Product Reviews

Lexmark's extensive range of multifunction printers (MFPs) looks to have set a trend, as HP now offers MFP versions of some of its more popular printers. The Laserjet 9000 MFP is aimed at large workgroups, seamlessly combining the full range of input paper trays, a duplex unit and a JetDirect internal print server together with an A3 colour flatbed scanner.

The Laserjet 9000dn (see Reviews, issue 82, p156) impressed us when it was introduced last year, as its 50ppm print speed finally put HP ahead of the competition in the workgroup arena. The 9000 MFP takes these fine attributes and adds a 50 copies-per-minute ADF (automatic document feeder) to the scanner to take care of all photocopier needs and brings in scanning to email and local hard disk features as well.

Unlike Lexmark's X820e MFP (see Enterprise, issue 93, p178), HP doesn't include an internal modem, so the 9000 MFP hasn't any fax facilities. However, HP's smart LCD touchscreen is superior to Lexmark's - it's much clearer and offers a tidier menu structure. General build quality is exemplary too, as the solid scanner unit is integrated neatly

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into the printer chassis rather than sitting on a separate shelf above it. Printing costs are marginally better - the 30,000-page toner cartridge and 350,000-page maintenance kit (£264) offer a cost of 0.89p per page at 5 per cent coverage.

Network installation doesn't take long. HP's routine automatically searches the network, identifies discovered printers and offers a list of drivers from which to choose. Management options are good - you can access the printer's web interface directly or use HP's Web JetAdmin, which offers more features than Lexmark's MarkVision Professional. Copy operations are also easy. Pages can be scanned directly onto the internal hard disk and stored under a specific username and security PIN for future use.

When sending to email, you can opt for colour or mono output, select from PDF, TIFF, M-TIFF or JPEG file formats and search LDAP server-based address books. Unfortunately, HP doesn't support the scan-to-workstation feature provided by Lexmark, so email is the only method for producing colour scans.

General printing performance was close to quoted speeds - a basic 50-page Word document completed in 63 seconds for an average of nearly 48ppm, while a 30-page A3 text document was completed in 59 seconds. There are two options for copying and scanning - you can use the ADF or place documents directly on the glass. Although the ADF is rated at 50cpm, copy speeds were below par, with a 25-page A4 document reproduced at an average of only 17ppm.

Overall, the Laserjet 9000 MFP impresses in the speed and quality stakes and looks better value than the X820e MFP. But if you want more scan features plus full fax facilities, the Lexmark is your only choice.