Labs

The Oki is one of two models here, with the Brother, to opt for a low-profile horizontal orientation. Unlike the Brother, the Oki has a rather 'bare bones' feel. Build quality is solid, but the fact that it's the company's entry-level model is made clear by features such as the absence of an LCD display to provide status information.

Another minor niggle occurred when we came to install the C3300n. We tested all the printers using a PC running Windows Vista (in this case, Ultimate Edition). When we went to install the software

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from the Oki CD, a message told us the software wasn't compatible with our operating system. The Xerox's installation routine suffered the same problem, but redirected us automatically to the maker's website to download an update. The Oki, however, just left us hanging.

With a little digging around, we found a Vista-compatible version of the driver and installation went smoothly from there. It's a small point, and hopefully one that will be resolved soon, but it could flummox new users.

Oki makes no grand claims for the 3300n's print speeds - 16ppm and 12ppm for mono and colour respectively - so we weren't expecting miracles. We were pleasantly surprised. Mono text appeared at 15ppm, while more difficult colour pages came out at a fairly average 7ppm. Output wasn't perfect, with photos in particular suffering a slight colour cast towards the warmer end of the spectrum, but photos in particular had a glossier look that might appeal to inkjet fans. Colours were vivid, and the colour graphics in our business document were bold and solid.

Given the Oki's average per-page costs, we were well pleased.