OkiPage 20en/dx

Due to the nature of the image drum, printing costs depend on the average length of print runs. For each job, the drum has to rotate to start and then stop, which involves a certain amount of wear. This means that the shorter an average print job is, the sooner you'll need to replace the drum. Either way, the 20en/dx works out quite expensive to run. If you stick to three page prints, for example, the drum (£239) will last for 19,000 pages and the total cost per page, including toner, comes to a rather steep 1.96p per page.

That said, for initial purchase value the OkiPage 20en/dx scores highly. There are alternatives in the same price bracket, such as the QMS DeskLaser 2000/Net (reviewed issue 43, p154) but this has severely limited networking abilities, and uses WPS (Windows Printing System) which affects print speed badly.

Overall, the OkiPage 20en/dx is a competent departmental printer, particularly for companies that want duplex as standard. It's just a shame it's undermined by average graphics and a high cost per page.

Author: Dave Mitchell