute for mono and 26 for color which is about equal to the other models in the Oki “C” range.
Toner cartridges are replaced from the top. It lifts up like a clamshell which exposes the cartridges underneath. They are easily extracted using the clearly labeled latches and the replacements clip into place in their place. Both the monochrome and color cartridges are purported to last for 5000 sheets each.
Scalability isn’t an option with the C5800, as this is a complete printer. There are no options to buy more trays, memory or anything. You would need to look at the C6100 for that.
The C5800 is a good printer for companies who don’t print much. It is a very capable machine, but doesn’t have the duty cycle of some of the bigger models.
8.24.2010
OkiData C6100
The OkiData C6100 is a high definition color printer with great workgroup performance, where speed is important. It continues the Oki name and does it proud, performing well in every test we threw at it.
The C6100 is a good quality printer that works right out of the box. It is quite a bit cheaper than its main rival, the Dell 3110cn and prints better too. The C6100 prints text documents at a rate of 26 pages per minute, color and 32 monochrome at a standard 1200 x 600 dpi. This is faster than almost all the other printers in this price, and a definite plus point.
The standard paper tray can hold 300 sheets, while the multi-purpose drawer can add a further 100. There are optional extra drawers as others in this class seem to offer. There is also the option of adding duplexing, extra memory and a hard drive for secure printing. The four versions are the C6100n, the C6100dn with duplexer, C6100dtn with extra paper capacity and the C6100hdn with all the above and a 40Gb hard drive for larger jobs or secure printing. It is the same configuration as others in the Oki range, like the C6150 and C6200.
The small LCD screen is clear and informative with the control buttons on the right of it. The basic menu system is simple to navigate and should pose any problems to users. Once configured on a network, there is no real reason to use the screen as the Oki tools can take care of everything for you.
Being a network enabled device, the C6100 can be added to a workgroup or network quite easily. One nice touch was the ability to restrict color printing to certain users. This can save a significant amount of cash for offices that print a lot.
The Oki C6100 is a solid, good value printer. It is designed and built to produce business documents reliably all throughout the day. The prints are good quality and quick enough for most needs. It won’t satisfy a print heavy organization or a large office, but for what it’s meant for it performs very well.
The C6100 is a good quality printer that works right out of the box. It is quite a bit cheaper than its main rival, the Dell 3110cn and prints better too. The C6100 prints text documents at a rate of 26 pages per minute, color and 32 monochrome at a standard 1200 x 600 dpi. This is faster than almost all the other printers in this price, and a definite plus point.
The standard paper tray can hold 300 sheets, while the multi-purpose drawer can add a further 100. There are optional extra drawers as others in this class seem to offer. There is also the option of adding duplexing, extra memory and a hard drive for secure printing. The four versions are the C6100n, the C6100dn with duplexer, C6100dtn with extra paper capacity and the C6100hdn with all the above and a 40Gb hard drive for larger jobs or secure printing. It is the same configuration as others in the Oki range, like the C6150 and C6200.
The small LCD screen is clear and informative with the control buttons on the right of it. The basic menu system is simple to navigate and should pose any problems to users. Once configured on a network, there is no real reason to use the screen as the Oki tools can take care of everything for you.
Being a network enabled device, the C6100 can be added to a workgroup or network quite easily. One nice touch was the ability to restrict color printing to certain users. This can save a significant amount of cash for offices that print a lot.
The Oki C6100 is a solid, good value printer. It is designed and built to produce business documents reliably all throughout the day. The prints are good quality and quick enough for most needs. It won’t satisfy a print heavy organization or a large office, but for what it’s meant for it performs very well.
OkiData C6150
The OkiData C6150 is one of the most capable printers around. It is a printer most suited to the small of home office, and has a duty cycle and speed to match.
The C6150 is a color laser printer that can output up to 32 pages per minute for monochrome and 26 for color. Print quality is excellent in the default 1200 x 600 dpi resolution. When printing monochrome, blacks and grays are clear and well shaded. There was no bleeding evident on any of our test documents, which includes graphs and images. Color was the same, with accurate color matching and clean lines throughout. No bleeding was evident in either mono or color either, which is a definite bonus.
Paper is fed into a drawer at the front which can cope with 300 sheets. There is also the option of adding a further 530 with a paper tray that attaches to the bottom. As this printer is aimed at smaller workgroups or home offices, the extra paper capacity doesn’t really offer much value for money. The standard capacities should suffice for most uses.
The little LCD screen is bright, and is clear enough to be able to be read from a short distance. The function buttons are to the side which are well laid out and easy to use.
Configuration and driver installation is easy, with the software package installing in a little over a minute. There is a decent software package to accompany the drivers, including Oki’s own image and print processing tools. The C6150 supports, PCL and PostScript, so will work with Windows and Mac computers. The drivers and software suite will also work with either platform.
There are four versions of the C6150n, the C6150dn with duplexer, C6150dtn with extra paper capacity and the C6150hdn with all the above and a 40Gb hard drive for larger jobs or secure printing.
Each comes with a starter cartridge that is capable of printing up to 2000 pages. Replacements are easily accessible, the black printing 6000, and the colors printing 5000 sheets each.
As a printer the C6150 is an excellent choice for the small or home office. It is a little much for a single user, as many of the features, the average user would have no need for, but for a small group or a couple of people, it is ideal.
The C6150 is a color laser printer that can output up to 32 pages per minute for monochrome and 26 for color. Print quality is excellent in the default 1200 x 600 dpi resolution. When printing monochrome, blacks and grays are clear and well shaded. There was no bleeding evident on any of our test documents, which includes graphs and images. Color was the same, with accurate color matching and clean lines throughout. No bleeding was evident in either mono or color either, which is a definite bonus.
Paper is fed into a drawer at the front which can cope with 300 sheets. There is also the option of adding a further 530 with a paper tray that attaches to the bottom. As this printer is aimed at smaller workgroups or home offices, the extra paper capacity doesn’t really offer much value for money. The standard capacities should suffice for most uses.
The little LCD screen is bright, and is clear enough to be able to be read from a short distance. The function buttons are to the side which are well laid out and easy to use.
Configuration and driver installation is easy, with the software package installing in a little over a minute. There is a decent software package to accompany the drivers, including Oki’s own image and print processing tools. The C6150 supports, PCL and PostScript, so will work with Windows and Mac computers. The drivers and software suite will also work with either platform.
There are four versions of the C6150n, the C6150dn with duplexer, C6150dtn with extra paper capacity and the C6150hdn with all the above and a 40Gb hard drive for larger jobs or secure printing.
Each comes with a starter cartridge that is capable of printing up to 2000 pages. Replacements are easily accessible, the black printing 6000, and the colors printing 5000 sheets each.
As a printer the C6150 is an excellent choice for the small or home office. It is a little much for a single user, as many of the features, the average user would have no need for, but for a small group or a couple of people, it is ideal.
OkiData C5100n
Color printers used to be too expensive to have many of, and too slow to be efficient in an office. Not only were the printers themselves expensive, the toners used to be extortionate. Oki is part of the color laser revolution that changed all that, and with the OkiData C5100n, they continue bringing quality color laser printing to an office near you.
The advent of the single pass laser is what turned things around for laser printers. Once restricted to 5 or 6 pages a minute, they can now print as quick and sometimes faster than monochrome. The C5100n can output at a rate of 12 pages per minute in color and 20 monochrome, which is more than enough for a device of this size.
The prints are of a quality mainly seen in products more expensive than this one. Images are equally impressive, the C5100n outputs some great quality photographs with real richness to them. Color reproduction is clear and accurate while mono used good grayscale to simulate the shades.
Setting the C5100n up was as easy as unpacking it and connecting it up. Once powered the network was automatically configured and were up and running in minutes. It was just a matter of loading the drivers and we were ready to go. The paper drawer holds 300 sheets and the multipurpose feed tray another 100. That is upgradeable to 930 if you need it though if you purchase the optional paper drawer. The memory is also upgradeable, although it would be hard to imagine needing to do so. The built-in 32Mb is plenty enough for daily use.
Starter toners are included which are good for a thousand sheets each. So it’s just as well replacements are easy to acquire and reasonably priced. A new black toner will last for 5000 pages, as will the color ones. It’s actually quite unusual for color toner to last as long as black but Oki seems to be able to make color last a little longer than many of its competitors.
We would have no hesitation recommending the C5100n to any office. It is competent enough to handle even the most demanding print jobs and won’t let you down.
The advent of the single pass laser is what turned things around for laser printers. Once restricted to 5 or 6 pages a minute, they can now print as quick and sometimes faster than monochrome. The C5100n can output at a rate of 12 pages per minute in color and 20 monochrome, which is more than enough for a device of this size.
The prints are of a quality mainly seen in products more expensive than this one. Images are equally impressive, the C5100n outputs some great quality photographs with real richness to them. Color reproduction is clear and accurate while mono used good grayscale to simulate the shades.
Setting the C5100n up was as easy as unpacking it and connecting it up. Once powered the network was automatically configured and were up and running in minutes. It was just a matter of loading the drivers and we were ready to go. The paper drawer holds 300 sheets and the multipurpose feed tray another 100. That is upgradeable to 930 if you need it though if you purchase the optional paper drawer. The memory is also upgradeable, although it would be hard to imagine needing to do so. The built-in 32Mb is plenty enough for daily use.
Starter toners are included which are good for a thousand sheets each. So it’s just as well replacements are easy to acquire and reasonably priced. A new black toner will last for 5000 pages, as will the color ones. It’s actually quite unusual for color toner to last as long as black but Oki seems to be able to make color last a little longer than many of its competitors.
We would have no hesitation recommending the C5100n to any office. It is competent enough to handle even the most demanding print jobs and won’t let you down.
OkiData C5200n
To call the Oki C5200n a laser printer is a bit of a misnomer, as it actually prints using LEDs instead of a laser. It isn’t the only brand to try this, and like the others, it makes the new technology work.
For all intents and purposes the C5200n works exactly like a laser printer. It uses paper and toner in the same way, prints at the same speed and needs to warm up the ink before use. The only difference is the light technology that imprints onto the paper. LEDs are no cheaper than laser, but they run cooler.
The single pass printing process is a feature most common in much more expensive printers. It allows for a much quicker print time, which is reflected in the 24 page per minute print speed in monochrome and 16 pages for color. This is much quicker than competitors from Brother and Lexmark at similar price points.
The text print is superb. Whatever size point you use, the edges are clean, spread is even, and black looks black. Color printing is almost as good, with graphs being particularly worthy of note. Colors appear accurate and unblemished, with no bleeding at the edges. Talking of edges, they are some of the crispest you will find in a printer of this price.
Physically the C5200n is unremarkable. Its creamy putty color is unassuming and the controls and small LCD panel gives nothing away. The top opens like a clamshell revealing the toners and drum beneath. The light array is affixed to the top to prevent damage when changing the consumables.
The drums and cartridges all lift out to expose much of the machinery underneath. This makes clearing paper jams easy as pretty much the whole path is open for you to see inside.
Having built-in networking means the C5200n can be up and running in no time. There is also a USB port for single users, but it is at its best when part of a network. The machine is also upgradeable, the memory can be expanded to 256Mb and the paper capacity can be moved from 400 to 930 with the optional paper drawer.
The C5200n is more suited to a small workgroup or office than the home user, but will work well in most situations. It has enough features, and prints at a high enough quality to be able to flourish in any office.
For all intents and purposes the C5200n works exactly like a laser printer. It uses paper and toner in the same way, prints at the same speed and needs to warm up the ink before use. The only difference is the light technology that imprints onto the paper. LEDs are no cheaper than laser, but they run cooler.
The single pass printing process is a feature most common in much more expensive printers. It allows for a much quicker print time, which is reflected in the 24 page per minute print speed in monochrome and 16 pages for color. This is much quicker than competitors from Brother and Lexmark at similar price points.
The text print is superb. Whatever size point you use, the edges are clean, spread is even, and black looks black. Color printing is almost as good, with graphs being particularly worthy of note. Colors appear accurate and unblemished, with no bleeding at the edges. Talking of edges, they are some of the crispest you will find in a printer of this price.
Physically the C5200n is unremarkable. Its creamy putty color is unassuming and the controls and small LCD panel gives nothing away. The top opens like a clamshell revealing the toners and drum beneath. The light array is affixed to the top to prevent damage when changing the consumables.
The drums and cartridges all lift out to expose much of the machinery underneath. This makes clearing paper jams easy as pretty much the whole path is open for you to see inside.
Having built-in networking means the C5200n can be up and running in no time. There is also a USB port for single users, but it is at its best when part of a network. The machine is also upgradeable, the memory can be expanded to 256Mb and the paper capacity can be moved from 400 to 930 with the optional paper drawer.
The C5200n is more suited to a small workgroup or office than the home user, but will work well in most situations. It has enough features, and prints at a high enough quality to be able to flourish in any office.
8.23.2010
OkiData C5150n
Oki is a name synonymous with office equipment. It is no surprise the company is a dominant force in the marketplace. The equipment it produces is of the highest quality with no major concessions. The build quality has been consistently good throughout the range as has been print quality. The C5150n continues the good work.
The C5150n is a desktop printer that extends the firms reach in the market. It is a color laser printer built for the small or home office or workgroup. While it can handle a hefty duty cycle, it isn’t really built for heavy use. The design is functional but comfortable, the construction solid.
It performs well too. The C5150n produces monochrome prints at a rate of 20 page per minute and color at 12 pages per minute. While not the fastest on the market, it is plenty fast enough for its target group.
The print quality is very good as we have come to expect from Oki. It delivers even on fonts down to 3pt, at the standard resoltuion of 600 dpi. Monochrome reproduction is the real strength of the C5150n. It is much happier printing monochrome prints and standard documents all day long. That is taking nothing away from the color reproduction of course.
It can be connected via USB or via network as the n in C5150n indicates. An added feature is the opional wireless adapter that can be added to allow true wireless printing. There is also the optional duplexer for double sided printing. Not essential, but useful as an optional upgrade.
The paper drawer is at the bottom fron of the machine and can handle up to 300 sheets. There is also a 100 sheet multi-purpose drawer above it that can either be used for envelopes and other non standard materials, or in addition to the 300, to take it’s total capacity to 400.
Replacement toner is plentiful and most online retailers stock them. Black toner can print approximately 15000 pages, and the color ones around 5000 before needing replacement.
Overall, the Oki C5150n is a good, value for money desktop printer. It is ideally placed to fulfill the needs of the small business or home office. It’s capable enough to cope with almost anything, and at a reasonable price offers good value for money to consumers.
The C5150n is a desktop printer that extends the firms reach in the market. It is a color laser printer built for the small or home office or workgroup. While it can handle a hefty duty cycle, it isn’t really built for heavy use. The design is functional but comfortable, the construction solid.
It performs well too. The C5150n produces monochrome prints at a rate of 20 page per minute and color at 12 pages per minute. While not the fastest on the market, it is plenty fast enough for its target group.
The print quality is very good as we have come to expect from Oki. It delivers even on fonts down to 3pt, at the standard resoltuion of 600 dpi. Monochrome reproduction is the real strength of the C5150n. It is much happier printing monochrome prints and standard documents all day long. That is taking nothing away from the color reproduction of course.
It can be connected via USB or via network as the n in C5150n indicates. An added feature is the opional wireless adapter that can be added to allow true wireless printing. There is also the optional duplexer for double sided printing. Not essential, but useful as an optional upgrade.
The paper drawer is at the bottom fron of the machine and can handle up to 300 sheets. There is also a 100 sheet multi-purpose drawer above it that can either be used for envelopes and other non standard materials, or in addition to the 300, to take it’s total capacity to 400.
Replacement toner is plentiful and most online retailers stock them. Black toner can print approximately 15000 pages, and the color ones around 5000 before needing replacement.
Overall, the Oki C5150n is a good, value for money desktop printer. It is ideally placed to fulfill the needs of the small business or home office. It’s capable enough to cope with almost anything, and at a reasonable price offers good value for money to consumers.
OkiData C3400
Increasing the series of good quality laser printers, Oki releases the OkiData C3400. A color laser printer that is designed for busy offices or businesses that need high quality, no-nonsense copying.
The tiny control panel on the front is enough to assess the printer functions but not much else. There is no LCD screen, just three status lights and two buttons. Most of the printer features are controlled from a computer though. Oki’s software “Print Control” package is complete enough to give full control over the machine.
Performance-wise the C3400 is pretty good. Print speed is around 20 pages per minute for a typical business document, and color around 16 pages per minute. Print quality is excellent in both monochrome, and color. Text and images are sharp, even down to the finest details. Our test document consists of a mixture of images, graphs, and text. One version in monochrome and the other color. It is the same document we use on all our tests and puts most devices through their paces.
The C3400 is network ready, including a built-in 10/100 interface. Connecting up was as easy as plugging it in. It appeared in our small workgroup a minute later. The driver package is good, easy to use and worked first time. There were also the Oki Print Control package as mentioned above.
The standard paper drawer holds 250 sheets and is located under the flap which hides the toner. The drawer isn’t expandable and the printer isn’t a modular device, but 250 sheets should be enough for a smaller office.
Toner is relatively inexpensive, being able to produce around 2500 sheets before needing replacing. Color ones cost a little more and produce up to 2000 sheets each.
This is a good printer for a SOHO or smaller workgroups. It is small enough to not take up too much real estate, but capable enough for those times when larger print jobs are needed. The C3400 isn’t scalable or upgradeable, but what it does, it does well.
The tiny control panel on the front is enough to assess the printer functions but not much else. There is no LCD screen, just three status lights and two buttons. Most of the printer features are controlled from a computer though. Oki’s software “Print Control” package is complete enough to give full control over the machine.
Performance-wise the C3400 is pretty good. Print speed is around 20 pages per minute for a typical business document, and color around 16 pages per minute. Print quality is excellent in both monochrome, and color. Text and images are sharp, even down to the finest details. Our test document consists of a mixture of images, graphs, and text. One version in monochrome and the other color. It is the same document we use on all our tests and puts most devices through their paces.
The C3400 is network ready, including a built-in 10/100 interface. Connecting up was as easy as plugging it in. It appeared in our small workgroup a minute later. The driver package is good, easy to use and worked first time. There were also the Oki Print Control package as mentioned above.
The standard paper drawer holds 250 sheets and is located under the flap which hides the toner. The drawer isn’t expandable and the printer isn’t a modular device, but 250 sheets should be enough for a smaller office.
Toner is relatively inexpensive, being able to produce around 2500 sheets before needing replacing. Color ones cost a little more and produce up to 2000 sheets each.
This is a good printer for a SOHO or smaller workgroups. It is small enough to not take up too much real estate, but capable enough for those times when larger print jobs are needed. The C3400 isn’t scalable or upgradeable, but what it does, it does well.
OkiData C3530
The OkiData C3530 is aimed squarely at the small workgroup who needs good quality color printing with multifunction attributes. Oki, quite confidently say that the C3530 can outperform and print better than any other product in the market. That is quite a bold statement considering the competition from the likes of Panasonic, Xerox, Brother and Dell. They have all produced great quality machines over the past couple of years that definitely take some beating.
Despite being an awkward looking machine, the C3530 is a performance powerhouse for its price. It prints monochrome at a rate of 20 pages per minute and color at 16. The finish is excellent for both. Out test document consists of 24 pages of text, graphs images and white space in order to test the reproduction thoroughly. The printer handled it perfectly and deposited the finished document in a little over 1 and a half minutes at 600 dpi. Increasing it to the ProQ2400 resolution setting didn’t even give the C3530 pause. It only took a few extra seconds and the difference was clear.
Despite those quick print times, copying is considerably slower. It took a little over a minute for an eight page color document, meaning 7 pages per minute, and 45 seconds for a mono version. Copying quality was still good though, with colors and grayscales being accurate and relevant. Scanning and faxing were both useable and of a good quality. Much of the operation of the C3530 can be done either at the machine, or from a PC connected to it or the network. You can print, scan, copy and fax to a USB key, but not from it. You can also broadcast faxes to email, as well as copy and print to it.
Overall, the C3530 is a good piece of equipment. The quality of the prints and scans is possibly up to Oki’s claims of being the best in class. Our testing certainly didn’t detect any obvious shortfalls. As to whether it is or not we would have to test it longer term. The true test of course is whether it works for the users or not.
Despite being an awkward looking machine, the C3530 is a performance powerhouse for its price. It prints monochrome at a rate of 20 pages per minute and color at 16. The finish is excellent for both. Out test document consists of 24 pages of text, graphs images and white space in order to test the reproduction thoroughly. The printer handled it perfectly and deposited the finished document in a little over 1 and a half minutes at 600 dpi. Increasing it to the ProQ2400 resolution setting didn’t even give the C3530 pause. It only took a few extra seconds and the difference was clear.
Despite those quick print times, copying is considerably slower. It took a little over a minute for an eight page color document, meaning 7 pages per minute, and 45 seconds for a mono version. Copying quality was still good though, with colors and grayscales being accurate and relevant. Scanning and faxing were both useable and of a good quality. Much of the operation of the C3530 can be done either at the machine, or from a PC connected to it or the network. You can print, scan, copy and fax to a USB key, but not from it. You can also broadcast faxes to email, as well as copy and print to it.
Overall, the C3530 is a good piece of equipment. The quality of the prints and scans is possibly up to Oki’s claims of being the best in class. Our testing certainly didn’t detect any obvious shortfalls. As to whether it is or not we would have to test it longer term. The true test of course is whether it works for the users or not.
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