Lexmark E250DN Monochrome Laser Printer
|  | $246.58Availability: 649 In Stock
Condition: NewSKU: 33S0300
UPC: 734646013284
Shipping: $36.69
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| Customer ReviewsReviewed on 2008-04-10  
good printer for the price
At the list price Amazon shows or even the price lexmark sells this for this would be a disappointment. But at the current price half way between 100 and 200 dollars this is a steal. see edit 1*
I've only lived with it for 3 days so take this with that in mind.
The biggest cost of a printer are the cartridges. This printer's replacement toner cartridges are pricey if you buy the lexmark ones. Do an internet search. Replacements can be purchased for half that much. edit 2*
Setup was painless. Unpack, connect to router (linksys wrt54g in my case). Turn on. It acquires an ip address from the router and prints a page telling you about it (not really interesting if you allow your router to dynamically assign ips). Install lexmark drivers on the PCs you'll be using to print from (it asks if the printer will be connected locally or via the network, and after finding it asks for confirmation). Start printing.
I was shocked how fast it prints the first page. Output is consistent with the advertised rate of 30ppm, but the first page spat out immediately upon hitting print from the computer. I was expecting a lag of at least 8 seconds. Noise level is low, less so than the old HP 5550 inkjet (still keep it connected for color output), a bit like a subdued vacuum cleaner in another room. As soon as the print finishes the printer powers down to idle (noiseless) and after 30 seconds goes into power saver (noiseless). Waking back up it always prints immediately. I thought there was a problem with power saver but checking settings this appears to be active.
Output is crisp and clear. I can't see any difference in quality between this and the expensive xerox machines at work, but I didn't examine it under a microscope. I did lower the toner darkness to 5 (default is 8) and the resolution to 600dpi(?) instead of the default 1200 and was still happy with the result. Extremely small fonts (dunno in points but it's less than 1/8 inch) are poorly rendered, but I think this is more a function of my settings than the printer's ability.
The installed memory, 32mb seems adequate for most print jobs. I immediately printed the manual (100 page PDF) and this didn't bother it. I ordered a 64mb memory card from Kingston (the one lexmark offers on their website is waaay too expensive). Edit 3*
The duplexing function works well, but with one flaw. Non duplexed (single sided) printed output lays flat after coming off the printer, but duplexed (two sided) output curls slightly at the ends of the sheet. Haven't experimented with other types of paper (using 20lb costco multi-use paper). This is annoying but not a killer.
The manual feed slot (for sending single envelopes through) is not user friendly. Following the instructions I could not get an envelope to print from word 2000 on an xp machine. The instructions tell you to alter the printer tray selection from auto to manual, then print, then go to the printer and feed the media through the slot (it's supposed to wait). Well it waited once or twice, but the envelope printed blank. Then it gave up waiting. I'll work with this some more, but it seems unusable, at least from word 2000 (the printer selection is cumbersome when using the envelope tool). edit 4*
The paper tray only holds 250 sheets. A ream of paper is 500. I wish it held 500. You can buy an optional 550 2nd paper tray, but lexmark charges waaaay too much for this (see a pattern here?). The paper tray does have a handy level indicator on the lower left to know approximately how much is left.
The user manual is so so. I haven't checked to see if there's more documentation on the CD that came with it, but so far the manual is kinda bad. For example, it doesn't even point out that the printer has a built in web applet you can access from a browser by typing its ip address in the address bar. Full setup options can be made from here. Most of the manual is concerned with error code hieroglyphics indicated with the 5 or so LEDs on the front of the printer. That will make you crazy. *edit 5
This thing is sold under other names, Dell markets it. IBM used to. For a lot more money than it's sold here.
Not a bad deal.
One week later:
* edit 1: I'd probably still buy one at the current street price. Shop around to be sure you're not paying too much. I'm pleased with the quality, speed, economy and quietness of this printer when compared to the HP inkjet I was using. If you're a student or have a home office a laser printer is a "must have." Don't miss color output (but I keep the HP connected just in case...)
* edit 2: I tried a refill toner cartridge from an internet seller. Was disappointed; the parts that wear out (roller/wiper) were not replaced making the output slightly streaked. Be sure if you buy a refill that these are new parts. Consider how you are using the printer. Even the full price lexmark toner cartridge is still 0.03 per printed page if you go by the stated yield of 3,500 pages, actual yield will probably be higher, especially if you reduce the darkness/dpi for most output. I'm not sure saving a penny or two per page is worth the use of substandard cartridges. But if you're printing thousands per week it may be. In my case we are printing less than a hundred per day; I think I'll stick with the new lexmark toner cartridges.
* edit 3: the added memory card (even the inexpensive one from Kingston) seems overkill, unless the printer is used in an office where multiple PC's are printing large jobs simultaneously. The manual talks about so many possible errors from not having enough memory that it seemed like a good idea, but I'd recommend waiting to see if you really need it. The Kingston compatible card installed easily. The printer took longer to "boot-up" after turning it on, but recognized the card with no errors.
* edit 4: figured out how to select the manual feed from the envelope tool in MS Word 2K. It's there under options. User error; nothing wrong with the manual feed design of this printer. Instructions could have been better maybe.
* edit 5: in addition to the manual in PDF (adobe reader) format, there are html help pages on the CD that have additional information. Plus the driver, when installed on a PC has its own help button with more information. |  | Reviewed on 2007-10-16
Very, very pleased -- great value for the price!
Bought this to replace a Brother B&W duplexing laser that suddenly decided to go belly up after a little under 2 years of light use. I really enjoyed the convenience of the duplexing, so I bypassed some other laser printers to get to this one. Although it was a little more expensive than what it would have cost to replace my Brother, I've found thus far that it's been well worth it. CNET gave this printer good reviews, and now I know why. Microsoft Vista ready (which I needed, as we had upgraded shortly after the Brother failed), several connectivity options, easy to plug in and go, works well with our home wireless router, nice print quality, very quiet in standby mode ... I very much recommend this product to the home user who does light or occasionally moderate printing who wants the convenience of duplexing, easy connectivity, and Vista capabilities. | |
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