If the Lexmark X522 multifunction printer could choose its own attire it would wear a suit and bowler hat around the clock. This multi-role device offers all the features necessary to meet the document management requirements of the mid-to-large scale enterprise. However, at AU$8,250 it will probably take a dedicated document server and a well-conceived capital expenditure proposal to get it into your office.
Aside from its conventional printing functions, the X522 bundles the ability to scan, photocopy and fax into a single device. The scanner's communication features differentiate it from similar SOHO products. The X522 lets you scan to your PC or directly to a remote recipient via fax or email.
Broken into components the X522 consists of a Lexmark T522n monochrome laser printer and a 443 multi-function attachment. The T522's features have been upgraded to accommodate its role in the X522 package. The X522 version of the printer includes an extra 32M of RAM, a 5G hard drive to improve its buffering capacity, a duplex unit for double-sided printing, and a shelf extension for the multifunction device.
The performance of the upgraded version of the T522 should match that of its stand-alone cousin, which is capable of generating 24 pages per minute. This is a respectable speed for a machine that can boast a monthly duty cycle of 120,000 pages.
The scanner's performance compliments the printer's appropriately. During our tests we never observed the scanner unit to take longer than 4 to 5 seconds to read a document. It's capable of re-producing documents at 600 x 600 dpi in a range of formats including TIFF, PDF and JPEG. At 1200 x 1200 dpi The printer's maximum resolution exceeds the scanner unit and its duplex add-on allows for double-sided printing and copying.
The multi-function device relies on the presence of the printer for its document distribution role. The T522 is the 443's hard-copy output device and link to the broader network environment. The X522 can be configured to inter-operate with a range of servers-types to create document distribution strategies of varying degrees of sophistication. A simple strategy might involve configuring the device to scan documents directly to email via an SMTP server, but it's possible to integrate its operation with a document server and create job profiles that will distribute documents via fax, email and FTP simultaneously.
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