Per-page prices have not been announced yet, but if they are anything like the supplies for the Phaser 8400, they will be moderate.

Versions: There are three WorkCentre C2424 models, and all of them come with both USB and built-in Ethernet. They are:

●The WorkCentre C2424 DN (street price $2,999), which comes with 256MB of memory, a standard 625 sheets of paper supply, and 300dpi scan- ning.

●The WorkCentre C2424 DP (street price $3,799), which has 512MB of memory, adds an additional 525-sheet paper input drawer, and scans at up to 600dpi.

●The WorkCentre C2424 DX (street price at $4,399), which is identical to the C2424 DP, but adds extra software for OCR and file manage- ment. These include a five-user license for ScanSoft’s OmniPage Pro, PaperPort Pro, and Image Retriever, all of which have been cus- tomized for the Xerox environment.

Note that none of these models offer a fax option. All can be upgraded to 1GB of memory.

Each model starts with a 100-sheet bypass and a 525-sheet standard paper tray. The two higher-end models start with an added 525-sheet drawer. All the units can have up to a total of 1,675 sheets. In addition, these models handle heavy-duty paper, up to 80lb. card stock. Output capacity is based on a simple 250-sheet tray.

PostScript and PCL are standard features. The C2424 models come with both a platen and a 50- sheet two-sided document feeder. All three models offer automatic two-sided printing. More interest- ing, they offer two-sided copying as the document feeder can read both sides of each page simultane- ously. They also offer two-sided scanning. A dual- scan head is pretty standard in regular copiers, but only a few printer multifunctionals have this fea- ture.

Note that these machines do not have direct-to-

email scanning. However, they do allow you to scan directly to computers on the network or to mailbox- es. These are based on Xerox’s high-end CentreWare workflow, and they allow remote users to access scanned page files across the Internet. As Xerox explains, this allows any number of users to access scans whenever they want them. We think that most users simply want to send the scanned file to their computers, check that it was scanned cor- rectly, then rename it and attach it to an email.

When it comes to pricing, the WorkCentre C2424 series is very reasonable, considerably lower than most laser-based color MFPs. True, they are more expensive than the interesting sub-$1,000 Canon Color imageCLASS 8170c, but that machine is a true starter model, not suitable for a robust workgroup environment. The Xerox models have faster speeds and full features, including an excellent workgroup color printer at their core.

These machines were not yet released as we went to press, so we haven’t yet seen them in action.They are based on a solid ink printer engine that has an impressive track record. Given their impressive features and design, we are sure they are a winners and breakthrough products. They get our Editor’s Choice Award.

Xerox WorkCentre C2424 DN – This multifunctional

offers rare two-sided copying.

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