The Lexmark X73 is one of the cheapest multi-function units out there. It offers regular printing (Colour Inkjet) and scanning however it offers buttons for one touch copying and faxing.

Print Quality & Speed

The quality of this printer is generally good. The Black is very good and sharp. The Colour is vibrant, however enough examination shows the grains in the image. The print won’t compare with some of the high quality HP printers out there, but generally it works fine.

Speeds of printing are also fairly good considering its price. Full text documents print very quickly. Full colour images of course, take some time. But it isn’t that long. Another important factor is ink drying. On regular twenty (20) pound paper, I found the ink to dry very fast. This is incredibly important when printing multiple sheets. On many printers, the following page can cause the page before to smudge. It hasn’t happened to me on this printer thankfully.

Scan Quality & Speed

The quality of scanning on this scanner leaves a lot to be desired. I really can’t recommend using this for scanning photos. The quality is minimal, images look washed out and have particles. Text documents are better, but still is lacking. I also cannot recommend using this scanner for OCR (Optical Character Recognition). Even with the best software, you will get a quite a number of errors using any font below 12 pixels thereabout.

The speed is also very slow. Granted for the price, getting a scanner in the first place is great, you might get frustrated very quickly. Then again, if you have no previous scanning experience, you expectations may be low and you might be satisfied with the results. Scans can take a minute or more, depending on the scan resolution you want.

Installation

The X73 comes with a scanning software and the common Lexmark Printer Manager. Its easy enough to install, but follow the instructions carefully. USB devices can give problems if you don’t follow the instructions. Use the Setup CD to install before plugging in the printer. Its easy to go from then on.

I must note that I did have problems installing this product on Windows 2000. After installing Service Pack 2 (a free download from microsoft.com), it installed flawlessly.

Functionality

The included scanning software is easy to use, but is fairly limiting. The X73 also comes with buttons on the top itself, for one touch scanning, copying and faxing. You can scan up to 1200 dpi although the quality at the high resolutions isn’t that great.

Important: The one touch buttons only calls up the software. This is not a standalone system. It requires it to be connected and installed to a computer.

For faxing, you need to configure the modem with the software. Fax speeds all depend on your modem speed, and of course, the scanning speed.

Physical Factors

The multi-function itself isn’t that bulky. It’s the same width as the average printer, yet taller of course. The paper tray is slightly curved, but not significantly. There’s a stack in the back for the paper, with an adjustable guide to hold your paper in place. The scanner is a flatbed, independent of the tray and is located on the top. The scanner scan up to letter size (8 ˝ x 11) only. It cannot scan Legal sized pages without manually scanning both halves and joining them. Inkjet cartridges can be changed easily by opening the lid in front and pulling the cartridge forward.

Price

I paid about $150 USD for this system. That price is very good for the quality and functionality offered. However, the cartridges will cost you a ton in the long run. Black and Colour are around the same price where I buy, around $30 - $35 USD each. As you can see, a couple of changes and you’ve already paid for the system over again.

Lexmark is a real beast with its cartridges. The normal black cartridge, although looking big enough, is actually half filled. I know this because I am in the refilling business. They purposely half fill the cartridge. That is the 12A1970. However, there is a high capacity cartridge you can buy for just a little more than the regular cartridge. Its number is 12A1975.

Ending notes

If you can’t find the 12A1975, I really don’t suggest buying this multi-function. The price of the regular cartridge is just a robbery since its being half filled. However, if you can find it, I can easily recommend this multi-function for home and small offices.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 150
Operating System: Windows