Issue #0628/3 - Lexmark launches another undeniably featureless, unexciting and expensive inkjet printer.
Lexmark’s newest printer, the Z845, proudly claims in its brochure “Catch me – I’m the fastest printer in my class.”
This is patently untrue. Hewlett-Packard’s DeskJet 5940 Photo is a massive 6ppm faster in both mono and colour and Canon’s PIXMA iP3300 is 1ppm faster in mono, although 1ppm slower in colour.
No doubt Lexmark covers this by claiming that the DeskJet 5940 Photo is not in the same ‘class’ as the Z845 for some reason – a trick frequently used by printer manufacturers when they want to claim a ‘best in class’ performance.
In this instance, the £9 price difference could be the trigger, or even the very fact that the DeskJet is faster! However, both are photo printers; both ship in 4-ink configuration with 6-ink photo configuration as an optional cartridge purchase; yet, despite being the faster printer, the DeskJet costs £9 LESS than the Z845.
Epson StylusPhoto R240
To the consumer, there will be no doubt that they compete and the DeskJet wins from every perspective!
In terms of Cost of Printing, none of the printers in this category stand out from the rest as having either significantly higher or lower printing costs. Lexmark’s Z845 and Canon’s PIXMA iP3300 fall at the top of the scale, while Hewlett-Packard’s DeskJet 5940 Photo comes in as most cost effective by 18%. This does, however, represent a difference of £82 in total money spent over a three year period, printing 250 office-style pages per month - 70% mono and 30% colour.
| UK (ex tax) | Purchase | Print Speed |
Nominal CPP |
Mixed mono/colour CPP over 3 years |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lexmark Z845 |
£60 |
Mono Colour |
24 ppm 18 ppm |
3.19 pence 7.24 pence |
5.08 pence |
|
Epson Stylus Photo R240 |
£60 |
Mono Colour |
19 ppm 18 ppm |
2.05 pence 8.21 pence |
4.50 pence |
|
Canon PIXMA iP3300 |
£59 |
Mono Colour |
25 ppm 17 ppm |
2.83 pence 8.90 pence |
5.08 pence |
|
Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 5940 Photo |
£51 |
Mono Colour |
30 ppm 24 ppm |
2.23 pence 6.96 pence |
4.17 pence |
Note that for this level of machine, the mixed mono/colour CPP over three years shown in the accompanying table is calculated on the basis of 250 pages per month; is based on the use of maximum capacity supplies; takes into account any standard, or starter, supplies shipped with the device; and also includes the cost of purchase. All prices are manufacturer’s recommended prices without tax.
Lexmark Z845Lexmark does actually load its black cartridge price, whereas Hewlett-Packard tends towards the opposite with a nominal colour CPP that is almost as high as the Lexmark. However, it makes little difference how high the colour printing percentage is pushed over a three-year period, the DeskJet never becomes as expensive to run as the Lexmark.
Hewlett PackardDeskJet 5940 Photo
CanonPIXMA iP3300
There is no PictBridge interface (provided by Canon, Epson and Hewlett-Packard); no LCD preview screen (provided by Epson); and no memory card slots (provided by Epson). The Z845 does, however, boast one-touch redeye removal and one-touch colour correction (features that are also available from other manufacturers).
To summarise, this is not an attractive printer in any sense.
~End~
