Printer: Fuji Xerox DocuPrint CM215fw

Launched last year, this Fuji Xerox printer is a functional no-frills model which lacks Near Field Communication and some other new features offered by other brands.

Technically, this is not a laser printer. It uses S-LED (self-scanning light-emitting diode) technology. However, the two are relatively similar.

The CM215fw uses the Fuji Xerox Print & Scan app (iOS and Android) as a mobile app for wireless printing, which has basic functions.

It can print documents, photos and webpages from mobile devices, but it cannot be integrated with cloud storage services. Moreover, the user interface looks dated.

As a multi-function printer, the CM215fw more than lives up to expectations. Print speed for black-and-white pages approaches 13 pages a minute, slightly under the advertised 15 pages.

However, colour print speed is as good as touted at about 12 pages per minute. Print quality is relatively good, especially for colour pages.

The LCD display is large enough to show more information than the displays of some competitors.

The physical buttons, however, seem a bit mushy and require a bit more force to register.

Manual duplex printing is supported, but the paper tray holds only 150 sheets of paper, which is on the low side.

Wi-Fi connectivity, which includes a one-touch Wi-Fi Protected Set-up button, makes connecting to a router a hassle-free affair.

However, sending a document from a mobile device to the Fuji Xerox took more than 30sec, which seems slower than some printers.

Maintenance is straightforward. Pull open the side panel when you need to replace the toner. You can probably change all four toners (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) in less than 30sec.

The copier produces clean copies which could almost pass off as originals at a glance. Like many multi-function printers, it has an ID copy feature to make copies of your identification cards. Documents and photos can be scanned to an attached USB flash drive - you can directly print documents stored on the drive.

Overall, this Fuji Xerox is a capable printer for the home or small office, especially given its small footprint. It is priced competitively at $499 and compares well with its rivals in terms of printing costs.

Each black-and-white page costs 4.8 cents. Heavy users will appreciate that the drum, which can easily cost more than $100 for most models, is free under warranty.

Good print quality and relatively low print cost make up for its clunky mobile printing feature. TECH SPECS

Price: $499

Yield: Up to 2,000 standard pages per cartridge (black) and 1,400 pages per cartridge (colour)

Print resolution: Up to 1,200 x 2,400 dots per inch

Speed: Up to 15 pages per minute (black), 12 pages per minute (colour)

Tested speed: 13 pages per minute (black), 12 pages per minute (colour)

RATING

Features: 4/5

Design: 3/5

Performance: 4/5

Value for money: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

This article was first published on Oct 29, 2014.
Get a copy of Digital Life, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.