Sensory overload
Written: May 27 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of available features at a finger touch
Cons: It thinks it knows more than you, and it jams frustratingly often. $$$$$$$
The Bottom Line: Neither efficient nor easy to use. Automatic settings, sensors and defaults get in the way of usefulness. Not particularly reliable, and pricey.
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| stoats's Full Review: Xerox Document Centre 420 DC Laser Printer |
This machine should, by rights, be a godsend in the office. It copies, works as a network printer, and has as many available options as one could want; sort, staple, duplex, enlargement, etc. It is quiet and quick. It has a touch screen control panel with multiple screens for arranging, saving, and controlling jobs, security (should you need to prevent someone from copying???) and interactive misfeed correction. It automatically detects original size and orientation, and adjusts the paper target accordingly. The toner cartridge is immense and lasts a very long time, but is accordingly more expensive.
Unfortunately reality gets in the way of the advantages. If copying a standard size piece, it does yeoman duty. If one wants to, for example, copy a check, its sensors detect an odd size, and it arbitrarily asks for a different target medium. If asked to continue, it chops off half the check. It is impossible to simply put in an undersized or odd sized piece, and have it simply copy on to a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet.
It also has annoying default settings, which don't appear to be changeable. For example, if one is making multiple copies of a single page, it defaults to 'collated', and unless one remembers to change that to 'uncollated' before hitting start, it offsets every other page by an inch, leading to having to coax the pages back into a uniform pile without bending the edges, and using many bad words.
So just cancel the job and start over you say? Easier said than done. Canceling a job requires switching menus, and touching three more entries before the job will stop. The 'clear all' hard button on the front does not. This becomes especially annoying when there is one of the frequent paper jams.
And it jams. Not usually on a standard one sided job, but the duplex function is horrendously notorious for multiple problems, despite visits from techs. This is where the interactive paper jam correction screen shines. When it jams, the screen gives step by step directions on what doors to open in what order to find and clear the problem, and also how to close things back up. Of course, after the 31st identical jam, one doesn't need the directions. If one tries to cancel the problematic job, the menu screen becomes the problem resolution screen automatically long before one can switch to the cancel menu. Once resolved, the job automatically starts again, and the cycle repeats. The 'interrupt' hard button is 'unavailable' for some reason.
Choosing a copy quality is also less than intuitive. The options are 'text', 'auto', and 'photo' with 'auto' the default. The default setting tends towards being quite light, but changeable, however the contrast stays ill defined, no matter how dark one sets it. 'Text' seems to follow the 'auto' setting in lack of contrast, but 'photo' gives very good resolution and contrast.
When it works, this machine is an entirely acceptable copier/printer. It is not particularly user friendly, however; it would be nice to be able to put in a target, press a button, and get a copy. The defaults should be simplicity with the options exactly that.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
stoats
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Location: Key West Fla
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 0 members
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