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From...
Top 10 color printers
August 23, 1999
Web posted at: 3:10 p.m. EDT (1910 GMT)
by Dan Littman
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INTERACTIVE
(IDG) -- What a difference a driver makes. Witness the QMS Magicolor 2 DeskLaser, our new corporate Best Buy. When PC World first tested it in April, we were disappointed by its slow text speed -- the only reason this color laser, priced at a phenomenal $1299, missed our Top 10. At just 3.3 pages per minute, it was as poky as a home-oriented ink jet. When QMS revised the DeskLaser's drivers, we ran it through its paces again, and found that it now produces text at a respectable 8.8 ppm -- fast enough to propel it to first place.
The DeskLaser's output quality hasn't changed: It still prints sharp text and subtle, attractive colors. Getting inside the DeskLaser to clear paper jams and replace components remains exceptionally easy for a color laser. Offices that need special features might be better served by QMS's new $2199 Magicolor 2 DeskLaser Duplex, which comes with a built-in duplexer and 32MB of memory, and supports a color copier option for $399.
This month's chart changes aren't limited to the corporate segment. Among the five other new printers we tested, two debut as Best Buys on the small-business/home chart. Hewlett-Packard's inexpensive, high-quality DeskJet 812C, aimed at home users, storms into first place, while Lexmark's nicely designed Z51 Color Jetprinter takes second place and our recommendation for small offices. Tests of three supercheap single-cartridge ink jets yielded one contender: Lexmark's Z11 Color Jetprinter. The other two -- Canon's BJC-1000 and Apollo's P-1200 (from a subsidiary of HP) -- miss the chart due to their cut-rate designs.
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Two winners
The SOHO front-runner, HP's $199 DeskJet 812C, looks like the $299 DeskJet 882C and produces the same strong output. The only difference is speed: The 812C prints text 19 percent slower, at 3.6 ppm, and graphics 60 percent slower, at 0.5 ppm. Text looks slightly rough in places, while gray-scale and color graphics show sharp detail and shading. If you need speed, the fifth-place 882C remains a good deal; but if performance isn't your main concern, the 812C is a true steal.
What earns the Lexmark Z51 our second-place Best Buy? Not speed. The Z51's 3.3 ppm text performance is above average, but you can find faster printers for $279. However, the Z51 offers lots of extras. We like its paper-handling capabilities, including a hand-feed slot for printing a single sheet or envelope without emptying the main paper tray, a rear flap for feeding a stack of fanfold paper; and a long output tray that disappears under the printer when it's not needed. Another plus: Like HP's DeskJet 812C, the Z51 includes a USB port as standard equipment. Finally, the Z51 prints crisp, black text, and graphics with very good detail and colors.
Even so, the Z51 has been plagued with manufacturing problems. We've been wrestling with defective units for several months, and even the printer we tested this month had a paper-feeding problem that produced striped gray scales. Lexmark claims the ink jets we received were preproduction units, and that the striping problem has since been resolved. We'll test this printer again in the coming months to confirm the company's claims.
Penny wise, pound foolish
It makes sense to go cheap on disposable items. But do you really want a disposable printer? Canon and Hewlett-Packard think you do; Lexmark is hedging its bets. All three companies have just released very cheap single-cartridge printers -- units that hold either the black or color cartridge, but not both at once. (For details, see "Printers for $80?" link below) Lexmark's Z11 (in seventh place) is the first single-cartridge printer to make our Top 10 chart in many years. Like all previous single-cartridge printers, Canon's $79 BJC-1000 and Apollo's $79 P-1200 print limp, pale colors and purplish black text. By contrast, Lexmark's Z11 pulls off believable colors and solid type marred only slightly by shadowing. But the Lexmark costs $40 more than the other two. If your budget won't let you consider a fine $200 printer such as the HP DeskJet 812C, opt for the Lexmark Z11. But remember that you'll pay another $30 to $40 -- a third of the purchase price -- for a black ink cartridge; none of these three ultracheap models comes with one. Canon doesn't even bother with an output tray, so prints drop straight onto your desk -- or the floor. Finally, be warned that all three printers run considerably slower than most other ink jets.
Top color printers for the home and small business
- HP DeskJet 812C
- Lexmark Z51 Color Jetprinter
- Lexmark 5700 Color Jetprinter
- Epson Stylus Photo 700
- HP DeskJet 882C
- Canon BJC-6000
- Lexmark Z11 Color Jetprinter
Top corporate color printers
- QMS Magicolor 2 DeskLaser
- Tektronix Phaser 740/N
- Lexmark Optra SC 1275
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RELATED SITES:Hewlett-Packard Co.
Lexmark International Inc.
Epson America, Inc.
QMS
Canon Computer Systems, Inc.
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