A new breed of personal copiers - comparison of Canon PC-11, Minolta EP 2121, Sharp Z-57 and Xerox 5011 R/E - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing,  March, 1992  by Michael D. Espindle

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It's pretty hard to imagine modern business being conducted without photocopiers. At most companies, when the copier goes on the fritz, everything grinds to a halt--and that holds true for home offices, too. It's surprising that more home offices don't have copiers (only 27 percent of our readers do); they're a worthwhile investment even if you only make a few copies a month.

Once you've gotten used to the convenience of having your own copier, it's impossible to go back to running down to the local copy shop with important documents and forms.

Soon after Xerox introduced the first mass-market photocopiers in 1959, they became one of the most popular office machines ever. And, according to a recent HOME-OFFICE COMPUTING reader survey, about one in four home-based business people will buy a copier for the office this year. Chances are they'll be buying a desktop personal copier.

Not so long ago, desktop copiers offered few features, questionable reliability, and high prices. Affordable units had a flimsy feel to them. If you really wanted a copier that would do yeoman service, you had to pay for it--and pay dearly.

Not so today. Many desktop copiers now have features, reliability, and warranties comparable to those of the waist-high "copy cannons" used by corporations. Desktop copiers--and the support some manufacturers are providing to customers--are designed with small businesses and home offices in mind.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Whether your business needs include making only a couple of copies from newspapers and journals each day or churning out copies of reports for your clients, there are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when you go copier shopping.

Moving or stationary copying. Typically, lower-end copiers feature a system in which the top of the machine moves back and forth to make copies. Although there isn't really any difference in quality between those and units that scan documents internally, a moving platen can eat up a lot of space in your office. Suddenly, a smaller machine needs the same kind of room a larger, stationary copier needs.

Duty cycle. Monthly duty cycles (or recommended copies per month) on desktop copiers can range anywhere from 800 to 3,500 copies per month. Make sure your needs fit those ranges; otherwise you may end up spending too much money replacing cartridges and drums.

Reduction and enlargement. Probably, most of the time you'll be doing 1:1 photocopying. However, image reduction and enlargement come in handy if you want to shrink down or blow up off-size documents to workable sise. And if you need your copier to help out with any design or promotional efforts, these capabilities are a must.

Automatic document feeder. This is a rare feature on desktop copiers, but if you're dealing with multipage reports and forms, you won't be able to work without it. Leaving a stack of papers to be copied in the feeder and walking away is preferable by far to standing there feeding single sheets into your copier. Automatic feeders add a level of complexity, and cost, to the copier. But if you need this feature, you need it.

COPIERS FOR THE HOME OFFICE

For some time, copier manufacturers have drawn a strict line between personal and business copiers. However, the units reviewed here, though they cover a wide range of prices and features, are all business-capable. With their impressive features, small footprints, and reasonable prices, these copies could serve you well.

Sharp Z-57

Rating: * * *

The Z-57 is the smallest, lightest, and least expensive of th ecopiers reviewed. But it is also the only one that has a space-eating moving platen, nd it doesn't feature image reduction or enlargement.

Out of the box, the Sharp is strictly plug-and-play. Anyone who's ever used a copier before should be able to pop in the cartridge, load the paper tray, and go within 10 minutes. Copy quality is more than acceptable,

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and the Z-57 features a crop-setting lever in the rear that trims off unwanted white space to give you cleaner copies.

All in all, the Z-57 is a solid machine if you just need to make a few copies a day. It's simple to use, attractive, and, at $1,099 (and an estimated street price of about $750), it shoudl be well within your budget.

Canon PC-11

Rating: * * * *

The PC-11 transcends what comes to mind when you think of personal copiers. Combining features you'd find on more expensive models in a lightweight box, the PC-11 is an impressive performer. Copy quality is very good, with a wide range of image reduction and enlargement settings, from 70 to 122 percent.

Installation was a snap. The copiers controls were by far the easiest to use of the four reviewed, and its speed, 10 copies per minute, didn't leave me waiting. The PC-11 turned out to be a favorite in the office, since its high-quality output and 100-page paper tray made it a convenient backup to our heavy-duty monster machine.

For a small business or home office with modest copy volume and a need for some advanced features, the PC-11 is a good bet at a good price ($1,795).