Xerox WorkCentre M20i

Xerox's new entry into the multifunction device market is the WorkCentre M20i, combining copier, printer and scanner. Basic workhorse specifications are good, with 21ppm print speeds and an interpolated 1,200dpi printing resolution complemented by automatic duplex printing as standard. The M20i has a tray capacity of 550 sheets and can handle a wide range of media. A 50-sheet automatic page feeder sits on top for automatic scanning, copying and faxing of multiple-page documents.

Scanning to both fax and email is possible, and LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) address-list searching is supported. A 10/100 Ethernet connection complements both USB 2 and parallel ports, so the machine can be used in isolation or on a network, with an embedded web server allowing for remote administration.

In testing, the Xerox churned out our 50-page text test in just under two-and-a-half minutes, giving a speedy 20ppm average, with our complex Excel test failing to slow it down. The printer found our 24-page DTP document more taxing, however, with print time extended to one minute, 47 seconds - just over 13ppm.

The M20i gave excellent text reproduction, producing well-defined and sharp black-on-white text. White text on a black background was less successful though, with toner seeping into white areas. Graphics were a mixed bag, with plain graphs and charts crisp and clear, but photographic images were overly dark and resolution of detail poor. As a business machine, it's forgivable, but this reduces the unit's flexibility.

Scanning capability is fairly basic, with an optical resolution of 600 x 600ppi. Scan times were quick though; an 11-second preview was followed by a 26-second 300ppi scan. Using an IT8 profile sheet, colours were reasonably balanced and detail resolved well, but the image lacked punch and colours were far from accurate.

It's fine for archival or general document tasks, but we'd rather use a dedicated unit for colour critical or photographic work. On the plus side, the M20i is supplied with ScanSoft's PaperPort SE 9 and OmniPage SE 2 OCR software, and can read double-sided text documents. The photocopier took 24 seconds from cold to produce an A4 copy, but contrast was poor and required manual adjustment.

A 33.6Kb/sec modem powers faxing and 16MB of memory allows for 1,280 pages to be saved for delayed sending. Junk fax numbers can be blocked and 200 numbers can be stored for speed dialling. Faxing while copying or printing is also possible. Incoming documents can even be emailed directly to any recipient without being printed - a welcome feature for those striving for an easier audit trail.

The comprehensive remote management, front-panel console and features such as secure faxing will make the Xerox attractive to some. Consumables are relatively cheap and a separate toner and drum arrangement makes replacing them more economical. But at this price we'd expect excellent all-round quality, and the M20i disappoints. Lexmark's X422 offers similar quality and speed for around half the price.

Author: Christopher Brennan