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The new generation of one-pass color laser and network printers represents a quantum leap forward in color quality and speed.
Here at Presentations, we usually dismiss "new paradigm" claims as superlative hype. But in the case of color laser and network printers, the industry may actually be on the verge of something big. Print speeds for full-color as well as black-and-- white output have improved, color quality is almost on par with the best inkjet printers, and prices continue to come down. Now, even budget-- strapped businesses can (and perhaps should) consider replacing that old monochrome laser with a four-color network printer.
What's changed? Beginning in late 2001, companies started shipping printers with a new technology called single-pass or tandem print method. By requiring each page to pass through only one area of the printer, as opposed to four separate color areas in the past, single-pass technology effectively cuts output times by 75 percent, allowing color images to print in about the same time as black-and-white text. At the same time, prices have continued to drop and color print quality has climbed from acceptable to excellent.
The results can be seen in each of the five printers we tested in this review. For example, the Oki Data C7200n shoots out 12 full-color pages per minute (ppm), costs just over $2,200 and prints photograph-quality images. In addition, this printer, and every other one in the review, still produces tack-sharp text and graphics and can be set to monochrome mode to save expensive color toner. These qualities, plus the fact that these printers can perform all the networking and paper-handling functions of a typical office monochrome laser, are making four-color printers a logical choice for marketing departments, ad agencies and corporate media divisions that need both vibrant color prints and text on a daily basis. Stephen Regenold is associate editor of Presentations.
PRODUCT RATING
Oki Data C7200n
* KEY POINTS: Great color and superb, photo-quality prints - best in the review. Quick warm-up and fast printing, Sharp text.
-EASE OF USE: Difficult network setup. Setup manual lacks detailed configuration information.
+ PRICE VALUE: Good value if you don't need duplexing features (duplexing unit costs additional $585).
All in all, the C7200n was an impressive printer. The...