Copiers can be connected to a network of desktop PCs
Xerox Document Centre 220 ST; Konica 7060 workgroup document system
By Staff -- Purchasing, 5/21/1998
Nineteen-ninety-eight looks like it may be the year of "the networked office." In the coming months, a host of copier manufacturers are poised to introduce new machines that can be linked to a network of desktop personal computers.These "digital" copiers scan and digitize originals before reproducing them (analog machines use a "light-lens" method). Not all digital copiers, however, are connectable; some can be used only on a standalone basis.
Six manufacturers started to offer copier-based multifunction products in the 20-80 ppm (page per minute) range last year: Canon, Kodak, Konica, Oce, Ricoh, and Xerox. Some of these, however, were being sold as standalones, with assurances that connectivity was on the way. At 20-80 ppm, these machines are suitable for workloads of up to 100,000 pages per month.
"By the end of this year, it appears likely that every single copier manufacturer will have at least one multifunction machine in the 20-80 ppm segment," says John Derrick, editor of The Mid/High-Volume Multifunctional Guide, published by Better Buys for Business, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Why would a corporate buyer be interested in purchasing connectable copiers? New copiers promise space--and cost--savings. Connectable copiers mean buyers need only purchase one set of consumables, one maintenance/ service agreement, and less user training. What's more, copier running costs may be reduced if a copier/printer device offers lower running costs of a copier rather than the traditionally higher ones of a dedicated printer.
At the same time, buyers may want to keep in mind that integrating different functions in one machine may not, in itself, be a benefit; some believe it may be a step backward from a productivity perspective. For instance, if a machine goes down, it can take all the functions with it. Another hassle: user conflict.
Coming in the new millenium, says Derrick, are "function-neutral" imaging systems, to which users can attach input and output devices of their choice. On the input side, this could include scanners (for copying documents and sending them elsewhere), controllers and network cards (for accepting and processing print jobs), and modems (for handling faxes and traffic over the Internet). Here is a sampling of some current offerings:
Xerox Document Centre 220 and 230 digital copiers can be upgraded to network printers and scanners via upgrade kits. CentreWare Network Scanning Ser-vices automatically routes scanned documents to network destinations including a user's PC for viewing and editing, customized e-mail distribution lists, or network file directories.
With CentreWare, the Document Centre 220ST, which provides digital copying and network printing, can be configured to deliver additional services such as network scanning and faxing.
The 220ST, which has been designed with a unique document printing architecture, an embedded Web server, and a common browser-based client, delivers network printing at 600 x 600 dpi and network scanning at 20 ppm.
The modular Document Centre 230LP workgroup laser printer provides network printing and finishing at 30 ppm. Users can add functions such as copying, faxing, or network scanning.
As part of its expanding network connectivity offering, Xerox has bundled PostScript Level 2 from Adobe Systems on all connected Document Centre products. PostScript, the industry standard page description language, increases performance of virtually all common document and printing tasks and ensures that documents are printed with optimal quality.
From Konica is the 7060 workgroup document system with electronic re-circulating document handler (erdh) memory which receives and stores originals as compressed digitized data using aldc (adaptive lossless data compression) to ensure quality. Standard 16 MB of memory can handle about 90 8.5 X 11 pages, with optional memory upgrades available for a total of 128 MB to support large applications.
From start to finish, user intervention is minimized. Taking copies and turning them into stapled documents, the finisher has a total paper capacity of 2,200 sheets in two output bins, and supports three-position stapling.
Stackless duplex system generates double-sided copies in a single step. Since the 7060 makes duplexed copies without stopping pages in the paper path, it can generate, Konica says, an unlimited number of duplexed copies in a single run. Because there is no need to stack the sheets for a second run, the risk of paper jams is greatly reduced and productivity is dramatically improved.
The 7060 has a concurrent architecture enabling two jobs to be stored in the erdh memory at the same time. With dual access, users can program and scan subsequent copy jobs while the 7060 is completing previous print or copy jobs. Dual access technology helps to improve user productivity by giving them access to the machine, regardless if it is busy printing or copying previous jobs.
By adding an IP-302 print controller, the 7060 is transformed into a 60 ppm document printer. The 7060 supports all major operating systems and protocols including Novell NetWare, Windows NT, unix, and Macintosh. Connectivity will also be available for AS/400 and mainframe printing environments.
Available from Ricoh is its Aficio 401 digital system with 40 ppm printer controller and 400 X 400 dots per inch (dpi) scanner options.
Standard configuration of the Aficio 401 includes a 500-sheet user adjustable front-loading paper tray; a 1100-sheet large capacity tray and a 40-sheet bypass tray for a total capacity of 1540 sheets; and a three-post staple finish-er. Standard features include a 4.9-second first-copy time; zoom reduction and enlargement from 25 to 400% in 1% increments; background and page numbering; duplex copying from 5.5 in. x 8.5 in. to 11 in. x 17 in.; and auto and user date stamping.
The printer controller option adds printing and scanning options to the Aficio 401. Compatible with Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT, and Macintosh, the 401 also can be networked with the AXIS 540+/542+ network print server, transforming the digital copier into a workgroup printer and scanner. Optional print controller has a 815MB hard drive and an 8MB memory, upgradeable to 72MB for spooling print jobs. Other print controller features include a maximum 600 dpi resolution; 35 Adobe Script II and 10 true type fonts; and 1 bitmap font. In addition, the optional scanner can scan documents for archiving with additional customer-supplied software. Other scanner features include a SCSI-2 interface, twain and isis scanner drivers, 400 dpi resolution and 256 gray levels.
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