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Your Reproductive System

Entrepreneur, March, 2001 by Amanda C. Kooser

Don't get too excited: a not-so-intimate look at workgroup copiers and whether you should choose analog or digital

There may come a time when Kinko's just won't satisfy you anymore. Someday you'll get tired of leaving the office to get copies made. You'll also come to terms with the fact that running off multiple copies means using up your printer's ink cartridges. And you'll watch your employees twiddle their thumbs while waiting for 10 copies of a report to finish. That's when you know its time to invest in a dedicated copier.

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Personal copiers are tempting because they're cheap (less than $500) and small, but they don't have the muscle power to handle high-volume demands or an office full of employees. So we're going to look at workgroup copiers that are sized for businesses and used by small workgroups of employees. These aren't the horse-sized copiers of yore, but compact, net-workable machines for low- and mid-volume use. The price tags continue to clock in at well over $1,000, but that's small change compared to the bigger machines on the market.

FIT TO PRINT

There are two basic types of workgroup copiers: analog and digital. Analog is the kind we're all familiar with. You place your book or paper on the platen glass, set the lid on top of it, push the button and wait as the light goes buzzing along underneath it, one pass for each copy you make.

The Xerox 5818 Copier, at $3,060 (all prices street), is a good example of a relatively low-cost analog copier. Its reduce and enlarge ratios of 64 to 156 percent are typical of analog. (By comparison, some digital copiers can enlarge up to 800 percent.) The 5818's 20,000-page monthly volume is enough to handle most small workgroup demands. The input tray holds 720 sheets with a 99-sheet maximum output. Compare this with the high-priced, high-volume Kyocera Mita DC-6500 Workgroup Copier.

We've included the DC-6500 in our "Shopping List" on page 52 for comparison's sake. This machine is $19,995 worth of free-standing, old-fashioned analog printing. It's way out of the budget reaches of some companies, but it's typical of what's left lingering in the analog product lines: large workhorse machines for companies that really have some serious copying to do. The DC-6500, for example, can crank out a whopping 65 copies per minute (CPM) and can be retrofitted to hold a 6,300-sheet paper supply.

Not surprisingly, digital copiers have begun to outnumber analogs in the marketplace. Analog prices and copy quality may be comparable to digital machines, but digital offers other advantages: For instance, you don't have to stand there and wait for the machine to scan the paper every time it makes a copy. It scans the paper once, remembers it and continues copying. You can snag the original and return to work while the copier stays busy.

And unlike analog machines, for which copying is the one and only duty, most digital copiers are designed as "document management systems." That's the long term for "multifunction." A network copier might also be your network printer, scanner or fax machine. Some systems come this way; others offer modules so you can add printer capabilities to your copier later if the need arises.

The Konica 7415 Workgroup Document System is a good example of the Latter. The basic machine is just a copier, but you can add on a network card or a fax module. This sort of setup is ideal for making one machine operate as a networked multifunction device. It can also evolve as your business grows and your hardware needs increase.

If you already know you want it all, another option is to just buy all the features ready to rumble in one machine. The $2,799 Sharp DM2000 Network Laser Document System comes pre-equipped as a copier and network printer. A fax feature is optional. It isn't as cheap as running out and buying another inkjet, but you'll get all the advantages of a laser printer along with the convenience of a copier. And 20 pages per minute (ppm) output isn't too shabby, either.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

For most business workgroup purposes, a sub-$3,000 copier will suffice. Narrowing down the options will require some thought. On the one hand, you don't want to spend more than you have to, but on the other hand, you don't want to invest in a machine that will be inadequate for your needs.

One of the first considerations is how many copies per month you'll be making. Make a generous estimate and pad it with room for growth if you see some business expansion in your future. If you figure you're going to run off about 200 copies per day, then you can figure about 6,000 per month. Next, match that up with the listed monthly duty cycle for copiers that interest you. Be aware that manufacturers are notorious for inflating duty-cycle numbers, so always aim for well over your estimate. Back to our example, you would minimally want a copier with a 10,000-page duty cycle. Working a copier harder than what it's designed to handle increases the chances of it breaking down and requiring service. Most digital multifunction copiers don't list duty cycles.

Business Services Industry

Your Reproductive System

Entrepreneur, March, 2001 by Amanda C. Kooser

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