Lexmark X73 and X83
family of printer/scanners
by Rick Smith (August 20, 2001)
While color printing has become much less expensive for both the home and the home office, color copying has remained pricey. While multiple copies of computer-generated color material can be easily printed, color copying generally involves a trip to the library or local copy center. The Lexmark X83 and X73, the latest models in their All-in-One Print Center line make color copying very affordable. In addition, each of these models function as printers and scanners.
Both the Lexmark X83 and X73 combine a high resolution color printer with a high resolution flatbed scanner into a single integrated unit, for less than 200 dollars. This price and feature combination certainly eclipses the Xerox XK35C (read our review) in price and the Umax 1220P/Lexmark Z11 (read our review) combination in ease of use. Last year, Lexmark released the Z82, (read our product brief) another printer/scanner combination, but both the Lexmark X83 and X73 surpass the Z82 by providing faster printing and better specifications at a lower price. (The Z82 provides both a parallel port in addition to a USB port, while the X83/X73 are USB only devices.)
These two models look very similar and the Lexmark X83 shares many features with its lower priced sibling, the Lexmark X73.
Lexmark X83
Lexmark X73
These two multifunction printer/scanners:
Print at 2400 x 1200 dpi resolution in both black and color with the Accu-Feed paper handling system
Scan 600 x 1200 dpi optical resolution and 48-bit color scan depth
Connect via USB for Windows printing
Feature a flatbed scanner with a removable top
Can print up to 99 copies from a single original
Feature a zoom range from 25 percent reduction to 400 percent enlargement
Ship with Black Ice Fax software that can edit, store, send, and receive faxes using a connected computer in both black and COLOR
Include a high resolution black inkjet cartridge and a high resolution color inkjet cartridge in the box Provide OCR and imaging capability through the included ABBYY Fine Reader 4.0 Sprint OCR text editing and MGI Photo Suite
Use a seven picoliter color droplet size for smoother color blending and more vivid output
The most critical feature difference between these models is that the Lexmark X83 is capable of standalone copying. This means that all the copying functions (black/color copies, 1-99 copies, reduction and enlargement) can all be accomplished without requiring a PC. The X83 also retails for $199, while the X73 retails for only $149.
There are several differences between the Lexmark X83 and X73 models. They are:
The X83 prints at up to 12 pages per minute (ppm) in black and up to 6 ppm in color, while the X73 print at up to 9 ppm in black and up to 5 ppm in color.
The X73 currently supports the Mac OS, while X83 will be Mac compatible later in 2001.
The X83 has a 19,200 dpi enhanced scanner resolution, while the X73 has up to a 9600 dpi enhanced scanner resolution.
The X83 copies at up to 10 copies per minute (cpm) in black and up to 3 cpm in color, while the X73 copies at up to 9 cpm in black and up to 3 cpm in color.
Deciding between these two models depends on your budget ($50 difference) and if you need to be able to make copies without having your PC running.
Reviews OnLine has highly recommended the Lexmark X83 in our review.
Copyright
© 2006 Rick Smith All rights reserved.
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