Review: Panasonic KX-FLB851E Printer
Monday, October 30th, 2006
The Panasonic KX-FLB851E is a laser-based multi-function machine, offering mono printing, copying and faxing and colour scanning. Panasonic claims it’s particularly easy to use and also points to its three output bins, which help separate out its key office functions.
This is a substantial machine, looking more like a traditional office photocopier than a multifunction device. The well-designed control panel lies along its long side and its 250-sheet paper tray also opens from the side, so you stack paper into it landscape fashion, rather than portrait. An optional second tray can be fitted underneath, to increase the machine’s overall capacity to 750 sheets.
Under test we produced 10ppm when printing from a PC, through the machine’s single USB 2 connection. While not as fast as claimed, this speed is still fine for the kind of small workgroup into which the device is likely to be put.
Print costs, at around 2.8p per page, are on the high side for a laser device, but in the end actual costs will depend on the price you can find for the toner and drum consumables. (more…)
You might be forgiven for thinking that Epson’s Stylus Photo R265 is an all-in-one machine, it’s that bulky. Quite why it has to be as high off the desk or as deep in its body is hard to fathom, but as long as space isn’t a problem, at first sight it has a lot to offer.
When Lexmark introduced its first small-format dedicated photo printer, the P315, last year, my reaction was unenthusiastic. But its replacement, the P350 ($129.99 direct) makes it clear that the P315 was the hardware equivalent of a 1.0 software release. This year’s model is fully ready for prime time.
Dell announced that they were releasing two new all-in-one printers: the Dell Photo All-In-One Printer 926 and the Dell Photo All-In-One Printer 966. These two are both upgrades of existing models. The 926 replaces the 924 and the 966 replaces the 964.
Inkjet all-in-one machines are definitely beginning to take over from inkjet printers as the main consumer printing device. For very little more money, you have all the extra functionality of scanning and copying. Lexmark has a range of all-in-ones to suit all prices and the Lexmark X5470 sits above its entry-level devices and offers faxing as well as photo printing.
Sagem Communication has completed its range of personal photo printers with its latest model: SAGEM PHOTO EASY 270. The PHOTO EASY 270 comes with a large 6.1 cm pivoting LCD colour screen. Very practical, the screen allows the user to view, select, zoom, touch-up, or reframe shots without a camera or a computer. They can even add frames to the photo or use numerous special effects (black and white, sepia, negative, watercolours, etc).
Kyocera sells a range of laser printers into the small business to enterprise market space and the FS-2000D sits at the lower end of its workgroup offerings. Its comparatively high asking price of just over £400 reflects its speed rating of 30ppm and the inclusion of a duplex facility as standard for double-sided printing.
Hewlett-Packard has consistently produced printers of a high standard and durability and so the release of the latest in the Photosmart series is a cause for interest. Because success in this field is gauged as much by user-friendliness as speed and quality of delivery, HP has introduced a number of new features to appeal directly to the technophobe.
After we wrote about HP launching the