Issue #0801/1 - A little over six months after launching its EasyShare 5300 inkjet All-in-One, Kodak has added the fax function to produce a full-featured four-function small office device – the EasyShare 5500. We check out the machine’s features and Kodak’s claim that users can save 50% on their printing.
We also pitch the device against four competitors for comparison because most of the devices in this bracket have also been launched recently. These are Brother’s MFC-885CW, Canon’s PIXMA MX700, the Officejet 7210 from Hewlett-Packard and Lexmark’s X7550.
Before going any further, let’s take brief look at the purchase prices and target markets because two of the printers chosen have particular characteristics that set them slightly apart from the others. These are the MFC-885CW and Officejet 7210.
Purchase Price - Four-function Inkjet AiO
UK £ / € Euro / US $
Note: prices in UK Pounds and Euros (Germany) are quoted including tax but prices in the US are quoted excluding sales tax
Firstly, there is no Epson device included in the line-up because Epson’s only four-function device, Stylus DX700F, does not have an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) and it is priced well below the target price range, at £120. All models included here are equipped with an ADF for flexible business functionality.
Brother’s MFC-885CW is priced at precisely the same level as the Kodak 5500 but is targeted at the small or micro business where several people need to share a very high level of functionality. It really is a do-it-all, one-stop business communications hub that will perform all the functions that a small business could possibly throw at it.
With its pricing in the UK at the same level as the Kodak 5500, and its extraordinary feature set, it is a sensible comparison, though there is a wide choice from Brother with several equivalent models (with fewer advanced features) at prices ranging down to about £150. Notice that the market positioning in other geographies can vary quite considerably, particularly in Europe where the Brother product is concerned, where it is far less competitive than in the UK.
We see the biggest anomaly in the US, though, where Kodak is being far more aggressive and has priced the X7550 at 50% of the cost of the Hewlett-Packard Officejet 7210 (7200 in the US). This probably means that a separate comparison is really necessary for the US, pitching the EasyShare 5500 against different models.
However, in Europe, although Hewlett-Packard’s Officejet 7210 is priced higher than the other models in the UK, but only by 18%, it falls just below the level of both the Brother and the Lexmark on pricing sourced in Germany. The other factor is that the next ADF-fitted model from Hewlett-Packard (J5780) is priced at only €129 in Germany (even though its UK price is an outrageous £130!) – and it is not network-ready. So, the Officejet 7210 is the closest match.
So, on to the capabilities of the devices.
Kodak’s EasyShare 5500
This model is based on the same engine as the 5300, launched in the first half of 2007 but with the fax function added, together with two hardware features that particularly suit the small business environment.
Kodak EasyShare 5500These are the ADF to go with the fax function but, every bit as interesting is the automatic duplex printing capability that is delivered as a standard out of the box feature. This duplex unit is available for the 5300 but as an optional extra.
Auto-duplexing is still very unusual in an inkjet printer. This is partly because the configuration of an inkjet device, in terms of size and paper path, makes duplexing a more difficult function to achieve. Together with this barrier is the fact that a print from an inkjet printer requires some time to dry before it can safely be passed through the paper path for a second time.
This wait between pages slows printing down to a level that is bordering on the unacceptable, although technological improvements to inks and media, which results in faster dry times, are reducing the severity of this handicap.
Print speed in mono is the same fast 32ppm as the EasyShare 5300 but the colour print speed has been lifted to 30ppm from 20ppm. Emphasising the speed of the printer, photo printing speed is claimed to be around 28 seconds for a 10×15 (6×4) photo in best quality.
In addition to the USB interface, of which it has two – very convenient for sharing the device between two PCs, the 5500 also has a Bluetooth interface for printing from Bluetooth enabled PDAs, mobile phones and laptops. Other connectivity includes both memory card slots and PictBridge interface for printing directly from digital cameras and their memory cards.
Its 6.1cm colour LCD display is slightly smaller than that found on the 5300 but this is because it needs to be positioned on the front bezel of the machine because the ADF occupies the entire top of the device.
All of these AiOs have colour faxing facilities but not all have the fast 33.6kbps modem that is employed in the Kodak 5500. Unfortunately the information available gives no indication of the amount of fax memory available. Speed dial capability is very poor at just three locations but there is space in the phone book for 60 numbers.
All-in-all then, in hardware terms the EasyShare 5500 is a fairly highly specified and fast machine, which, if it weren’t for the five-colour ink cartridge, would be highly desirable. Shipping with OCR software only, the 5500 does lose out to several of the other devices that ship with comprehensive document management software suites.
Pricing on the consumables is not at all as aggressive as Kodak would like us to believe. Black ink is only just the cheapest in the group on a straight cost of ink per page basis but the colour cartridge does fair a little better with a nominal CPP that comes in about 27% lower than Canon and Hewlett-Packard ink.
Kodak claims a 50% saving on Cost of Printing and it is true that this does seem to be the case when compared to the Brother MFC-885CW – but only on the colour ink where Brother (and Lexmark) colour ink seems unreasonably high.
|
Uk 4-function Inkjet AiO (prices inc. tax) |
Purchase | Print Speed |
Nominal CPP |
Mixed mono/colour CPP over 3 years |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Brother MFC-885CW |
£200 |
Mono Colour |
30 ppm 25 ppm |
3.52 pence 11.01 pence |
7.74 pence |
| Canon PIXMA MX700 | £199 |
Mono Colour |
30 ppm 20 ppm |
2.37 pence 6.43 pence |
5.47 pence |
|
Hewlett-Packard Officejet 7210 |
£237 |
Mono Colour |
30 ppm 24 ppm |
2.41 pence 6.45 pence |
5.99 pence |
|
Kodak EasyShare 5500 |
£200 |
Mono Colour |
32 ppm 30 ppm |
2.04 pence 4.69 pence |
5.80 pence |
|
Lexmark X7550 |
£170 |
Mono Colour |
30 ppm 27 ppm |
2.92 pence 8.32 pence |
6.54 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; 70% pages in mono and 30% pages in colour; 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.
Total Cost of Printing - Four-function Inkjet AiO
UK pence
However, when rolled up into a long term Cost of Printing, with a throughput of 250 pages per month over three years, there is little to choose between four of the machines. True, Lexmark’s overall CPP is not as high as we have come to expect from Lexmark but it does just stand out against the Canon, Hewlett-Packard and Kodak models. We can only hope that this may represent the start of a change in policy from Lexmark.
It is Brother that again stands out with a much higher overall CPP than its competitors, due entirely to its high cost of inks. This is not just a UK phenomenon. The Cost of Printing model was run on Euro pricing as well, showing no difference in the relative positions of the various models. The only noticeable difference is that Lexmark costs, being slightly higher, fall a little closer to Brother’s on the colour CPP and the overall long-term Cost of Printing.
Total Cost of Printing - Four-function Inkjet AiO
€ Euro
Kodak’s five-ink colour cartridge is the main cause for concern here, however. It may be found that real life usage results in massive wastage of ink when one colour is needed more than others. If for no other reason, Kodak’s cartridge configuration is one that I would avoid at all costs, despite the fact that its hardware specification and feature set is attractive.
Brother MFC-885CWBrother MFC-885CW
We’ve already covered the high running costs of the Brother LC1000 ink set – which is unusual and disappointing since Brother uses an individual tank configuration that should minimise Cost of Printing.It is also a great shame because the MFC-885CW is an extraordinary model with everything to offer the demanding home-based professional or small/micro business where several people work closely together and need a comprehensive communications system.
We’ve already referred to it as a “do-it-all, one-stop business communications hub” and this really is what it is all about.
Not just a 30ppm colour and 25ppm mono printer, or indeed just a four function All-in-One, the MFC-885CW has a cordless DECT handset with full duplex speaker phone capability and can be configured to accept up to four handsets!! On top of this, it has a built-in Telephone Answering Machine (TAM) with auto-switching between TAM and fax.
Other communications features are equally robust, with both wired and wireless networking provided in addition to the standard USB interface. Memory card slots and PictBridge interface complete the picture!
Another innovation from Brother is the inclusion of a massive widescreen 4.2 inch (10.6cm) LCD display, which will offer considerable flexibility and ease of use to those using the machine for digital photo enhancement and printing.
On that point, Brother now includes a comprehensive range of on-board and software-based photo enhancement and printing capabilities with its latest range of AiO devices. This includes PhotoCapture Centre for PC-free photo enhancing/printing, PaperPort 11SE (Windows) or Presto Page Manager (Macintosh) for document management and Reallusion FaceFilter Studio for automated photo enhancement and general photo-fun!
On the fax side of the machine, it has 80 speed dial locations, a 400-page memory and the capability of handling fax forwarding, remote retrieval of faxes stored in memory and remote access to the TAM. The only downsides are that the fax modem is only 14.4kbps instead of the more normal 33.6kbps found on the other devices and the ADF is limited to 10 pages.
Canon PIXMA MX700
Also based on an individual ink tank configuration, is Canon’s PIXMA MX-700, an AiO that really does minimise Cost of Printing. This model has the lowest long-term Cost of Printing of any of the models here.
Canon PIXMA MX700It is also fairly fast at 30ppm in mono but only 20ppm in colour.
This device is also network-ready out of the box but wired only. Along with the standard USB interface, there are also PictBridge interface and memory card slots, both of which are supported by the MX700’s built-in photo enhancement features.
On top is a 30-page ADF and the device is capable of manual duplex through the print driver. Colour fax transmission is through the 33.6kbps modem and a 100-page memory is provided, together with 40 speed dial locations and TAM interface with auto-switching (TAM not built-in).
Software shipping with the device is Canon’s Easy-PhotoPrint EX, OmniPage SE for OCR and Windows users benefit from Presto Page Manager document management software.
Hewlett-PackardOfficejet 7210
Hewlett-Packard Officejet 7210
At 30ppm mono and only 20ppm colour, Hewlett-Packard’s J7210 joins the Canon as being the slowest of the devices in colour but it does have the largest capacity in its ADF – at 50 pages.Also sporting the obligatory PictBridge interface and memory card slots, the 7210 has wired network capability in addition to the standard USB interface. Auto-duplexing is available as an option.
Again, this machine has a 33.6kbps modem with 130-page memory and 110 speed dial locations. Software provided in the box is only Hewlett-Packard’s HP Document Viewer that allows annotations to be added to documents scanned to the PC from the Officejet 7210.
Unlike the Brother and Canon models, the 7210 uses Hewlett-Packard’s favourite two-cartridge configuration, comprising black and tricolour cartridges. Users can swap the black cartridge for an optional tricolour photo cartridge to give 6-colour photo printing or a tri-grey cartridge for superb black and white photo printing using genuine neutral greys rather than the tinted composite greyscales provided by a tricolour photo system.
So although this device has all the basics of a four-function AiO, the best of Hewlett-Packard’s photo printing capabilities, and the largest capacity in its ADF, the feature set doesn’t seem to warrant the somewhat high purchase price. The price applied in Germany would seem to be a much more appropriate level.
That said, the cost of ink and the Total Cost of Printing is competitive to the other devices – largely due to the use of high capacity supplies that are shipped with the machine instead of the more typical starter cartridges.
Lexmark X7550
This new AiO from Lexmark is a bit of an anomaly. Its purchase price is surprisingly high for Lexmark (but is well-priced in the UK), and yet the overall Cost of Printing is not as exorbitant as we have come to expect from Lexmark. It could even be described as ‘competitive’ – just! The fact that it uses high capacity cartridges, and no starter cartridges, obviously contributes to this success.
Lexmark X7550It is reasonably fast at 30ppm mono and 27ppm colour and uses the same basic cartridge configuration as the Hewlett-Packard. The difference is that Lexmark does not have a tri-grey photo cartridge for true Black and White photo printing.
Lexmark has gone for a wireless network interface without wired interface to compliment its standard USB port. Also provided are PictBridge interface and memory card slots.
What sets this printer apart from several of the competition is the provision of auto-duplexing as a standard feature, like the Kodak. Unfortunately, the capacity of its ADF is only 25 pages but, let’s face it, this is likely to be more than adequate for most micro and small businesses. A 50-page capacity, like the Officejet 7210, seems unnecessarily high.
On the fax side, and the other slight anomaly, is that the device has a fast 33.6kbps modem but no other information is provided, implying that the fax functionality is probably pretty basic.
Conclusions
Attempting to find a way through the various features and costs of these printers is not easy. On the one hand, Kodak’s EasyShare 5500 is reasonably well provided for, with some very useful high-level features, and appears to be reasonably competitive on the Cost of Printing, but the five-ink cartridge can only make potential buyers nervous with the danger of unpredictably high costs.Most attractive at a specification level, and with the provision of high level features and capabilities, has to be Brother MFC-885CW. The major downfall here is the apparent extreme Cost of Printing and the lack of a duplex printing unit.
Lexmark’s X7550 looks much improved over previous models, particularly with its built-in auto-duplexing and with a cost of Printing that is beginning to fall into line with competition, but the fact that it is a Lexmark means that it will need to prove itself.
Hewlett-Packard’s Officejet 7210 is a solid piece of Hewlett-Packard engineering and marketing but seems a touch bland and overpriced.
This leaves Canon’s MX700 as very capable and well-specified machine, if not the fastest in the group, with the best Cost of Printing figures.
~End~
