From BLI
Looking to save small businesses money while also allowing them to print in an environmentally-friendly way, Lexmark displayed a slew of new products at a recent briefing in New York City. The results of years of investment in research and development, a total of 16 base models were on display. Designed with an eye toward the environment, more models, such as the X543/X544 and the T Series, in the launch include standard duplexing, higher-yield print cartridges and a smaller footprint, according to Drew Zande, worldwide product marketing manager at Lexmark. Zande also noted that the units feature a new industrial design, whereby paint is no longer used. In addition, the company announced that it will be the first manufacturer in the digital imaging industry to offer a supplies guarantee for color laser products, guaranteeing that the price of the consumables will not increase while the customer owns any of the new units so long as customers purchase the consumables directly from Lexmark. In addition, the company announced an enhanced rewards program with the new devices, whereby Lexmark will ship to customers one free print cartridge for every 10 Lexmark cartridges returned. By enrolling in the program, and returning Lexmark genuine toner cartridges, customers will receive one free imaging kit for the C540 and X540 color laser series. Officially launched in the U.S. at the end of October, the units are set to be available for sale in Europe, Asia and Latin America by later this year.
Lexmark Model T
Targeted to medium-size and large workgroups made up of eight to 20 users, Lexmark’s new T series includes the 45-ppm T650 ($699), 50-ppm T652 ($799) and 55-ppm T654 ($1,099), and will replace the 35-ppm T640, 45-ppm T642 and 50-ppm T644, respectively. According to Zande, in addition to the faster speeds, the most notable enhancement is that the products will support the same software used on Lexmark’s MFPs, thereby allowing customers to incorporate with software solutions, such as for access control, accounting, or tray drive status and usage for purposes of managed print services. There are paper feeding improvements as well. For example, the units include a sturdier “paper picking arm” when compared to their predecessors. The four tires on each of the two ends of the paper picking arm are wider and thicker and feature a bi-directional tread. Furthermore, the paper trays of the T Series feature new side guides, a back guide lock and textured ramps to help transition paper smoothly to the imaging unit, said Zande. The mail bins of the new T Series are improved, too, featuring LED indicator lights to notify users of output in the bins. Zande also said that output directed to the mail bins is 22 percent faster than previously. The new units also use less packaging than their predecessors. Whereas the T644dtn unit, which featured standard duplexing, networking and extra paper capacity, shipped in four separate boxes weighing approximately 26 lbs., the T654dtn ships with the duplexer and extra paper drawer in just one box weighing 7.2 lbs. Other improvements in the new T series include faster processing speed, higher memory, increased paper capacity, higher-yielding cartridges and faster first-print times. Further, with the T654, the duplexer is internal, whereas the T644 featured an external duplexer. From the end-user’s standpoint, this means one less accessory to install, as even on bundled versions of the T64x Series, users had to stack the unit on the top of the drawers and duplexer. Advanced security features of the new T series, such as custom access control, audit logging and hard drive overwrite, make the units ideal for banks and pharmacies where data security is essential.
Zande also mentioned that in Lexmark testing against a comparably configured competitive unit, the T Series models run much more quietly than their nearest competitors. He noted that Lexmark is the only printer manufacturer to offer a “Quiet Mode” feature. “Our testing has shown that when the 45-ppm T640n is running, its decibel level (dBA) is 53, while the nearest 45-ppm competitor’s dBA is 58 when running.” He added that the units run in Quiet Mode by default when printing small runs.
X Marks the Color and Monochrome Spot
The new color X Series, which includes the 21-ppm X543 ($599) and 25-ppm X544 ($699), boast a number of improvements over the models they are replacing, the X500 and X502, respectively. In addition to a smaller footprint, the color X Series incorporates chemically processed toner, which Lexmark claims will improve image quality, as opposed to milled toner used with the predecessors. They also include Lexmark-developed PostScript and PCL print drivers and duplex printing, scanning and copying. The devices also feature a 650-sheet Duo Drawer ($199), which consists of the multipurpose tray built into the letter-size drawer, an instant warm-up fuser that prints in less than 13 seconds in monochrome (a first for a Lexmark color laser) and the Eco-Mode feature, also a first for a Lexmark color laser MFP, which allows users to set duplex printing as the default. LDAP is supported as well.
New features are also available in the embedded Web servers, including copy and printer settings, intervention management, supply notifications, universal setup, active network card selection and a login password. The control panel has been redesigned, and now includes a USB port on the right side that allows users to scan to and print from a USB memory drive.
Also introduced were five monochrome A4 laser MFPs: the 45-ppm X651 ($1,599) and X652 ($1,799), and the 55-ppm X654 ($2,499), X656 ($2,749) and X658 ($3,799). Replacing the X642e, the X651 and X652 are targeted to price-conscious users requiring mid-volume features. Replacing the X644e and X646dte, the X654de and X656de are for users printing higher volumes and requiring multifunctional use. Replacing the X646ef, the floor-standing X658 is for users requiring finishing capability and comprehensive workflow solutions. Zande noted that the X658 is a more cost-friendly option for environments that print mostly on letter- and legal-size paper, but do not have the funds for an A3 copier-based MFP.
The X65xe Series features a 9" e-Task color touch-screen interface, which includes a “My MFP” icon, a first for Lexmark. According to Zande, the feature allows users to save commonly used copier, printer, scanner or fax settings on a USB memory drive. When users insert their drive, their customized selections appear on the touch-screen display. Zande also noted the units’ packaging materials include two ramps so that users simply roll the units out of the box instead of lifting them.
The paper path within the scanner for the X series, both color and monochrome units, has also been improved. “Lexmark changed the path within the scanner to make it smoother and more tightly controlled so that there is less wiggle room for paper as it is being fed.”
E Stands for Environment
Targeted to users and workgroups who do not require color printing for documents such as invoices, purchase orders and text documents, the new E Series includes the 35-ppm E260 ($199 for “d” version), 40-ppm E360 ($349 for “d” version) and 40-ppm E460 ($599 for “dn” version). They are replacing the 30-ppm E250, 35-ppm E350/E352 and 35-ppm E450, respectively. Leigh Anne Belcher, worldwide product marketing manager at Lexmark, referred to the units as “Green Machines” because of their environmental attributes. The units feature Quiet Mode and Eco-Mode. In addition, Belcher said that a setting within the Settings Menu allows users to turn off the units’ fans and the lights on the LCD display to reduce power consumption. The units are also ENERGY STAR-compliant, which is unusual for products in this class, said Belcher.
All three units feature a coverage estimator, which allows users to learn how much toner will be needed for a particular print job, which is a first for Lexmark monochrome models. In addition, all three units accept the standard print cartridge, expected to yield 3,500 impressions. Both the E360 and E460 accept the high-yield cartridge (approximately 9,000 impressions) and the E460 also accepts the extra-high-yield cartridge (approximately 15,000 impressions). The units also retain their parallel ports because, according to Belcher, users in the U.S. education market and users in Latin America still use legacy applications that do not communicate with USB ports.
The E460 is different from the two other E models because it uses the same firmware available on the T models, which makes features such as confidential print and print and verify available. In addition, the E460 features a numeric key touchpad and four-line LCD display. Users can also customize settings for the E460, such as e-mail messages and alerts for consumables, via the unit’s embedded Web server. A wireless version, the E460dw, features an integrated 802.11n wireless antenna and supports WPA-2 Enterprise Level Security. It does not include the parallel port.
C Stands For Color
Replacing the 31-ppm/8-ppm C500n, 24-ppm/22-ppm C530dn and 24-ppm/22-ppm C532n, the new C540 Color Series includes the 21-ppm C540n ($349), 21-ppm C543dn ($399) and 25-ppm C544n ($499). According to Eric Wallin, worldwide product marketing manager for Lexmark, the C540 series is “built from the ground up,” incorporating a new industrial design and a completely redesigned 4-in-1 print head—the imaging unit contains the four cartridges and the four drums. In addition to having a faster rated color speed than its predecessor, the C544n’s engine is half its size. Furthermore, the units’ paper guides support longer paper and the units support the 650-sheet Duo Drawer (multipurpose tray built into the paper drawer), which, according to Wallin, is the only tray in the industry to be equipped with two input options. Wallin also noted that the units’ consumables “have been radically changed.” The cartridges contain a new chemically processed toner, whereby plastic is grown in a reactor, which Wallin said contributes to a smaller particle size and thus a smaller physical cartridge size. According to Wallin, the C544n is the fastest color laser printer priced under $500 on the market overall and is also the smallest and quietest 25-ppm color laser printer in the industry. He also said that the C54x models are the only color lasers priced under $500 to offer a Rewards Program (www.lexmarkrewards.com) for recycling used cartridges and advanced environmental features such as Eco-Mode.
This article originally appeared at Buyers Lab.
