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| Xerox WorkCentre 470cx |
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Hardware Reviews December 1999 • Vol.2 Issue 12 |
Xerox WorkCentre 470cx | ||
 The Xerox WorkCentre 470cx is a colossal machine built for companies on a tight budget. While the color graphics that the $299 WorkCentre prints are vibrant, they also suffer from a lot of streaking, and its print speeds are very slow. Components. The WorkCentre 470cx has a very large footprint of 7.6 inches high x 17.2 inches wide x 14.2 inches deep, even though it weighs only 14.5 pounds. Numerous buttons on the control panel mean that it will take a few seconds to push the correct button combination to start the copy process. Once the copy starts, the machine produces good reproductions with its 300 x 300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution. You'll find 20 programmable buttons on the control panel, a numeric keypad, and other buttons for adjusting resolution and contrast. The 470cx has a printer resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dpi for monochrome and color. Included with the 470cx are a 100-page paper tray and ink cartridges for monochrome and color print cartridges. For scanning, the 470cx provides a 300 x 600 optical resolution and a 4,800 x 4,800 enhanced resolution. When we scanned in documents and printed the results, the pages were nearly identical to the originals. However, the 470cx lacks scanning software, so plan on an additional investment if you want to scan text or photos. Sending a fax is simple with the 470cx, but the output is somewhat fuzzy. Setup. The 470cx is easy to assemble, and Xerox includes all of the necessary drivers on a CD-ROM. Plenty of documentation helps you familiarize yourself with this machine, but as we mentioned earlier, you'll probably want some additional scanning software. Performance. We ran a series of tests on the 470cx to measure quality and speed. We connected the unit to an IBM 300XL PC with an Intel Pentium II 300MHz (megahertz) processor, 128MB (megabytes) of RAM (random-access memory), and the Windows 98 operating system. Next, we printed and timed a 10-page text-only document, a three-page Microsoft PowerPoint slide presentation, a six-page Word document, and a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image. The JPEG image was enlarged to fill an 8.5- x 11-inch sheet of glossy paper. In addition, the image was used to test the scanning and copying features of the device. We also sent and received documents using the fax to gauge the time and fax quality. In our tests, the print speeds were disappointing, but we were pleased with the smooth copies and beautiful color photos the 470cx produced. The unit also faltered when printing multicolored PowerPoint slides, and faxes appeared smudged. The quickest print time was in the 10-page text test at 3:06, followed by 9:22 for the six-page text/graphic test, 2:59 for the PowerPoint test, and 5:47 for the PhotoShop test. The text appeared sharp, and the graphics included bright colors, but there was continuous streaking. The 470cx is a fairly inexpensive device for printing color photos, sending faxes, and printing documents. For those wanting a simple machine to print color photos and send an occasional fax, the 470cx should be a good choice. by Buffy Cranford-Petelle
$299 Xerox (800) 832-6979 (203) 968-3000 http://www.xerox.com
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