The definition of "Impressed" is "2300W"
Written: Apr 02 '04
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Pros: This printer delivers in speed, color, quality and cost.
Cons: The setup software can be trouble.
The Bottom Line: I LOVE it! Dayum! You should see this thing print on glossy paper!
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| cix7records's Full Review: Minolta Magicolor 2300W Laser Printer |
First off, the setup was not as smooth as it could have been but that HAS to be the only negative thing I have to say about this machine so far. I run a short-run CDR duplication service where I print CD labels, CD inserts, promotional materials (promo kits, fliers, etc.) and even iron ons and this thing handles all of it well. This unit doesn't compare to the print quality of my two photo printers but it's not supposed to. I DO find, however, that the quality of the CD labels it prints are much better than a silkscreen job. I have two CD printers that print excellently on the CD itself but they one is a hassleand both are inkjets so ink runs out extremely fast. This 2300W comes with 1500 count units so I estimated I would get about 1/7th of that amount with the type of printing I do. I ran out of black first but got quite a few hundred prints out of it before I had to buy the 4500-count replacement cartridge. It looks like I can get about 1/5th of the estimated print life from each black cart and 1/3rd to 1/4th for the color carts. That's fine for me cost-wise.
There's one thing this unit did that I am not sure should have been possible. I don't know color lasers very well so this might be common. Anyway, when I replaced the black cart I put the new on in without making sure it was "snug" and ended up jamming the unit. At the risk of voiding my warranty (which I likely did) I opened the unit with a screwdriver to fix the jam. Upon doing a test print after the repair I found I had "knicked" the OPC drum unit so now every prin was coming out with a white "gash" on the paper. I tried cleaning the knick off as it looked like it was just s bit of adhesive or something (the OPC has a transparent green surface) but found that the it was there to stay. Or, so I thought. I went ahead and tried more printing over the weekend and began to notice the "gashes" getting lighter and lighter until everything was back to 100% normal after likely less than 50 more prints. It seems it repaired itself. Perhaps OPC drums do that though.
Anyway, I am satisfied with the output and so are my customers. No more Kinkos for anything 8.5x11 or smaller. I still use the photo printers for photo printing but everything else goes to the 2300w. Oh yeah, I originally installed the printer via usb and was amazed at how fast it was at printing full page color. I think the ratings on the Minolta site are wrong. This thing is super fast! Don't make the mistake of trying to print via parallel cables though. I was forced to wait for each print to spool every time a new page was printed. I'm not sure if that's a bug in my system or what but I went back to usb and all is well and fast again. You should buy one (REALLY).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
cix7records
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Reviews written: 4
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