Review: Small Business Digital Copier / MFP Lexmark x642e

I just wanted to post our experience with finding a new copier for our
small business. We decided on a Lexmark x642e.

Quick summary of our situation. We were looking to replace an older
Konico Minolta analog copier. The old copier printed 30cpm and had a
finisher installed that we never used. We were copying about 1500
pages a month, which is a pretty small volume but needed a sheet
feeder. We now print probably double as this printer has taken a lot
of work from local printers.

After looking at many entry level digital copiers, I was very excited
about 2 mfp that were very new to the market. I narrowed it down to
the HP Laserjet 4345mfp and the lexmark x642e. We chose the Lexmark
x642e and have nothing but great things to say about this mfp. We had
to wait for delivery of this pdevice as it was so new they were not at
the distributors at the time of our purchase. We have now used it for 6
months and it is doing a lot of printing as well as copying.

The Lexmark x642e is not just a a copier. This multifunction printer
faxes, copies, is a network printer and network scanner (scan to
email). It has really changed the way we do business. We used to fax
a lot of items because it was so time intensive to scan and email
documents but now it is just as easy to scan and email, plus we have a
digital record of it. Because this mfp is built on a long used laser
printer engine it is very reliable and toner is replaced with a laser
printer cartridge anyone can handle changing.

When we were looking in mid 2006 this mfp was priced starting about
$1900 CDN and when equiped with a duplexer, 2 extra paper trays, and a
stand came to about $3500 CDN.

If you are looking at digital copiers, or for that matter maybe an
older analog copier I would highly recommend checking out the lexmark
x642e.

The other copiers that I compared the Lexmark to is:
Digital: Toshiba e-studio 232 ($7800 Cdn), Toshiba eStudio 25 ($5000
CDN), HP Laserjet 4345mfp ($3500 CDN), Canon Imagerunner 2020i ($5250
CDN), Konica Minolta Bizhub 200 ($8000 CDN)

Analog/Refurbed: Minolta EP3000 ($2600 CDN), Minolta EP2030 ($2200CDN),
Konica 7022 ($3000), Konica 7020 ($2500)

**** Most of the comparison required service contracts ranging from
$0.014 to $0.027 per page. ***
We were not required to purchase a service contract for the Lexmark but
were given the option to purchase a 3 year same day onsite warantee and
turned it down.