Lexmark Optra C710n

Installation proved to be simple and slotting the printer onto our NetWare 5 test network was assisted admirably by Lexmark's MarkVision utility. It monitors USB and parallel ports for locally attached printers and supports the majority of network protocols for remote management. Lexmark also provides a Print Server setup utility which is designed to allow administrators to configure TCP/IP parameters to get the card IP-accessible for Web browser management. On loading, MarkVision scans the network and local ports for printers and displays those discovered in a single window for easy access. Selecting a discovered printer brings up a wealth of status information. From here, you can remotely control the operator panel and lock it down to stop users fiddling with it. Printing statistics and job-tracking are on offer, and you can keep a close eye on toner levels and even schedule reminders for ordering consumables or carrying out maintenance tasks. From the NetWare tab you can manage NDS (Novell Directory Services), create print queue objects and allocate user printing privileges. Along with MarkVision, you also get a status monitor utility that sits quietly in the background until it spots a problem whereupon it pops up with a warning.

At only £1,759 for the C710n, Lexmark is clearly offering workgroups a tempting proposition. The only colour laser currently available that costs less is the Minolta-QMS magicolor 2 DeskLaser Plus (reviewed issue 70, p141) but, although it has a sub-£1,000 street price, it's a Windows-only device that delivers pedestrian print speeds. HP's Color LaserJet 4500DN is still a better alternative as, although it costs around £800 more, you get double the memory, more paper capacity, a duplex unit and far superior print quality.

Author: Dave Mitchell