The $1,349 CP4525n is the base model. The CP4525dn is the same model with automatic duplexing added ($1,599). The $2,999 CP4525xh adds several more features: a hard disk, more memory and a larger standard paper supply.

Ethernet (including Gigabit Ethernet) and USB connectivity are standard. Wi-Fi and parallel connectivity are optional.

PCL and PostScript are standard with direct PDF printing supported.

The maximum paper input on all models is 2,100 sheets. There is a 500-sheet output tray. The duty cycle is rated by HP as 120,000 sheets, with a realistic average usage of 2,500 to 10,000 pages per month.

These models come with HP’s ColorSphere toner, which appears to improve color quality significantly. The cost per page, based on high-capacity cartridges, is around 1.8 cents for black and 9.6 cents for color.

Security features include access control and secure print.

These are fast and straightforward color laser printers. They have all the features you’d expect in an office color laser printer, and with great operating costs.

For a full review and information on other similar products, see the Better Buys for Business Color Laser Printer & Business Inkjet Guide.

The bizhub PRO 1051 and PRO 1200 includes copying and scanning as well as printing. The bizhub PRO 1200P is a printer only.

The paper input capacity is 14,000 sheets. A choice of output devices includes a basic finisher with 100-sheet multiposition stapling, a booklet maker with saddlestitcher and trimmer, a GBC StreamPunch unit, internal perfect bind unit, and two 5,000-sheet stackers.

Konica Minolta’s PageScope software enables the bizhub PRO series to handle a variety of network management and document distribution tasks. The software applications include DirectPrint, Job Spooler, Web Connection, Net Care and Network Setup.

Konica Minolta keeps pushing out one serious production machine after another. In a market once dominated by Xerox, Kodak and Canon, it has made big inroads. The power is serious, the prices reasonable and the finishing options are excellent, all adding up to a set of very desirable machines for the high-volume production printer.

For a full review and information on other similar products, see the Better Buys for Business High-Volume Printer & Digital Duplicator Guides.

The new Lexmark ink jet all-in-ones are part of a large new family built on the same platform. The $149 Intuition S505 and $199 Interact S605 are designated as home-office printers. Two other lower-end models in the same series, the Impact S305 and Interpret S405, we judge not to be suitable for business.

The S505 and S605 can print, copy, and scan. The print speed is up to 33ppm in draft mode in black-and-white, 30ppm in color. The company does not give normal-resolution (600dpi) speeds.

These two models are identical, except that the S605 features a color 4.3″ touch screen.

Both models are flatbed only, with no document feeder. They come with Wi-Fi. Host-based (GDI) printing is supported. Paper capacity is 100 sheets with a 25-sheet exit tray.

Truly, these are minimal devices. They have two nice features, however — a three-year warranty for registered buyers, and a low noise level down, at 50dB when printing.

For a full review and information on other similar products, see the Better Buys for Business Color Printer Multifunctional Guide.

Dell’s new $749 2145cn Multifunction Color Laser Printer offers 21ppm printing in both color and black-and-white and is Ethernet-ready.

The standard paper supply is a 250-sheet tray plus a 100-sheet bypass tray. You can add a 500-sheet tray. The 2145cn has a 50-page duplexing automatic document feeder (DADF) as well as a flatbed platen.

The duty cycle is specified at 65,000 pages per month. Based on what’s typical in the industry, we’d estimate that a 5,000 to 7,000 page-per-month average use would be appropriate.

The 2145cn comes with standard PCL and PostScript printing support. Color scanning to email, network folder, FTP and flash drive are all included.

Monochrome and color faxing using JBIG and JPEG compression are standard.

Cost per page is estimated to be as low as 2.7 cents in black, 12.9 cents in color, if you choose high-capacity toner cartridges based on street prices we’ve been able to find.

For a full review and information on other similar products, see the Better Buys for Business Color Printer Multifunctional Guide.

The Océ VarioLink 5522c prints and copies at 55ppm in black and 45ppm in color, while the VarioLink 6522c runs at 50ppm in color and 65ppm in black.

Both models offer standard copying, printing, and scanning, along with optional faxing. As with other Oce models, these have a large (8.5″) touchscreen control panel. Note that the control panel is tiltable by the user and supports several different positions. As a result, it meets Section 508 criteria for disabled user access. An optional keyboard is also available.

As with other Oce MFPs, these models have an LED-based display strip that shows current operating status, even from a distance. Most notably, it turns red when there is a problem (such as a paper jam or an empty paper supply). The point is that it’s immediately apparent to anyone passing by that there is a problem, and users can check the touchscreen for more detailed diagnostics.

The most important element is Oce’s print controller. The controller uses a 1GHz processor and comes with 2GB of memory and a 250GB hard disk drive. PostScript, PCL, and XPS support are standard. USB and Ethernet connectivity are supported.

Paper handling is a strong point. The machines have dual 500-sheet paper trays, a 1,000-sheet paper tray, and a 1,500-sheet feeder (letter-size only) — all standard. There’s also a 150-sheet bypass. That adds up to 3,650 sheets of standard input. You can add either a 2,500-sheet stacker that is adjustable from 8.5″ x 11″ to 12″ x 18″ paper size or a 3,000-sheet stacker (letter-size input only). That brings the maximum input to 6,650 sheets.

Duplex printing and copying are standard. The MFP can handle paper up to 140lb. index. The main trays and bypass handle paper up to 12″ x 18″ in size. These machines also have an optional banner-size feeder, so you can print up to 11.75″ x 47.25″, useful for signage, for example.

There is a post-process inserter which allows you to insert preprinted materials, including covers and separators.

These models come with a standard reversing 100-sheet document feeder. The feeder handles paper up to 11″ x 17. There’s also a flatbed platen.

On the output side, there is a simple 250-sheet exit tray. The finisher for these models holds 3,100 sheets and features 100-sheet multiposition stapling. Adding a booklet maker unit with saddlestitching to the finisher allows you to create booklets from up to 20 sheets (80 pages). An optional 2/3-hole punch works with either configuration. A Z-fold unit is also available.

The machines support scan-once/print-many copying and full electronic collation. They also have what Oce calls its User Box feature. It allows you to store scanned documents on the models’ hard drive using a series of mailboxes. Up to 1,000 user boxes are supported.

These models include scanning to email and user boxes, as well as scan-to-folder, to USB flash drive, and to FTP. LDAP is supported; Internet faxing is standard, as is PC faxing and fax-to-IP address. Optional analog faxing includes a 33.6kbps modem and JBIG compression.

Security features are extensive. They include hard disk encryption, job encryption, watermarks, IP filtering, secure print, and secure fax. For added security, there is also an optional biometric access feature that allows for fingerprint-based authorization. There’s also an optional ID card unit.

An optional Fiery IC-412 controller from EFI is also available. This controller has a 1.86GHz processor, 512MB of memory, and an 80GB hard disk drive. It includes true Adobe PostScript. It includes basic EFI tools for color control and job management, There are optional tools for imposition, workflow, and advanced color,

As with earlier models, the design of these models (all in black) is a relief from the usual dull platinum gray or beige. Oce is not the first company to come out with handsome designs, but it has systematically introduced them through its own color copier line.

The VarioLink 5522c is rated for a monthly duty cycle of 250,000, while the VarioLink 6522c is rated for 300,000 pages.

Conclusion: These are impressive models, offering speed and impressive paper-handling capacities at affordable prices. In these market segments, these are very strong contenders. It’s clear to us that they are deserving of our Editor’s Choice Award.

Check out the VarioLink 5522c and 6522c here!

Sum-up: A low-cost entry-level color laser MFP with some nice features.

The 1235cn Multifunction Color Laser Printer is Dell’s new entry-level color laser MFP. Priced at $399, it is suited to an individual user or a small workgroup. As you would expect for the low price, the features are on the modest side, but they go well beyond the minimal.

It has a slow color speed, 4ppm, with a pretty good 17ppm black output speed. This model comes with standard printing, scanning, copying, and faxing.

The paper supply is a standard 150-sheet tray. The output tray holds 80 sheets. There’s a 15-sheet document feeder and a flatbed platen.

The 1235cn has a 360MHz processor and comes with 128MB of non-expandable memory. Dell claims a 20,000 page-per-month duty cycle for the unit. By our reckoning, a sensible average monthly use is 1,500 to 2,500 pages.

This model is Ethernet-ready and also includes a USB port. Another USB can accept USB flash drives or PictBridge interfaces.

Printing is host-based only. Note that, like other Dell MFPs, the 1235cn works with Windows and Mac machines. Color scan to file is standard, along with scan-to-USB, scan-to-email, and to network. Color faxing features both JBIG and JPEG compression. There is 2MB of dedicated fax memory. PC fax (send only in black-and-white) is supported as well.

Printing is quiet at 49dB. There’s a 2-line LCD panel. These machines have an elegant black design.

Cost per page is estimated by Dell as being 3.9 cents in black, 19.4 cents in color.

The 1235cn Multifunction Color Laser is a solid choice for a small office that needs a little color. Its low price and impressive features are reasons we give it our Editor’s Choice Award.

Check out the Dell 1235cn here!

Laser: Prints at 21ppm black, 21ppm color

Sum-up: Powerful small to midsize workgroup MFP with solid features.

Priced at $749, Dell’s 2145cn Multifunction Color Laser Printer offers 21ppm printing and copying in both color and black-and-white. It is aimed at a busy small workgroup, supporting standard print, scan, copy, and fax functions.

The standard paper supply is a 250-sheet tray plus a 100-sheet bypass tray. You can also add a 500-sheet tray. There’s a 170-sheet output tray. Automatic duplexing is standard. The bypass tray can handle paper up to 43lb. bond (90lb. index).

This model has a 50-page duplexing automatic document feeder (DADF) so that you can scan two-sided documents in one pass. A flatbed platen is also included.

This model is Ethernet-ready and also includes a USB port. There’s also a USB port for a flash drive.

The 2145cn comes with a 360MHz processor. Memory starts at 256MB and is expandable to 512MB. There’s an optional 80GB hard drive. The duty cycle is specified at 65,000 pages per month. Based on whatss typical in the industry, we’d estimate that a 5,000 to 7,000 page-per-month average use would be appropriate.

The 2145cn comes with standard PCL and PostScript printing support. Color scanning to email, to network folder, to FTP, and flash drive are all standard. LDAP addressing is supported. Scanned files can be produced in PDF, TIFF, JPEG, and BMP formats.

Monochrome and color faxing using JBIG and JPEG compression are standard. The fax modem runs at 33.6kbps and there is 4MB of fax memory.

This machine works with Windows, Mac, and Linux machines.

Cost per page is estimated by Dell as being as low as 2.7 cents in black, 12.9 cents in color, if you choose high-capacity toner cartridges based on street prices we’ve been able to find.

The Dell 2145cn Multifunction Color Laser Printer earns our Editor’s Choice Award Multifunction Color Laser Printer

Take a closer look at the Dell 2145cn here!

These models print at up to 15ppm in black and up to 11ppm in color at full 600dpi quality — making them comparable in speed to most of the low-cost laser MFPs on the market (even faster in color than several of them).  And the prices are lower, starting at $250 for the base model, which is Ethernet ready and supports copying, printing, faxing, and scanning.

But the real innovation here is cost per page. Using high-volume cartridges, we estimate a cost per page of 7.2 cents in color and 1.6 in black-and-white. That would be outstanding for a far faster laser MFP, such as Hewlett-Packard’s own 31ppm Color LaserJet CM3530 family. It leaves most other ink jet models and low-end laser in the dust.

This is an excellent pick for a single user or a small workgroup.

For more information, see the review in the Better Buys for Business 2009 Color Printer Multifunctional Guide.

Kyocera’s new TASKalfa line of color copier-multifunctionals is based on a clean-sheet design, not merely upgrades of an older generation of Kyocera models. All of these models come with standard copy, print, and scan. Fax and network fax from a workstation are options, as is Internet fax.

The new machines are the TASKalfa 250ci (25ppm in color and black-and-white), 300ci (30ppm), 400ci (40ppm), and 500ci (50ppm).

You can select either a reversing document feeder (RADF) for $1,360 or a duplexing feeder (DADF) for $1,800.

There’s an 8.5″ color touchscreen. Kyocera also features a new programming interface — dubbed Hybrid Platform Advanced Solutions, or HyPAS — for developing software for the control panel. This interface can accept device-level Java-based applications or Web services targeted at the server level.

These are the first models to use Kyocera’s new microfine toner that also promises higher yield levels and better quality output. The company is also reportedly announcing a new standard dealer warranty of three years on these TASKalfa MFPs, a big upgrade from the three-month warranties standard on copiers (you normally have to buy an extended warranty).

For a full review, see the Better Buys 2009 Color Printer Multifunctional Guide.

The 21ppm X543dn and the 25ppm X544 models are tandem models running at the same speed in both color and black. Intended for small workgroups, all the new models support copying, printing, scanning, and (except for the X543dn) faxing.

Among the many innovations for these MFPs is a compact, sleeker design that’s reported to be around 25 percent smaller than its predecessors. Lexmark says its new color toner produces more precise and crisper color, and the instant warm-up fuser delivers faster first-page print time. These models also run quieter, with a sustained noise level while printing under the critical 50 decibel level

Lexmark recommends – and we agree – that you use its new Rewards Program (www.lexmarkrewards.com). Machines enrolled in the program come with a free replacement imaging kit and the reward of a high-capacity cartridge for each ten (of any color and any capacity) that you return to Lexmark for recycling or remanufacturing.

Costs per page then come well into line with other models in this market segment, though the exact prices will be determined by usage. For the X544 series using the high-capacity toner cartridges, costs per page might drop to or below 2.1 cents for black and 11.5 cents for color. These prices beat most of the competition at this speed range.

For the full review, see our Better Buys for Business Color Printer Multifunctional Guide.