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Contents 
Introduction
HL-6050DN
DocuPrint 240A-AP
PagePro 9100
EcoSys FS-1920
Lanier LP025n
Lexmark E332n
Specifications
How we tested
Case study
Look out for...
Editor's choice
About RMIT |
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Speed: when a printer claims up to 30 pages per minute it is speaking of ideal conditions -- standard resolution, PCL mode, no pictures, one font at a single size, and no other fancy formatting. Such features could bring your average print speed down markedly.
Quality: will your printer be used to produce professional looking documents for circulation to your clients and vendors? Make sure PostScript, or equivalent, drivers are available and, if possible, ask to see a sample of the output.
Total Cost: consider not only the initial outlay of purchasing the machine, but look at the warranty period and the cost per page of consumables (toner, fusers, rollers). An expensive machine might work out cheaper long term. The six printers in this review varied in usage costs from under 1.5¢ per page to over 3¢ (excluding the paper itself).
Paper Capacity: if your office goes through a lot of paper, a one ream paper capacity is probably not adequate -- you will be loading the printer all to often. Check to see how many optional drawers are available. (Similarly, look for high capacity toner cartridges.) Ensure that the paper sizes you use are supported.
Expansion Options: besides extra paper drawers, you might need greater memory capacity (RAM and or a hard drive), duplexer, multiple output bins or an envelope feeder. Not all printers in this class have all these options. Consider also what all these extras cost!
Final words
Before you grab your chequebook and rush off to your local peripheral supplier, make a few notes for yourself first. Firstly, roughly work out your monthly printing load in terms of pages. Second, rank in order of importance to your situation: Price, print quality, and speed. Third, note any other details that might be critical to your situation, such as the need for Linux printer drivers or A3 paper capacity.
You must consider all your needs now and consider what your needs may be in 12 months time.
This article was first published in Technology & Business magazine.
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