Since it's inception Lexmark International, Inc has made its name as one of the leading companies for printing and imaging solutions and can be considered a global player .As with any global giant, one needs to update and bring in new products periodically. Lexmark has just done that with the introduction of not one but five new multifunctional printers.

All these printers though multifunctional are still very user friendly and Lexmark has given special care not too make them very complicated. The new printers include Lexmark X644e MFP, Lexmark X646dte MFP, Lexmark X850e MFP, Lexmark X852e MFP and the Lexmark X854e MFP.We shall now look closely at the following in details below:

The Lexmark X644e MFP is user friendly product and has the now famous Lexmark e-Task 8-inch (20 cm) color touch screen for print, copy, fax and scan-to-email functions. With 256 RAM and an expandable memory of 768MB printing is done at lightening speed with upto 50 pages per minute.One can scan upto 600x600 dpi in black and up to 600x300 dpi in color and all this at a price of $ 2,499.00

The Lexmark X646dte MFP priced at$ 3,449.00 like its counterpart is also very easy to use and has similar features like a 256 MB RAM a color screen etc. However this also has a feature of Hard disk wiping and AES encryption, IPv6, SNMPv3, SSL*, IPSec and 802.1x authentication and user authentication for security.

The Lexmark X646dte MFP at a price of $ 10,799.00 has an e-Task 8-inch (20 cm) color touch screen and an easy interface with AES encryption and Hard Disk wiping to boost. It has a mighty 625 MHz processor and a time to first copy as quick as 10 seconds. One can do direct printing from PDF and image (TIFF, JPEG) files and it also has offset stacking and hole punch capability.

The Lexmark X852e MFP at $ 13,999.00 is a wide format advanced printer -Task 8-inch (20 cm) color touch screen, 625 MHz processor, standard 256MB RAM, Hard disk wiping and AES encryption, IPv6, SNMPv3, SSL*, IPSec and 802.1x authentication. Scan Preview, Custom Jobs Copy and e-mail Direct printing of PDF and image (TIFF, JPEG) files are some other standard features.

The last but not the least is the Lexmark X854e MFP for $ 16,999.00 which combines all the features mentioned above but scans upto p to 27 ppm color at 600x300 dpi with an up to 75 page duplexing Automatic Document Feeder. www.lexmark.com.

The NEFAX IP6050CS is another multi-functon device, this time from NEC, Japan. The NEFAX is touted more as a fax machine. But, it does come with a copier and color scanner built-in. It's a desktop design measuring 540 x 573 x 563 mm and weighs 44 kgs.

The unit has 128MB of memory on board. That should be good enough to store about a hundred fax messages. The Super G3 fax modem connects at 33.6kbps. You can fax documents of size A3, B4, A4, B5 and A5. Reductions supported are A3 -> B4/A4 and B4 -> A4. The standard tray supports 250 sheets, which you can pump to 1750 through optional attachments. A variety of faxing mechanisms are possible. Internet FAX (T.37 Full Mode) over TCP/IP, SMTP, and POP3 ensures reliable delivery. The Scan to E-mail mechanism supports attachments in TIFF, PDF, and JPEG formats. Network connectivity is at 100Mbps on an Ethernet LAN.

As a copier, the IP6050 does a good job at 600x600 dpi. It can copy to various media such as normal paper, projector transparencies, and label paper. It supports fixed magnification ratios from 70% to 141%.

The NEFAX IP6050CS is all set to be shipped from the 17th of February, 2006. MSRP is around 890,000 Yen (approx. US$910). Initial production is estimated at 300 units per month.

Xerox today unveiled the Xerox 6204 Wide Format Solution, a black-and-white copier and printer aimed at commercial print shops and architectural, engineering and construction companies, at the Xplor show and the Graphics of the Americas Exhibition - the first major printing industry trade show of 2006. The Xerox 6204 is available in two configurations: a printer-only model and a printer-copier model with the optional capability of scanning to the network.

And what an amazing device it is. With 1.25 GB of RAM and a 40GB hard disk inside it, it's one peppy printer/copier. The 6204 prints four "D-size" (24" x 36") images per minute and can be upgraded to print five D-size ipm - a feature which very few devices on the market offer. In addition users can also select a two-roll paper option for greater printing capacity. The scanner is a hot-rod too, scanning 600 dots-per-inch resolution at 3 inches per second. A highlight is the ability to scan documents to network in one step.

It's quite flexible too. The 6024 can be placed within inches of a wall, conserving work space, since printed documents are delivered from the front. An intuitive touch screen makes using the 6024 a breeze.

The Xerox 6204 Wide Format Solution is immediately available worldwide from Xerox. The manufacturer's suggested list price for the printer-only configuration starts at $13,000; list price for the printer-copier starts at $16,825.

Product website: Xerox 6024 Wide Format Solution

Manufacturer website: Xerox Corporation

Canon has launched its latest laser multi-function device in the form of the Canon imageCLASS MF3240. The MF3240 offers black-and-white printing, copying, color scanning, and high-speed fax capabilities. It comes with a small footprint and is a good addition to your SOHO setup.

As a printer, the MF3240 offers print speeds of up to 21 pages per minute for letter-sized sheets, monochrome print quality up to 1200 x 600 dpi, accepts paper stock up to 8.5" x 14" (legal), and features a 250-sheet, front-loading paper cassette with a manual tray for envelopes and other various paper sizes.

As a copier, the Canon MF3240 offers 21 copies per minute (letter) and a new design which allows you to scan thicker items such as books or magazines. A highlight of the MF3240 is the Canon Single Cartridge System, which combines the toner and imaging drum into a single unit. What does this mean for you? You only have to purchase a single consumable. Also, a full-yield toner cartridge is included which yields up to 2,500 pages at five percent coverage.

For faxing, the MF3240 comes with 33.6 Kbps Super G3 fax(iii) modem. You also get eight one-touch speed dial numbers, 100 coded speed dial numbers, 256-page fax reception memory capacity, sequential broadcasting, and activity reports. That should satisfy most faxing needs.

On the scanning front, the MF3240 accepts originals up to 8.5" x 11.7" in size. You can use the bundled ScanSoft OmniPage SE Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to convert scans into editable text or the NewSoft Presto! PageManager to fill your hardcopies. Connectivity to the PC is via high-speed USB 2.0. An optical resolution of 600 dpi, an enhanced resolution of 9600 dpi, and a color depth of up to 24-bits are other features provided.

The Canon imageCLASS MF3240 has a MSRP of US$199 and will be available at select retail outlets in early March, 2006. The product comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Manufacturer website: Canon, USA

HP's new HP 6980 Deskjet Inkjet Printer is targeted for home and office users. With its Wi-Fi capability, users can enjoy wireless printing with ease. With print-sharing, there's no longer any mess of cables around the room. With this printer, you can print on media upt o 8" x 24" with or without borders.

PictBridge compatibility ensures you don't need to access a PC to print photos from your digital camera; just plug it into the Deskjet 6980's front USB port and print away. SecureEasySetup gets you on a wireless network in under ten minutes. You also have the option to include a Bluetooth wireless print adapter, so you can print from a compatible mobile or PDA.

Speeds are pretty good, with HP claiming 36 ppm black and 27 ppm color. The bundled HP Photosmart Premier comes in handy if you want to manipulate images before printing.

The HP Deskjet 6980 carries a price tag of $149, and is available from HP's store.

HP unveiled its new HP 6940 Deskjet color printer, an affordable printer targeted at SOHO segment. Thanks to its Ethernet capability, you can share this printer among as many as five computers.

The printer is pretty fast - you get nearly 36 pages per minute in black and 27ppm in color (draft mode, of course). It supports 4800 dpi on optional 6-ink color. With PictBridge support, you also have the option to directly print photos without having to connect to a PC. Simply plug in PictBridge enabled cameras using the printer's front USB port and you are good to go.

The slightly enhanced model 6940dt comes with auto two-sided printing accessory. The input tray can store 250 sheets. Bundled software incldues HP Photosmart Premier - easy to fix or enhance images.

Priced at just $129, the HP 6940 is now available from HP's store.

Gerber Scientific annouced the GERBER SOLARA UV2 hybrid inkjet printer, which has the ability to print either roll-to-roll or as a flatbed on a variety of media that are up to 60" wide. With the Solara UV2, you can even print on rigid materials up to 13mm (0.5") thick.

The UV2 uses UV inks providing for easy maintenance, with low odor and little or no ventilation requirements or harmful VOCs. The printer also uses Gerber's exclusive CMYKVG inkset and multi-drop technology to produce vibrant colors for speciality graphics.

You can print on rugged materials such as foam board, corrugated plastic, polycarbonate and aluminum.

For more information, access Gerber's website.

Fujitsu announced that its new ScanSnap fi-5110EOXM scanner for Apple Macs will be on demo at Macworld 2006, happening in January. The ScanSnap has won Macworld 2005 Editors' Choice award. It is the only single-pass duplex auto-doc feeding scanner compatible with the Macs out there.

Features of the fi-5110EOXM include:

The AR-C360P implements EFI's Fiery controller and is capable of 1200x1200 dpi print resolution onto various media sizes, including A3 and banner sheets 12.9" x 47.24". It is also capable of handling heavy-stock paper.

For faster print job processing, the AR-C360P uses a 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM (heck, even my desktop doesn't have that kind of memory) and comes with a 20GB internal drive. It offers USB 2.0, parallel and 10/100 Ethernet connectivity options.

Features include:

HP announced the new HP Designjet 4500 Printer Series, aimed at delivering a cost-effective color printer targeted at the technical graphics market. Up until now, the Designjets, though popular, were not the most affordable ones. With 4500 series, HP plans to change that.

These large-format printers offer faster and sharper image quality during color printing, copying and scanning - all without needing user intervention. The printer is available in three models; as a printer (with two media rolls and stacker if you wish), as a large-format scanner, or as a multifunctional printer.

One of the neat features is the unattended mode of operation. The Designjet 4500 supports two media rolls, as well as capability to switch between them, giving unattended output of up to 200 plots. HP Double Swatch technology is used here, which doubles the number of print nozzles by placing the printheads in a staggered formation allowing it to print faster than other printers in its league.

Recognizing the need for color prints in architectural and engineering environments, HP has pushed for adoption of color printers, now at an affordable price. Prints up to 2400 x 1200 dpi are possible. Various price structures are available depending on the model you choose (all prices in USD):

You can also scan, copy and fax documents with the X8350 printer. With speeds of 25ppm for printing in black and 19ppm for color documents, it is a versatile printer in a highly affordable package. Productivity Suite Software bundled with the printer allows you to manage documents easily for printing, apart from transforming hard-copy documents to editable text on the computer.

Direct printing from various sources is also possible, thanks to the inclusion of memory card slots and another slot for a USB flash drive (personally, I prefer the latter more - I intend to modify the images on the computer before taking prints).

An interesting feature of the X8350 is that you can re-touch the images on the printer itself, to do things like red-eye reduction, add sepia toning effects, cropping, etc.

Priced at US $199, the Lexmark X8350 is available from January 2006 online at Lexmark's store.

Ricoh announced the new Aficio 2020D Multifunction printer that allows you to not only print, but scan, copy and fax documents. The 2020D is capable of printing up to 21 pages per minute.

The Aficio 2020D, designed to replace the older 2018D model, dedicatedly streamlines all aspects of your document processing needs starting from input to management and finally output. It is easy to configure the 2020D to your network. With the Scan-To-Email functionality users can send a soft-copy of the document directly to another user's inbox, saving a lot of time.

Capable of handling 1,600 sheets of paper, the 2020D is ideal for a small office. You can also use the faxing feature to send/receive faxes with it. With the addition of Internet Fax option, you can enjoy several cost benefits by faxing over the net.

Priced at US $3,350, more information about the Ricoh 2020D is available from Ricoh's website.

Ricoh Aficio 2020D Multifunction Features Include:

Dell unveiled the Photo All-In-One Printer 964 in a highly affordable package, allowing you to print, scan and copy with high quality. For faxing, a 33.6 Kbps fax modem is provided, along with a 160 page fax memory.

The Photo AIO 964 can be combined with a wireless printer adapter so it can be shared on your wireless network. Print speeds are rated at 26ppm (B&W) and 20ppm (color), at a maximum resolution of 4800x1200 dpi. A 2.4" LCD is provided so that you can directly connect a digital camera or USB memory device and print selected photos.

Thanks to the 50-sheet ADF (automatic document feeder), you can enjoy unattended faxing, scanning and copying. It is compatible with Windows 2000, XP and XP 64-bit.

Prices start at US $199, and more the Dell Photo AIO Printer 964 can be ordered online from Dell's online store.

While the connectivity is over a USB 1.1 interface (which is something I don't understand), Xerox claims a 11-second first-page-out time. The input tray holds a maximum of 150 sheets, and you can take a maximum of 99 copies in a single job when using the PE220 as a copier. A 30-sheet ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) is also provided for convenience.

Compatible with both PC and Mac platforms, the WorkCentre PE220 also boasts of an ID Card Copy feature that copies both sides of an ID card or small document onto one sheet of paper. You also have the ability to reduce or enlarge your originals from 25% to 400%.

You can purchase the new Xerox WorkCentre PE220 is from Xerox Direct for US $399.

B&W printing for PCL6 is stated at 22 ppm - the same as for the digital copying. Thanks to the ability to print on both sides, you can save on paper while using the AC205's copier function. The printer allows you to print on a variety of media including transparencies, labels, card stock and envelopes. A neat feature of this printer is the ability to print documents stored on a USB flash drive, or scan documents directly to it, eliminating the need for a PC in the middle.

You also get advanced functions like Scan-To-Email. With the bundled Readiris Pro 9 OCR software, it's a snap to convert printed documents to text format and then edit it on a PC. Monitoring the printer is easy: just use the included Web Image Monitor Type 103 software to monitor the printer from your browser.

Priced at US $620, the Ricoh AC205 Digital Imaging System is shipping now. More info is available from Ricoh's website.

Epson has introduced it's next generation consumer oriented photo printer with the Epson Stylus Photo R340. This printer is designed for digital photo enthusiasts and has a built in 2.4 inch color LCD display. You can use the display to preview, select, and crop images before they are printed out.

The R340 features the usage of six inks (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, Light Magenta) and supports Epson's Variable Sized Droplet Technology to create droplets as small as 3 pl.

Features of the R340 include:

Epson has announced the new Epson Stylus Photo R240 - a four color printer designed for novice digital camera users who want an affordable method of printing out their pictures.

The R240 uses just four inks (Black, Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta) to print out high quality digital photographs at resolutions up to 5760x1440dpi. Epson uses its Variable Size Droplet Technology which allows the printer to create ink droplets as small as 2pl. The photo printer can print out 24 borderless 10 x 15cm prints in only 20 minutes time. A single 10 x 15 cm print will take you roughly 47 seconds to print out on the R240.

The printer also features a 1.5 inch color LCD display which allows you to configure the printer and also view/select/print digital images stored on a media card or via PictBridge supported digital cameras. Via BIOS Magazine

Xerox unveiled the new Phaser 6120 color laser printer, targeting the SME market. The Phaser 6120 is capable of printing 5 ppm in color and 20 ppm in B&W.

Incorporating Xerox's 2400 Enhanced print mode, the Phaser 6120 delivers high-quality prints. It supports PostScript 3 and PCL 6, and can easily be configured over a network to work with Windows or Macintosh. The 6120 does double-sided printing, saving paper, and it can print various media sizes from postcard 4" x 6" to 8.5" x 14", and can print on different types such as card stock, envelopes and DuraDocument papers.

An affordable solution, it's also compliant with Energy Star, and comes with a pre-installed toner - so it's as easy as plug and play. Prices start at US $499, and the Phaser 6120 can be ordered direct from Xerox's website.

Xerox Phaser 6120 Color Laser Printer Features Include:

Quick Facts :

Ricoh has introduced the new 480W - a versatile wide format multifunction printer. The 480W is a powerful system that combines many hardware and software solutions into one system. It includes a document server that electronically stores the originals for on-demand printing. A built in 80GB hard drive is used to store the documents.

The 480W features:

Epson announced the new Epson Stylus Pro 9800 ink jet printer with the brand new Epson UltraChrome K3 ink technology - a technology that uses eight different colors to create excellent quality prints suitable for exhibitions, on various media.

The Stylus Pro 9800 allows printing sizes up to 24" x 44". Thanks to UltraChrome K3, the 9800 printer creates a higher degree of color fidelity. The prints are scratch-resistant to a greater extent, and resist fading up to 108 years (for color prints) and 200 years (for B&W prints) on select Epson media.

The new 1"-wide print head features 180 nozzles per channel, giving a maximum resolution of 2880x1440 dpi - with the smallest ink droplet at 3.5 picolitres. An optional automatic take-up reel system is available for the 9800 printer, providing the user with a system for unattended production of large print runs.

Connectivity options include a USB 2.0 port, an IEEE 1394 port and an expansion slot for (optional) 10/100 Base-T Ethernet card.

Priced at US $4,995 (estimated street price), more info about the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 printer is available at Epson's website.

Konica Minolta unveiled their new color printer offering, the Konica Minolta bizhub C450P, that supports print sizes up to 12" x 18", offering high quality color printing at never-before speeds.

The bizhub C450P claims a print speed of 35ppm for color documents and 45ppm for B&W, making it the fastest full-color printer around. Some of the advanced finishing capabilities of this printer include saddle-stitch booklet making, folding, and two- and three-hole punching. Based on an IBM PowerPC 600MHz processor, it comes with 512 MB of printer memory, support for 10/100 Base-T and a maximum print resolution of 600x1800 dpi.

The bizhub C450P has a max monthly duty cycle of 125,000 impressions, which is great. You can store up to 3,400 sheets of paper. Bundled software includes Konica Minolta's PageScope suite allowing you to manage bizhub docs and devices through a central system, increasing efficiency. With the PageScope Net Care, you can get detailed information about the printer status on a network from your browser.

Document security is provided with HDD Overwrite (but you must shell out extra for the external 40gig hard drive) and Job Erase.

Priced at US $11,995, more info about the Konica Minolta bizhub C450P is available from Konica Minolta's website.

Konica Minolta announced the new bizhub 200 MFP, comprising a printer/copier/scanner/fax. The bizhub 200 claims print/copy speeds of 20ppm letter size portrait mode, and max monthly duty cycle of 60,000 - quite sufficient for a small business.

The bizhub 200 is built around Konica Minolta's Emperon Print System featuring Scan to FTP, Scan to SMB, Scan to E-mail and Internet faxing. Optional Super G3 analog FAX capabilities are included as well. Most of the other features are similar to the bizhub 350 and bizhub 250 MFPs.

Optional fax capabilities include 33.6Kbps Super G3 analog FAX, with 32 MB of memory. You can transmit B&W documents up to 11" x 17" size with JBIG compression. The max resolution is 600x600 fax TX resolution.

The bundled PageScope Net Care allows you to get detailed info about the operating conditions of your devices from a web browser. The NDPS Gateway software allows seamless connection to Novell Distributed Print Services.

Priced at US $4,800, more info about the Konica Minolta bizhub 200 MFP is available from Konica Minolta's website.

Konica Minolta announced the new bizhub 250 MFP, comprising a printer/copier/scanner/fax. It provides print/copy speeds of 25ppm letter size portrait mode, with a max monthly duty cycle of 120,000.

The bizhub 250 is built around Konica Minolta's Emperon Print System featuring Scan to FTP, Scan to SMB, Scan to E-mail and Internet faxing. Optional Super G3 analog FAX capabilities are included as well.

Standard paper capacity of the bizhub 250 is 1,250 sheets, with a maximum of 4,000 sheets. Security features in the bizhub 250 include Print Lock Job, Account Track, SSL and more. The Konica Minolta Simitri Polymerized Toner ensures uniformity of the toner particles, so you get consistent high-quality images.

Priced at US $5,700, more info about the Konica Minolta bizhub 250 MFP is available from Konica Minolta's website.

Konica Minolta announced the new bizhub 350 MFP, comprising a printer/copier/scanner/fax, targeted at SMBs. The bizhub 350 is, naturally, aimed to be the hub of your business activity. Print/copy speeds are at 35ppm for letter portrait, with a monthly duty cycle of 150,000.

The bizhub 350 comes with Konica Minolta's proprietary Emperon Print System that includes advanced features like Scan to FTP, Scan to SMB, Scan to E-mail and Internet faxing. The print/copy resolution is maintained at 600x600 dpi, and with 256 levels of gray, B&W printing comes out with sharp edges and clear text. The device also boasts 192 MB of standard memory.

Standard capacity of the bizhub 350 is 1,250 sheets, which can easily be increased to handle 4,000 sheets. Security features in the bizhub 350 include Print Lock Job, Account Track, SSL, LDAP among others. Expect more enhanced features in 2006 as well. Various finishing options like sorting and grouping, stapling, two and three hole punching, and booklet making are also provided. Bundled software include PageScope Net Care and PageScope Web Connection for centralized access to printer status.

Priced at US $7,650, more info about the Konica Minolta bizhub 350 MFP is available from Konica Minolta's website.