Kyocera 2160 - page 5

standard. These features are sometimes costly add-ons to

otherwise inexpensive color printers — in a few cases,

they are simply not available. Like many network-

enabled printers these days, the HL-2700CN has an

embedded Web server that allows for remote

administration.

On the other hand, an automatic duplex unit is avail-

able as an option, but at $999 list, it is no bargain. Instead

of a hard drive, you can use CompactFlash cards in a

built-in slot, which gives you a little extra memory for

handling some of the software extras outlined below.The

HL-2700CN starts with 64MB of memory but can be

extended to a quite good 576MB. The standard paper

supply is based on a 250-sheet paper tray, and you can

add another 530-sheet paper tray for $549, list.

Brother includes some nice software features, especially

for an economy model. The machine has secure print

capability, so that you can send jobs and have them held

at the printer until you enter a password. This helps keep

sensitive material away from prying eyes. It also allows

you to reprint the last job without reprocessing the print

data, a handy time-saver when there is a paper jam or the

toner has run out in the middle of your job. You can store

frequently run jobs (like forms) and print them directly

from the printer. There’s also a stop job button on the

unit. Toner-saver mode is available as well.

The engine images at 600dpi resolution and supports up

to 2,400dpi through image enhancement, a respectable

number in the “highest-dpi” resolution game in which

many vendors engage.

Costs per page are around 3.5¢ per black-and-white

page (well above average) and 14.3¢ for color (also above

average), but these are list prices. You can get a better

deal on supplies if you look.

The 8ppm color speed looks rather slow compared with

the latest generation of single-pass printers that print at

16–28ppm. However,the black printing speed of 31ppm

is excellent.

One big competitor of this printer is the Lexmark

C532n, which also is Ethernet-ready and has PostScript

standard.

You might also want to takea look at the OKI Printing

Solutions C5500n, which sells for $599, and is faster in

color at 20ppm (24ppm in black-and-white). That printer

lacks PostScript, which may or may not be important for

your office.

If you were going to crank out color pages all day long,

you probably wouldn’t consider this model. But for the

small office or workgroup that has a mix of color pages

and a steady stream of black-and-white work, this is a

solid choice.

Chart entry — page 70

Brother HL-4200CN

26ppm full color

26ppm black & white

Sum-up: Good features and speed, but the price is too high.

This color printer offers both 1,200dpi resolution and

26ppm speed in color and black-and-white. The model’s

street price is $1,300.

Among the HL-4200CN’s features are 64MB of stan-

dard memory (expandable to 320MB) and an optional

20GB hard drive — an important option for a color print-

er that may be called upon to handle complex files and

make collated sets. Note that when you print in color at

1,200dpi, you take a speed hit down to 13ppm. However,

600dpi is sufficient for most color jobs.

What’s also noteworthy about this printer are the stan-

dard features that sometimes are extras on other models.

Ethernet comes standard, a big plus, as does PostScript 3.

Finally,automatic duplex is included in the basic package

as well.

The standardpaper capacity starts at 600 sheets, and

the maximum capacity is 2,100 sheets. A 400MHz con-

troller and up to 320MB memory capacity ensure consis-

tent machine performance. Brother also touts its highly

interactive control panel, with excellent animated help

features. The printer is rated for a solid monthly duty

cycle of 60,000 pages.

Per-page operating costs are a mixed bag. A black-and-

white page costs around 2.5¢ to print, whichis no bar-

gain. The color page cost is around 10.4¢, near average.

Better Buys for Business

Brother HL-2700CN

Consumables costs at-a-glance

Price

Yield

Full-color cost per page

Black-and-whitecost per page

Black toner $173.99 10,000 $0.017 $0.017

Cyan toner $178.99 6,600 $0.027 N/A

Magenta toner $178.99 6,600 $0.027 N/A

Yellow toner $178.99 6,600 $0.027 N/A

OPC belt/black $503.99 60,000 N/A $0.008

OPC belt/4-color $503.99 15,000 $0.034 N/A

Waste toner bottle $12.99 12,000 $0.001 $0.001

Fuser unit $577.99 60,000 $0.010 $0.010

TOTAL PER-PAGE COSTS

$0.1431 $0.0365

14.31 3.65