A Black-and-white Issue

Do your homework before switching to a digital copier. And consult with your IT folks to make sure you can network it later.

"The buzz word impacting everyone is digital. Digital is here to stay."

That's the word from Jeff Smith, director of consumer services for Buyers Laboratory, a Hackensack, N.J.-based consumer advocate for buyers of office equipment. But don't ditch that analog copier yet, Smith says. Although copier manufacturers are beginning the phasing-out process, analog copiers are going to be around longer than most people think.

"It's not going to be a short-term thing," says Smith. "I believe it will take eight to 10 years before the analog copier is really dead."

The future, though, does belong to digital, he adds.

"If you are a manufacturer and you don't have a full digital line, you are dead out there. Manufacturers are not going to go away from that," Smith says. It's not so much consumer demand driving this evolution, rather it's a sort of 'keeping up with the Joneses' manufacturing mentality.

Smith warns those in-plant managers thinking of switching to a digital copier to do some homework before jumping right in. He urges managers to work closely with their information technology department when selecting a digital copier. This is to avoid a huge obstacle down the line when you go to network the copier.

Smith also advises consumers to look for short-term contracts when leasing or renting equipment, and to stay away from making a purchase.

"You don't want to be buying old technology, nor do you want to be buying brand new technology that's not mature yet," he advises.

Smith says right now it is better to look for a 36- to 48-month lease or rental agreement than to buy either a digital or an analog copier. This will give new technologies a chance to mature and prove themselves, and come down in price.

Smith advises managers to create a plan before beginning the copier shopping process. And don't let copier manufacturers pressure you to change that plan. This plan should include input from your organization's information technology (IT) and purchasing departments.

Numerous Options

The Canon NP 9120 can produce 120 copies per minute (cpm). A short and direct paper path keeps paper handling to a minimum. When service is required, the NP 9120 interacts with field technicians' laptops equipped with computerized diagnostics. Its memory holds up to 60 job setups for future use without reprogramming. The NP 9120 also features a 150-sheet recycling document feeder and automatic two-sided duplexing. It offers VIEW (Variable Input Electronic Writing), which enables mail merges, date stamping, annotation and pagination.

The Danka Office Imaging A50 copier features a first-copy speed of three seconds and throughput of 50 cpm, with accelerated speed of up to 60 cpm for a single set of one-sided, letter-sized originals. It can accept and output letter, legal or 11x17˝ pages. A recirculating document feeder accepts up to 100 mixed-size originals. The A50 has simple touch-screen controls and a nine-job memory.

The Konica 7060 is a 60-cpm digital copier that can be upgraded into a 60-ppm network printer with the optional IP-302 print controller. Features include scan-once-print-many technology, LCD touch screen control panel, booklet making with optional in-line stitcher/folder, dual access, unlimited stackless duplexing, and document sorting and stapling. Using Tandem technology, two 7060s can be connected through a single print controller for 120 ppm copying or printing.

The Di620 from Minolta combines 62-ppm copying speed with finishing features such as offset stacking, multi-position auto-stapling, two- and three-hole punching, three folding options and saddle stitching. It offers scan once/print multiple copying with a range of digital features including booklet making, image rotation, page numbering and single-pass duplexing. The optional Pi6000 Print Controller allows the Di620 to function as a networked printer.

Mita has launched the PointSource Ai5555 digital copier/printer, a 55-ppm scan-once-print-many digital laser system. The Ai5555 features electronic collating, automatic document feeding, all-position stapling, stackless unlimited duplex and a 3,600-sheet standard paper capacity. The Ai5555 provides sharp image quality with laser copying at 400-dpi resolution and 128 halftone levels for output of photos, charts and graphics. With an optional print controller, it becomes a networked laser printer with up to 600x600-dpi resolution.

The Océ USA 3165 operates at 62 cpm and is designed as a stand-alone digital unit or network printer. The Océ 3165 enables users to progress from current hard copy working procedures to increased online printing of electronically generated documents. It features a shorter paper path that virtually eliminates internal paper jams and increases system uptime. The Océ 3165 scans at a speed of sixty 81⁄2x11˝ originals per minute with an output resolution of 600 dpi.

The Ricoh Aficio 550 and 650 series boast speeds of 55 and 65 cpm respectively. At 400 dpi and a with 3.7-second first-copy speed, both have a standard 12MB internal memory plus a 1.7GB hard drive. Other features include connect copy, next job pre-scan, batch feed, duplexing, centering, multi-page booklet mode, auto reversing document feeder, sample set capabilities and multi-lingual capabilities.

The GR2700 Risograph from RISO is a 300x400-dpi unit. It offers time-saving features such as two-up printing and a 17-second first print time. The GR2700 features job programming, which enables users to select up to 50 different originals from a single original, and job memory that stores up to 20 frequently used job settings in 20 memory locations. It duplicates at 130 prints per minute.

The JP1030 from Standard Duplicating Machines has glass platen and edge erase modes that allow books and other 3D objects to be clearly copied. Its 300 dpi imaging can be expanded to 300x400 dpi in fine mode function. The JP1030 prints up to 120 copies per minute with the option of 11 spot colors, and the ability to use a variety of paper stocks, including envelopes.

The 35-ppm Toshiba DP 3580 digital copier offers 600x600-dpi resolution in both copy and print functions. It is rated up to 100,000 copies per month, and includes a touch screen panel that directs all controls. The 20MB memory and 2.1GB hard drive allow storage of 100 pages in each of eight locations. Other features include page numbering, annotation and a standard magazine sort.

The Xerox 5800 copier produces 120 ppm. It features a color graphical user interface and Sixth Sense performance-monitoring technology, which permits users to remotely adjust certain operating parameters for peak performance. An optional paper-sourcing feature called The Interposer expands the unit's paper capacity to 6,700 pages in six drawers, enabling the copier to process long, complex jobs without interruption. With The Interposer, more types of documents can be produced in-line without manual collation and assembly.