Designed especially for small workgroups that want big-time results Lexmark X264dn Multifunction Mono Laser Printers unite your most essential office functions into one compact high-performance solution. In addition to speed quality and simplicity these devices offer you competitive features to save time and money such as duplex scanning models and high-yield toner cartridges for an attractive cost per page.

• Reliability Meets Efficiency: Do more every workday with fast printing copying scanning and faxing speeds plus an impressive 50-sheet auto document feeder and paper-saving duplex printing


• Speedy Performance: Increase your small workgroup's efficiency and success with big-league productivity tools including rapid output up to 30 ppm-the first page out in as fast as 7.5 seconds


• Quality Across the Board: A robust high-quality design brings reliability and excellence to every aspect of your multifunction experience-from hands-free scanning and copying to rapid printing and faxing


• Less Training More Simplicity: Copying and scanning are at your fingertips and the intuitive backlit operator panel offers two lines of text to guide newcomers through printing and maintenance with ease


• Print Black Think Green: Reduce energy and printer supplies by consolidating all your document functions into one efficient network device. Choose the high-yield cartridge to conserve resources. Plus duplex printing and scan to e-mail reduces paper waste

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Lexmark X2670 4-IN-1 Printer - Multifunction Network Printer - Color Inkjet - 22 ppm Mono - 16 ppm Color - 4800 x 1200 dpi - Copier Scanner Printer - USB PictBridge - Wi-Fi - PC Mac

• Multifunction devices: scanner copier printer


• Form factor: desktop


• Print color: color


• Maximum mono print speed: 26 ppm


• Maximum color print speed: 19 ppm

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Manage your home office with the Lexmark Interpret S405! The Interpret S405 is a wireless All-in-One with full-feature fax and a convenient 35 page automatic document feeder to easily copy and scan multi-page documents. Wireless printing – 802.11 b/g network compatibility gives you the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the home and the flexibility to print from various computers. WiFi Protected Setup allows you to sync a printer to a WPS-enabled router with the touch of a button. Installation is fast and easy – requiring approximately 10 minutes! Print fast with document speeds up to 33ppm and 4x6 photo printing in as little as 24 seconds. Lexmark’s own Vizix ink technology produces clear consistent results and uses individual ink cartridges which can be replaced one color at a time. All of this is backed by an industry-leading 3 year warranty with lifetime phone support! Other features include lab-quality photos with direct photo printing from Memory Cards USB Flash drive or with PictBridge™ the ability to print Microsoft documents and PDFs directly from USB Flash drives and AutoPrint which provides automatic prints of your favorite news stock or other websites. For users who are not currently using wireless technology the Interpret S405 can also easily be connected with the included USB cable.

• Wireless printing-802.11 b/g wireless network compatibility gives customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the home and the flexibility to print from multiple computers.


• Lexmark's industry leading three year warranty with lifetime technical support provides peace of mind.


• Individual ink cartridges allow customers to replace only the ink that is needed.


• 35 page automatic document feeder easily handles large printing scanning copying and fax jobs.


• Document print speeds of up to 33 ppm; borderless 4"x6" photos in less than 24 seconds

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Experience new levels of business productivity with the revolutionary Lexmark Platinum Pro905 All-in-One with Fax. The web-enabled 4.3 in. myTouch interface improves efficiency by allowing you to create one-touch custom SmartSolutions for automating repetitive tasks. The myTouch interface also allows you to connect to the web without the need for a computer. Tap an icon to copy scan send an e-mail and more. Get the news view your favorite photo sharing sites and discover the weather before you step outside directly from your printer. It’s more than a printer it links you to your world. The Platinum Pro905 also offers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the building and the flexibility to print from multiple computers with Wifi-n and Ethernet compatibility. Also included are individual high-yield XL ink cartridges with 3X the pages of standard cartridges. Individual XL inks allow you to increase your efficiency save resources and lower printing costs. The Platinum Pro905 ships with a special 105XL black ink cartridge which provides one cent black and white prints which is a lower cost per page than many laser products. You also have the benefit of Eco Mode which offers automatic 2-sided printing and energy saving features. An extra 150 page tray is included to reduce intervention and manage multiple media types while the 50 page automatic document feeder easily handles large printing scanning copying and faxing jobs. This robust All-in-One also ships with Business Card Scanning software which lets you scan up to eight cards at once. Using optical character recognition (OCR) the software parcels information such as first and last name employer address email address and phone number and synchronizes it with many popular contact management solutions. All of this functionality is backed by an industry leading 5-year warranty and lifetime priority phone support

• Lowest priced multi-function printer offering one cent printing for low-cost black-and-white pages.


• The 4.3" myTouch LCD Touchscreen with SmartSolutions Technology allows customers to connect to the Web and quickly automate repetitive tasks. These time-saving customizable productivity features are ideal for small businesses or home offices.


• Wireless printing-802.11n wireless network and Ethernet compatibility offer the fastest speeds and longest range and give customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the office and the flexibility to print from multiple computers.


• Extra 150-page tray to reduce intervention or manage multiple media types.


• The 50-page automatic document feeder and the 300-page capacity allow the Pro905 to easily handle large printing scanning copying and faxing jobs

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Put the robust Lexmark Prevail Pro705 Wireless All-in-One with Fax to work for your home or small office. Experience greater freedom with WiFi-n (3X better wireless coverage and faster transfer speeds) or connect via Ethernet. Be more productive with built-in full feature fax and a large 50-page auto document feeder to easily handle printing scanning copying and faxing jobs. Installation is fast and easy – requiring approximately 10 minutes while WiFi Protected Setup allows you to sync the printer to a WPS-enabled router with the touch of a button. The Prevail Pro705 also features a 2.4” color LCD to easily view and enhance photos. The Eco Mode feature includes an energy-saving feature and automatic two-sided printing which can cut paper consumption in half. Print fast with document speeds up to 33ppm and 4”x6” photo printing in as little as 24 seconds. This robust All-in-One ships with XL high-yield ink cartridges which use Lexmark’s own Vizix ink technology to produce clear and consistent results. The Vizix ink system uses individual cartridges which can be replaced one color at a time. The Prevail Pro705 also ships with Business Card Scanning software which lets you scan up to eight cards at once parcel the information and synchronize it with many popular contact management solutions. All of this functionality is backed by an industry leading 5-year warranty and lifetime priority phone support!

• Wireless printing-802.11n wireless network and Ethernet compatibility offer the fastest speeds and longest range and give customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the building and the flexibility to print from multiple computers.


• Lexmark's industry-leading five year warranty with lifetime priority technical support provides peace of mind.


• Eco Mode includes an energy-saving feature and automatic two-sided printing which can cut paper consumption in half.


• 50 page automatic document feeder easily handles large printing scanning copying and fax jobs.


• High yield individual ink cartridges allow customers to replace only the ink that is needed. XL cartridges with 3x the ink of standard cartridges are included.

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Experience the versatility of the Lexmark Impact S305! Print copy and scan from wherever inspiration strikes with wireless 802.11 b/g. Print fast with document speeds up to 33ppm and 4x6 photo printing in as little as 24 seconds. Lexmark’s own Vizix ink technology produces clear consistent results and uses individual ink cartridges that can be replaced one color at a time. Enjoy lab-quality photos with direct photo printing from Memory Cards USB Flash drive or with PictBridge™. All of this is backed by an industry-leading 3 year warranty with lifetime phone support. Other features include WiFi Protected Setup which allows you to sync a printer to a WPS-enabled router with the touch of a button. Installation is fast and easy – requiring approximately 10 minutes! For those users who are not currently using wireless technology the Impact S305 can also easily be connected with the included USB cable.

• Wireless printing-802.11b/g wireless network compatibility gives customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the home and the flexibility to print from multiple computers.


• Lexmark's industry leading three year warranty with lifetime technical support provides peace of mind.


• Individual ink cartridges allow customers to replace only the ink that is needed.


• Document print speeds of up to 33 ppm; borderless 4"x6" photos in less than 24 seconds


• Quickly print and share true-to-life photos from memory cards PictBridge or USB

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Get more done with the Lexmark Interact S605 All-in-One with web-enabled touchscreen interface. The web-enabled 4.3" myTouch interface improves efficiency by allowing you to create one-touch custom SmartSolutions for automating repetitive tasks. The myTouch interface also allows you to connect to the web without the need for a computer. Tap an icon to copy scan send an e-mail and more. Get the news view your favorite photo sharing sites and discover the weather before you step outside directly from your printer. It’s more than a printer - it links you to your world! Other unique features include WiFi-n (3X better wireless coverage and faster transfer speeds) and WiFi Protected Setup which allows you to sync the printer to a WPS-enabled router with the touch of a button. Installation is fast and easy – requiring approximately 10 minutes! Energy saving Eco Mode reduces paper usage by up to 50% with automatic 2-sided printing. Print fast with document speeds up to 33ppm and 4x6 photo printing in as little as 24 seconds. Lexmark’s own Vizix ink technology produces clear consistent results and uses individual ink cartridges that can be replaced one color at a time. All of this is backed by an industry-leading 3 year warranty with lifetime phone support!

• Easy-to-use 4.3" myTouch LCD Touchscreen with SmartSolutions Technology allows consumers to connect to the Web and quickly and easily automate commonly used tasks.


• Expanded WiFi printing-802.11n wireless network compatibility offers the fastest speeds and longest range and gives customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the home from multiple computers.


• An industry-leading three year warranty with lifetime technical support provides peace of mind.


• Eco Mode includes an energy-saving feature and automatic two-sided printing which can cut paper consumption in half.


• Individual ink cartridges allow customers to replace only the ink that is needed.

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Get more done with the Lexmark Interact S605 All-in-One with web-enabled touchscreen interface. The web-enabled 4.3" myTouch interface improves efficiency by allowing you to create one-touch custom SmartSolutions for automating repetitive tasks. The myTouch interface also allows you to connect to the web without the need for a computer. Tap an icon to copy scan send an e-mail and more. Get the news view your favorite photo sharing sites and discover the weather before you step outside directly from your printer. It’s more than a printer - it links you to your world! Other unique features include WiFi-n (3X better wireless coverage and faster transfer speeds) and WiFi Protected Setup which allows you to sync the printer to a WPS-enabled router with the touch of a button. Installation is fast and easy – requiring approximately 10 minutes! Energy saving Eco Mode reduces paper usage by up to 50% with automatic 2-sided printing. Print fast with document speeds up to 33ppm and 4x6 photo printing in as little as 24 seconds. Lexmark’s own Vizix ink technology produces clear consistent results and uses individual ink cartridges that can be replaced one color at a time. All of this is backed by an industry-leading 3 year warranty with lifetime phone support!

• Easy-to-use 4.3" myTouch LCD Touchscreen with SmartSolutions Technology allows consumers to connect to the Web and quickly and easily automate commonly used tasks.


• Expanded WiFi printing-802.11n wireless network compatibility offers the fastest speeds and longest range and gives customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the home from multiple computers.


• An industry-leading three year warranty with lifetime technical support provides peace of mind.


• Eco Mode includes an energy-saving feature and automatic two-sided printing which can cut paper consumption in half.


• Individual ink cartridges allow customers to replace only the ink that is needed.

More detail ...

Experience the versatility of the Lexmark Impact S305! Print copy and scan from wherever inspiration strikes with wireless 802.11 b/g. Print fast with document speeds up to 33ppm and 4x6 photo printing in as little as 24 seconds. Lexmark’s own Vizix ink technology produces clear consistent results and uses individual ink cartridges that can be replaced one color at a time. Enjoy lab-quality photos with direct photo printing from Memory Cards USB Flash drive or with PictBridge™. All of this is backed by an industry-leading 3 year warranty with lifetime phone support. Other features include WiFi Protected Setup which allows you to sync a printer to a WPS-enabled router with the touch of a button. Installation is fast and easy – requiring approximately 10 minutes! For those users who are not currently using wireless technology the Impact S305 can also easily be connected with the included USB cable.

• Wireless printing-802.11b/g wireless network compatibility gives customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the home and the flexibility to print from multiple computers.


• Lexmark's industry leading three year warranty with lifetime technical support provides peace of mind.


• Individual ink cartridges allow customers to replace only the ink that is needed.


• Document print speeds of up to 33 ppm; borderless 4"x6" photos in less than 24 seconds


• Quickly print and share true-to-life photos from memory cards PictBridge or USB

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Great print quality packaging and warranty but a few problems

This is one of a few inkjet all-in-one's packaged with XL ink cartridges (official yield rated at 600 pages for color 510 for black) auto 2-sided printing and document feeder wi-fi connectivity and comes with an un-matched 5 year warranty (1 year initial 4 additional years after registration) for less than $150. You might want to look at the Pro705 which can be similar in price. You will have to stay with Lexmark's "Pro" printers to get the 5 year warranty everything else in their line is 3 years or less. The Pro205 has 64MB built-in with a max print speed in draft mode of 33 PPM in black 30 PPM in color which is about average.



The packaging of the product is top-notch. The unit was thoroughly taped (at least 10 separate pieces) to protect the unit during transit and the printed documentation was fancy although I never needed to read it. Of course the highlight is the aforementioned XL ink cartridges and the package also comprised of a USB cable phone lines and an installation CD which includes OCR software. The installation itself was a breeze and the video animation was helpful. The construction of the unit has thoughtful touches: a spring-loaded button opens the document feeder casing to clear jams and the glass to copy/scan documents has clear arrows telling you where to position the document. The unit is made in China and the ink cartridges in Singapore. Cold start up time is about 39 seconds wi-fi connectivity about 15 seconds longer if it works (more on that later). Warm start up time is about 6 seconds.



As for print quality on premium inkjet paper I'm very impressed. I printed out maps from Bing 3D using "Best" quality setting and friends could not believe how sharp the prints were (you could see tennis court boundary lines). The cost of the "Best" setting is high ink usage - you can see the ink drain quickly using the software's ink monitoring graphics but that's probably true for all inkjets. On regular paper the color quality was not so impressive even using the "Best" option with pictures lacking vibrance and loosing color accuracy compared to premium paper. The drop-off in photo quality is I think mostly due to the paper. Black text is so-so on either paper - obviously not laser-sharp probably about average among other inkjets.



My wi-fi connection was sporadic at best even though the wi-fi status light shows green although I'm not sure if this is because I am using Windows Vista 64-bit on my primary laptop (yes I downloaded the 64-bit drivers from Lexmark's site). I usually resort to sticking in the USB cable for 100% reliability and faster data transfer. My other laptop running Windows XP had no problems with the wifi connection.



Regarding paper handling if you're planning on printing on paper thicker than standard this unit really struggled. Using Avery 4x6 card inkjet paper which is thicker than standard paper the unit would either jam print in the wrong location or not feed in at all and the unit would start printing on nothing (you can hear the print heading moving and printing). I would have hoped on the latter situation that a sensor would know there is nothing to print on but no. After printing about 50 sheets on thick paper the rubber rollers started to peel out particles like a rubber eraser on a pencil. Occasionally on regular paper the automatic duplex printing would jam as the paper is reeled backwards but most of the time this worked.



I am very impressed with Lexmark's customer service. That's a good thing. Why I'm calling customer service right after I bought the unit is not. Any document I scanned or copied would have a thick vertical black stripe across the entire page. The customer service rep had no idea besides clean the glass reset the printer to default settings and reboot. But he was nice and polite and Lexmark had a new unit shipped and arrived in record time - 2 days (maybe it helps that they shipped from Los Angeles and I'm in San Diego). My confidence is slightly shaken but the new unit does not have this problem and works perfectly so far except of course the intermittent wi-fi connectivity.



Due to the excellent color print quality features packaging customer service and stellar warranty at this price point I'm willing to give the Pro205 4 stars.More detail ...

Decent printer Fantastic controls One prominent wart

The Lexmark Pinnacle Pro901 has gotten quite a bit of press given that it can use black ink cartridges that cost $5. Clearly that distinction is unique among inkjet printers most of which are sold at or near a loss so that the manufacturer can recoup expenses on the sale of (extremely) high-margin replacement cartridges. So does that feature make this printer worth the purchase? Perhaps...but perhaps not.





> Why?



Sure the black cartridge retails for $5 but the three color cartridges will set you back more than $50. Thus your savings (and cost per copy) will very much depend on your usage. If you are careful to print and copy in black and white then this printer will likely prove to be quite inexpensive for you - approximately 1 cent per page given that the black cartridge is rated for 500 average pages of text. On the other hand if you print a mix of materials your cost per page could actually be more than competing inkjets. HP has a white paper on their website that claims that their cost per page is actually *lower* than Lexmark's for *color* content. Amazon is not a fan of links in reviews but fire up Google and search for "HP Officejet / Officejet Pro vs. Lexmark Cost-Per-Page Comparison" if you are interested.



Oh well no argument $5 is a good deal for black and white output. So good in fact that the cashier at Office Depot did a double take when he rang up three of them for me asking "is this really the correct price?" Thus if you limit your color printing/copying the Pro901 (and related models e.g. 905) really *can* represent quite a savings in comparison with competing models. If instead you print significant amounts of color content I would call it a wash.





> So how is it as a printer?



In a word decent. Text is dark and clear unlike many competing models. Photographs also seem fairly decent...especially on photo paper. My in-store tests showed that it fared very well in comparison to the lauded Epson Artisan 810 on plain paper. That said most reviewers claim that the Artisan is superior on photo paper which one would expect given that the Artisan uses a 6-color cartridge system. Regardless photographs looked good enough to my eye...and the Pro901's text quality is far better than the Artisan's in my opinion. Obsessable[dot]com has a detailed review that focuses on print quality if that issue is your primary concern.



The printer also has a removable tray that holds either 150 sheets of paper (up to legal size) or photo paper...but not both simultaneously (as does the Epson Artisan line). You can add a second tray to the Pro901 thereby upgrading your 901 to a 905 but that option is fairly pricey (at the moment).



The output tray is really just an extendable plastic arm but it is fairly rigid...and seems about ten times more rugged than the flip-out equivalent on the Artisan 810.





> How about scanning and copying?



Scanning quality looks good. To scan you can place the document directly on the glass or use the document feeder. Many have reported problems using the feeder but it worked quite well for me. That said the controls are where this unit really shines for scanning and copying...but more on that topic later.





> What about faxing?



Well the fax uses the aforementioned printer and scanner for the fax operation so the physical aspects of faxing are also decent as one would infer from the discussion of those features. Once again where faxing really shines however relates to the controls...which brings us to...





> How are the controls?



Well the controls on the device can be summed up in one word -- fantastic.



The device has a 4.3" full color touch screen that is really striking. Of course a decent screen without a decent UI is a waste...and Lexmark did not waste the screen. The UI consists of beautifully rendered 3D controls that are intuitively laid out. The user interface strives to keep each screen simple and clear in purpose yet also provides easy access to more advance features that are relevant to the current operation at a touch. In general they allow quick access to all device features and do so in a manner that does not require a Computer Science degree to access all the useful settings. The beauty and intuitiveness of the display and the controls must be seen and used to be appreciated fully but perhaps it suffices to say that even the most non-technical user in my house is able to perform advance operations with this device. I wasn't particularly looking for a touch screen but there is no turning back after using this one.



With regards to specifics the controls allow you to perform simple copying and faxing functions as you would expect but also allow you to initiate document scans that are sent directly to any computer on your network (provided it has the driver software installed) or to a recipient via email. Specifying recipients for either the fax or email can be either by direct entry or by using the device's embedded address book. Of course specifying other options during these operations (quality size color/b&w ...) is also extremely straightforward.



The device also includes one other unique control feature - downloadable applications. While some of these downloadable applications are fairly limited in value (e.g. a calculator RSS news feed display) others may be incredibly useful to users who have repeating scanning copying or faxing tasks.



Lexmark coined the term SmartSolutions for the downloadable applications. Several come preinstalled while others can be downloaded from the Lexmark website. The website uses a browser-based Java applet to review configure and install each application directly to your Pro901 from their website eliminating the need for you to perform an additional installation after downloading.



So what do they do? Well what do you want them to do? You can configure a SmartSolution for almost any type of repeating task - scanning copying faxing. Yes this explanation is somewhat obtuse so perhaps an example will help.



Assume that you must scan a timesheet each week and mail it to one individual (Fred) as a PDF...with a specific subject and message. You can certainly use the device's standard "scan" control to perform this task but you would need to tap quite a few buttons to make it happen - first scan then specify scan to email then specify options (like document type color/b&w email address etc.). Alternatively for such a repeating task you can pre-configure a SmartSolution task to perform all of these steps in one button push...and name it "Email timesheet to Fred". In the future you could then drop your timesheet on the document feeder click the Smart Solutions button and then click the "Email timesheet to Fred" button.



You can do the same for scanning documents to your computer. Assume that you scan a credit card statement each month place it in a PDF name the PDF with the card/bank name and the date and place the PDF in a specific credit card statement folder on one of the computers on your network. You guessed it - one button click....assuming that you configured a Smart Solution for this task.



There are many other Smart Solutions including one to upload scanned files directly to Evernote and another to print your calendar directly from Google...and Lexmark has been creating new applications fairly regularly during the two months that I have owned the device. Thus a description of them all is not practical but suffice to say that there is probably at least one that you will find useful. Of course you can also ignore them and life would be fine...and you would still have access to the full range of features on this device...albeit with a couple more button pushes.



The controls also extend to computers configured with the Lexmark driver software. Normally I am not a fan of heavyweight printer software on my computers but the installed Lexmark software does allow access to useful features on the device....which brings us to...





> How easy is it to install and configure?



Not bad. The Pro901 supports direct connection to a PC (or Mac) via a USB cable or by using a network-based connection via wireless or Ethernet cable. I installed mine as a network-based printer by connecting it to my home's Gigabit Ethernet backbone (no slow wireless for me :) so plug-and-play detection was not an option. Instead I installed the driver software on several PCs in my home using the included CD. The first installation included PC-based setup of the device as well while the installer allowed me to bypass such configuration for subsequent PCs. All-in-all quite painless...but also not plug-and-play. Of course that's what you get with a network-based configuration.





> So why not 5 stars?



Because the fax's caller ID is maddening. Seriously.



Even if you configure the fax to not auto-answer the device's control screen will still display caller ID for each incoming call. Hey that doesn't sound bad does it? It is...because each time that the device needs to display this caller ID it must wake from its sleep state which also cycles the print head back and forth. Sure not a problem if the device is awake but it is an energy star device so it must sleep eventually. You can configure the time before the device sleeps but regardless sooner or later you will be sitting next to it when the phone rings and the device is asleep...and you will then need to answer the phone with the device noisily warming up in the background. Amusingly enough the default sleep time for their single-click energy saver option is ten minutes.



Don't think that this issue is annoying? Try it out and then get back to me. The issue bothered my wife and me enough that I finally contacted Lexmark and exchanged several email messages with their tech support. Their best advice? Disconnect the phone line when not in use. Yes seriously.



Don't get me wrong their tech support was extremely responsive...and each message that I received from them was thoughtful well-written and empathetic. In fact the tech even contacted their firmware support group to see if there was any way that they could disable caller ID when fax auto-answer is disabled...and believe it or not the answer was no. Yes absolutely fantastic customer service...and a ridiculous implementation. Thus the phone line remains unplugged...lest my wife defenestrate the thing while working in our home office.





> So should you buy it?



If you print a lot of b&w content then heck yes. If you print mostly photographs perhaps you may be better served with something in Epson's Artisan line. That said the photos that I have printed look great.



In general I think that it's a great general purpose device for home and SOHO use...and the 5 year warranty makes a good deal a great deal. If you do buy it however just make sure that you either leave the phone line unplugged or place your new Pro901 in an unoccupied room. ;)





- Scuba

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Lexmark Color Laser with scanner/copier (X543DN)

The features included fast printing full color automatic double sided printing (w/o fax option). It will work as a network printer too. It was clearly designed to work with Windows but it is also sold as Mac OS compatible and the User Manual walks you though set-up steps with Windows or Mac OS at the same time. It is thorough. Thank goodness it's in HTML format too.



I'm a long time HP printer user (30+ years) and I wary of other brands. But I haven't had a good experience with HP over the years - they just don't keep their printers drivers up to date (at least not for Mac or Unix systems).



Mac users won't have any problems with this printer and the Mac installer is included. The printer driver did not include a double sided printing option. You have to be working from one of the Microsoft Office applications to notice a third line of options called "Copies & Pages" > "Printer Features". Opening up that list provides all the printer functions like printing form the options sheet feeder (envelope) and you can turn on double sided printing (from the"Layout: menu) if you look carefully enough. You can also choose binding on the long or short side too.



My first mistake was that I assumed the envelope in the single sheet option feeder would give it priority to the main paper bin (as it does on HP printers).



While I am impressed that this printer worked right out of the box (no set-up required). I followed the instructions to the letter installing the "software" before plugging in the printer. But it might as well be using the Generic Postscript driver - nothing special about the driver.



While unpacking it took me about 15 minutes to follow all the colored tape to pull about a dozen plastic shipping pins. Not real hard but I was still surprised at how many of those pins where installed. It is easy to snap off the plastic pins so use care when removing them.



I was not impressed with "pinch and lift" access to the toner drawer - it sticks. But I do like the small square toner cartridges which fit snugly in their respective slots. Each toner box is keyed so you can mix up the colors.



The print quality is excellent. Finally I'm printing off web pages that look just like they do on my monitor. No calibration needed. That's impressive. Color copies and photos look great as well. If you were used to printing color photos off in B&W on a monotone laser printer you'll find the color version more interesting.



The manual also neglects to point out the importance of using high quality polished paper for laser printers (probably because HP sells so much of it). Good paper is really important for sharpness and brightness. When you print to a bond or cotton stock paper it will look fuzzy because of the paper texture. The printer has an option for gloss but I haven't tested that with a photo.



It copies great speed is good once it warms up but warm-up can take 20-30 seconds. Once it's running it does good. I printed out a 40 page PowerPoint file that had heavy black frames. It often took 30-50 seconds to render a page but others came out steady. On a Mac the PDF rendering is done in software not through a chip in the printer. So some of the delay was no doubt on the computer end. However my Mac Pro has a lot of CPU power and RAM to match.



Scanner? - I haven't found any Lexmark installed Scanner applications but I was able to choose the scanner from the "Import" function in Adobe PhotoShop and Preview but not from iPhoto. It works but it's a bit awkward. HP's software takes you directly into a suite of applications that help you edit the picture and print to photo paper of any size and the have all kinds of printing options like masks.



I don't like the rather small vertical output tray in the back and because of that feature I did not order the extra paper bin. You can't expect to stack up much output before you will need to clear the tray. 40-50 pages max.



The sheet feeder worked perfectly. If you fax or copy multiple documents this is a powerful feature.



The control panel layout is well done. The set-up menus are a little awkward to use but fortunately you won't have to use the tiny character panel very often (2 rows of 16 characters). It reminds me of setting the clock on my VCR.



The confusion didn't begin until I wanted to order a new set of cartridges.



First they are hard to find in stores. I checked in every store that sold office supplies and Lexmark printers. But even ordering them on-line was difficult.



Here on Amazon they don't have the cartridge listed in their printer cross-reference tool. (great tool otherwise but apparently it's incomplete).



On Lexmark's web site it doesn't take long to find cartridges but then you start to think you are getting cross-eyed. They seem to have cartridges with different amounts of toner (ink) in them!? Oh no. Is this like the way HP was selling Photosmart inks cartridges that weren't full? I hope not. When I see a toner or ink cartridge I expect that it's a full one otherwise its impossible to compare prices!



So not only are the toners hard to find but you need to be very careful that you are comparing the toner capacities and price.



The "High Yield Toner" was pre-installed - they do not have a replacement part number on them!?



For example they list:



C540X1_G Toner for Extra High yield (C544 and X544 only) -$130

C540H1_G Toner for High yield (C540C543C544X543X544 printers) - $72

C540A1_G Toner (C540C543C544X543X544 printers) - $58

C540X2_G Toner for Extra High yield (C544 and X544 only)

C540H2_G Toner for High yield (C540C543C544X543X544 printers)





I bought these for regular Toner refills:

C540A1CG Cyan (Blue) - $58

C540A1MG Magenta (Red) - $58

C540A1YG Yellow - $58

C540A1KG Black (slightly bigger) - $78



(*These are NOT Amazon prices - they are current prices for comparison purposes only)



Bottom-line double check before you shop for replacement toner. This is a very confusing product in that respect. Lexmark pushes recycling and the boxes have labels to return the toners.



My over all impression is that I really love it. The copy functions are simple and familiar symbols or labels. Software (printer drivers) are easy to update - I hope they will!



This design is a little bit outdated but for the price it's a great way to get into an affordable color laser printer that is clean simple and intuitive. The only interactive display is a tiny 10 letter display (most new printers have an LCD). The user manual is in HTML format so find the menu map and print it out. You can get there through that tiny front panel but it takes a lot of time and a little patients. (I hope it has a Factor Reset option if I ever mess this up...)



Overall I think this is a very affordable color printer. And a full set of replacement toner cartridges (a set of 4 can run $3-450) almost costs as much as the original printer. So you may not want to stock up on new toner - just plan to buy a new printer. Seriously!



But don't worry about the printer functions - it's laser sharp. The ink is durable but it will smear if you get the paper wet. It won't survive a coffee spill.





Pros: Solid color laser printer; accurate scanner with sheet feeder copier functions. Mac drivers.

Cons: Toner is hard to find confusing/deceptive; no single sheet over-ride; no scanner app.



Note: I did not test this printer with Windows.



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Excellent multifunction printer but not for 64-bit linux

I have owned this printer for a little over a week and would give it 5 stars *except* for the scanner drivers.



First the good: Setup was fast and pretty easy (like most other printers these days it has a web interface allowing you to change parameters). I have it hooked up to one machine via USB and it is also on the network. It is fast to print fast to copy fast to scan. If you don't need faxing you can go with the less expensive but otherwise identical x363.



The bad: Lexmark provides no 64-bit linux scanner drivers period. This is not revealed anywhere and I had even gone to the trouble of checking out the scanning manual available at the excellent Lexmark web site. A general lack of scanner drivers is a common state of affairs in the Linux world but given the explicit support for linux for this printer (one of the reasons I bought it) I assumed wrongly that the scanner drivers would be available in both 32 and 64-bit. Lexmark technical support responded within 24 hours as promised but the response was useless and I never thought they understood my question (when would 64-bit drivers be available). There are 32-bit scanner drivers. They're a little clunky but scanning does work e.g. via xsane.



On the other hand the Linux printing support (via cups) is excellent.

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Decent results horrible ink cartridge protection.

This is a decent enough printer. Performance is good the ink seems to last a reasonable time but the cartridges are fairly expensive. Scanning is good. Software is frankly an annoyance.



However don't buy if you're looking to refill cartridges like I was. They are protected. Not all manufacturers do this but most do just now. My situation was worse because no matter what I tried I couldn't get the printer to print only in black and white even after Googling the issue a whole day so the colour ended up running out even without my wanting to print in colour. From what I've heard about Lexmark ink is their business and this would explain why the printer was so cheap and why they have built the printer in such a way.



For your average user I give it 3 stars as perhaps a moderate user would be happy paying for the ink. Myself as a programmer and systems developer who bought this printer in a hurry upon arriving in a new country I need to print rather more and it has been a waste of my money and frustrated me for two whole days. I have bought a few Lexmarks in the past but after this experience I doubt I'll try them again.More detail ...

Overall very nice printer/fax/scanner

This printer was surprisingly small in size to be a color laser MFP. It replaces an HP2840 that died (falsely claiming a jam that couldn't be cleared even by a printer repair place). I researched MFP devices from Samsung Canon Epson HP looking for one that was Mac Snow Leopard compatible had duplex printing capability color laser printing and good printing speed. This had all of those features at a price that matched or beat its competition on a printer that can print more than 20 ppm both color and B&W all the others had less than 20 ppm printing speed. I just received the printer today and am pleased with its printing speed and quietness of operation. The HP2840 was a very noisy machine slow to start up poor Snow Leopard support (only print no fax or scan).



If you're using it as a network printer the only way to scan is via the web interface but if you hook it up via USB then you can scan more directly from the computer. I think that's a bit clunky and Lexmark should make a more sensible driver for it but at least you can scan/print/fax from the network in Snow Leopard.



Overall it seems to be a very nice device and I think I made the best choice.More detail ...

Solid performer!

was interested in 7675 model that has 4 star rating over several reviews. Its scanner is 600x1200 dpi so I decided to review the 9575 with better scan capabilities and looks much more elegant that 7675. I read the two reviews on Amazon both had 2 star ratings. Both are very well written to the point so I was afraid to pick this model up. However I decided to give it a try anyway.



I have tried to address some of the points raised in the other two 2 Star reviews hope it will help them also or they may be correct in their individual circumstances.



The setup was a breeze - the CD accompanying the printer asks for 30 minutes set up time I got done somewhat short of 30 mins most of the time going into doing external stuff ("now get paper load it in tray" etc). Once the setup was complete all its features worked just fine. No customer support no rollback of software of conflicts of any kind.



Here are some notes that may help the buyers or those considering to buy-

* On opening the box in big letters there is a sign - insert CD before you connect the printer. Follow the simple instructions by the book. You may find the setup as easy as I did.



* I connected the machine wireless hooking up my 2 desktops and 1 laptop. All work fine.



* The earlier 2 star reviews found the printer flimsy. I found it as well constructed as any other printer - give or take a shade here and there. The perception of "Flimsy" could arise from the scanner cover once lifted well it appears "Flimsy" as the hinges swivel and appear loose.



In checking with one of the brick and mortar stores their response was that it is designed that way so that a BOOK can be photocopied. Rigid hinges make it difficult to position a book.



* Print quality is good ink capacity is same as 7675 model (approx 500 pages) I am ok with all this. PCMag has some reviews on both and I agree with their assessment -both have similar 3star or 4star rating.



* As far as software conflicts reported earlier go my machines are loaded- from productivity suites to graphics to even games. No software issues arose. This is my experience and is not meant to refute what the other two reported.



Overall a very satisfying machine for such a low price. I am happy with it.More detail ...

JUNK!

The only pros are it will occasionally print and scan and copy. Usually this is after turning it on and off several times because the power quits sometimes in the middle of a print job.



The fax has never worked correctly.



I am on my second model (5650). I took the first back thinking I had a lemon but the 2nd wouldn't even cut on - out of the box. I call tech support (Lexmark does have very good support) and was instructed to use a pencil eraser on the power adapter (which worked but this was a new machine!) I was instructed to unplug pick up and shake my first model! LOL



Note: I have a five year old Lexmark copy/scan/fax machine which still works well to send faxes. The printer part quit when it was about 2 years old. I have a very inexpensive Lexmark printer in my house which has never given me a problem. Point: Lexmark does have good products but the X5650 model is NOT one of them. Stay away.More detail ...

Great Printer from Lexmark

This is a great machine for the money. Warm-up speed is quick and when it begins printing it prints fast and quite. This machine is great for a home or office environment. The scan to email function is superior to all of the other multi-function machines I've owned. The scanning software minimizes the number of trips you need to make to the machine so if the printer is in another room you don't have to run back and forth a bunch of times. The duplexer in the printer works flawlessly. What else can I say it's quiet reasonably priced fast and has great print quality.



I did run in to a significant installation problem during setup. I set this machine up on 5 different computers. Everything appeared to go fine during the install but after I shut down 2 of the computers at the end of the day and started them up the next morning Lexmark's scanning software completely locked up 2 of them and would not let the operating system boot up. Since I didn't need scanning capability on these two machines I ended up starting them in safe mode removing the scanning software and everything worked fine after that. I never called Lexmark's technical support to see if they had a fix for the problem.More detail ...

Good Printer ... So Far

After having experienced numerous problems with previous printers (computer not being able to recognize printer printer not being able to handle multiple print jobs at once printer not being compatible with more than the initial computer hooked up to printer necessitating color cartridge even to print colorless documents) I am pleased to say that this model so far shows no sign of these issues. However I must point out that I've usually exprerienced the aforementioned issues farther down the line which means I am prepared for the worst. The difference in this scenario (that is from my previous purchases of printers) is that I contacted Lexmark (the manufacturer) BEFORE I purchased the item (an idea I must say should have occurred to me long ago) to find out whether or not the printer will need a color cartridge replacement often even if I just want to print in black. The good news is that as long as you print a color document from this printer once every two weeks (according to the Lexmark representative I spoke with) the color cartridge should last up to four months and this will allow printing primarily in black for that interim. That's all I wanted out of this product.More detail ...

Great printer marred by complex setup

Summary: Two great features make this printer worth considering: a penny per page (black ink cost) and ease of use powered by a touchscreen and one button "smartsolutions." Unfortunately the implementation of these features involves a lot of setup complication both for smartsolutions and the delicate printhead/cartridge system. Most people will be better off waiting a year or two until the smartsolution ecosystem further evolves and kinks are worked out of the printhead/cartridge mechanism in some future model.



But if you need a printer before then with competitive printing/copying/scanning quality and speed and you find these extra features attractive you'll likely be pleased with the Pro805 - once you get past the 2-6 hours setup hassle. Though I'm annoyed at the 5 hours I spent on setup we like the end result and will stick with the Pro805 for many years.



Details (long):



Usage: This unit is used at home with Wifi my wife's iMac (10.4) and my Windows XP desktop and netbook. I purchased this all-in-one primarily for my wife a part-time writer. This replaced a piece-of-junk printer that she used for drafts (which required that she email me final copies or anything long to print at my office on a laser printer).



The penny per page black ink cost is the main selling point - as a writer my wife prints out frequent black and white drafts. She doesn't want the bulk of a laser printer and she does have an occasional need for color copying and scanning. Ease of use also matters so competent paper handling and the potential of smartsolutions is attractive. It was a birthday gift - so as part of the gift I set it up including setting up one button smartsolutions appropriate for my wife. But I thought this printer would also be nice for me as I use Evernote and liked the idea of being able to easily scan in documents and have them show up in my Evernote or Gmail accounts. Printing at home over WiFi is also an added convenience.



Printing Quality - (Note: Most of our usage/testing is Black & White) - The printing quality on draft mode is reasonable. On highest quality mode it is very crisp - you have to look very closely to distinguish from a laser printer. We noticed some stray dots and a little streaking at first but when we selected "clean printhead" from the menu these issued were resolved. Overall we are very pleased though we hope we don't have to clean the printhead too often as ink gets depleted with each cleaning.



Printing Speed - The claimed 33 page per minute printing speed is accurate using draft mode after the first page is printed. When trying to print after many minutes of inactivity there is a long period where the printer wakes up and gets ready to print the first page. Given these constraints a faster way to use the printer is to print a many documents in a row. It prints less than 10 pages per minute in high quality mode but my wife finds that acceptable.



Ease of Use - WiFi printing works flawlessly - any computer (with the Pro805 driver installed) that is connected to the router (either WiFi or Ethernet) can print. The drivers for both the Mac and Windows are easy to use and offer a vast array of options including the ability to set up "profiles" (i.e. one profile for quick draft black/white another for final drafts another for photos etc.). The Windows drivers appear to offer a wider array of printing options. The other functions of this all-in-one are also easy to use whether you use customized one-button smartsolutions navigate the touch screen or use the included software on your computer. No paper jams so far and the automatic document feed worked fine in a couple of test cases.



Copying - Have not tested extensively but Black/White is excellent color seems pretty good.



Scanning/OCR - The quality of Black/White scanning is excellent. A 15 page scan using the automatic document feeder took just over 2 minutes. The included Abbyy FineReader 6.0 OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software for Windows systems has been 100% accurate so far in converting typed or printed text into text RTF or searchable PDF files. To use OCR you must have your computer turned on and connected to the same WiFi network. Macintosh OCR software is not included requiring an extra purchase for Mac-only networks that want OCR. Color scanning works but I don't feel qualified to comment on quality. Scans can be initiated from a computer from the printer "scan" button or from a smartsolution. As of March 2010 the types of scans you can do from a smartsolution are somewhat limited so you currently need to use the "scan" button or a computer to have access to all possible scanning options.



Email - Documents can be scanned and then emailed with or without smartsolutions. This is a great feature. I found out the hard way that the printer hangs when attempting to send an attachment that exceeds the limit of the ISP. Comcast is the ISP set up with our Pro805 so the attachment limit is 10MB. A 600 DPI 8.5x11 JPG exceeds this limit (13MB?). And in many instances you will not know if your multi-page PDF file will exceed the limit and hang the printer. The only way to restart the printer after it hangs is to pull out the plug and put it back in.



Smartsolutions - Once set up these one-button solutions make the printer really easy to use - even a pleasure to use. My favorite smartsolution is "Scan to Email." You can set up one "Scan to Email" to send 300DPI PDFs to your real estate agent for documents you signed and give it a custom name such as "PDF docs to agent." Then set up another "Scan to Email" which emails yourself a 150DPI JPG etc. The user simply puts the document on the glass then uses the touch screen to touch "smartsolutions" followed by "PDF to agent"or some other customized "Scan to Email" smartsolution.



An Evernote (a web-based notetaking app) smartsolution particularly intrigued me but the Evernote smartsolution is basically a limited version of "Scan to Email" which gives you the Evernote Icon but subtracts the ability to have a subject or message. So I just set up a different "Scan to Email" to get things into Evernote and used a subject line with PDF scan @scans to direct the scanned file called "PDF scan" to go to an Evernote folder called "scans."



Another good smartsolution is "Scan To PDF" which does OCR and saves the file into a specified folder on the computer with the OCR software. This results in a PDF file whose text is searchable and can be copied/pasted. It would be nice if there were similar smartsolutions that allowed scanning to TXT RTF and XLS files but that is not the case as of the time of this writing (4/2/10). I would also like to see a smartsolution that allows emailing TXT RTF searchable PDF or XLS files with the touch of one button. Yet another nice feature would be to allow naming the subject of an email from the printer instead of automatically having the same subject name each time.



Overall I think the smartsolutions idea is great and is off to a nice start. So long as you have one person in a small office or family who doesn't mind going through all the setup hassles any printer which supports smartsolutions can be set up to simplify certain complicated multi-step functions. This will only improve over time as more smartsolutions are rolled out by Lexmark and possibly outside developers.



Maintenance/Reliablity - My unit has been fully functioning since 3/20/10 so I can't speak to long term reliability. However from the setup hassles I experienced (see below) it is clear that the printhead and cartridge mechanism is a point of potential failure. All the parts involved are delicate tricky to install/uninstall and require cleaning if dirty. Sometimes manually cleaning of the printhead and its insertion point are necessary while other times a "clean printhead" must be performed by the printer which depletes ink (the deep clean depletes about 1/8 of each cartridge). Lexmark has a 5 year warranty on the Pro805 so if the printhead experiences problems they will replace it for free - but I would much prefer not having problems to begin with. I'll update this section in the future after at least a few months of use.



In 2 weeks of use (80-100 pages?) there has been no paper jam or skipped pages and this includes testing the automatic document feeder and duplex printing. Paper handling has been perfect so far.



Setup: It took over 5 hours to completely setup this printer and it is complicated by many factors. Configuration settings are spread out between the printer computer and smartsolutions website and sometimes one change involves making a change in two or more of these locations. Here's the detailed breakdown:



1 hour: Minimum required setup for 2 computers (1 Mac 1 Windows XP). Installing from the CD or the web site is easy enough (though to be safe I obtained the Mac driver from Lexmark's web site bypassing the CD altogether). I installed XP first as I figured Windows XP would be most likely to have a smooth installation. While the software ran smoothly there were many printer setup steps. Had I not got hung up with a manufacturing defect it would have taken approximately 1 hour to set up the two computers including Printer's WiFi excluding email. Note that setting up computers after the first one is a simple driver installation - only the first is lengthy because the software directs you to set up the printer as well.



3-30 minutes: Email setup. Before you can Email you need to configure the Pro805 with an ISP. After 20 minutes of trying a bunch of combinations and Googling for help I gave up trying to get Gmail (Google Apps version) to work as the ISP. So I setup Comcast as the ISP which took about 1 minute. Passwords for the ISP are bizarrely limited to 14 characters. I use long passwords so was forced to reduce the length of my ISP password to get email working with the Pro805.



1-3 hours: Smartsolutions setup.You can set up as many smartsolutions as you like so this will depend on how many you want to download to your printer. But even if you just wanted to do 2 or 3 one-button smartsolutions it would take nearly an hour due to initial setup steps. These steps include making sure you have the latest java software installed for your computer and browser setting up a smartsolutions web account (use a Windows computer if you have one because that gives you access to a greater number of smartsolutions) going through a setup routine with your smartsolutions web account going through a setup routine on the printer and then learning how to actually setup a smartsolution. This involves dragging an icon over from the list of smartsolutions configuring it hitting "save" on the web site and then selecting from the printer smartsolutions/more options/update now. Once you do all this once it's pretty easy to configure more smartsolutions - but there was a lot of overhead to get to the first smartsolution. Every once in a while a smartsolution download/upload doesn't work and you have to redo it - perhaps the network connection is lost every once in while. Also the smartsolutions website goes down a few hours each week - during that time no smartsolutions can be added or changed.



0-3 hours: Troubleshooting. It took me over two hours with tech support to resolve a minor manufacturing defect (and if you read reviews you'll find quite a few similar stories). In the middle of the initial setup process after installing the printhead and the cartridges the printer did not recognize the printhead as being installed. I tried calling tech support with the special dedicated phone line but the phone number did not work for the first couple days after I got the printer. So I used the general printer support number. This involved long wait times and once getting my phone call cut off (and the rep had not taken my phone number so I had to start all over with the next rep). I also found the quality of tech support was not so great with the general Lexmark phone number. After my 2nd call and a series of troubleshooting steps Lexmark decided to replace the printhead and cartridges. A few days later I received and installed the replacements but still not recognized. So I called tech support again and this time it was with the dedicated phone number which was thankfully working. This time the tech support guy I got was good - he may have been consulting with an expert because several times he put me on hold for 1-2 minutes. In the end it turned out that I had to use a pen to press down many parts of two different white pads inside the printer (under where the printhead goes). One pad was not visible and required several minutes of explanation before I could find it. And then it finally worked. Throughout this process I did a number of deep cleans of the printhead and noticed that each such clean depleted about 1/8 of the ink in all 4 cartridges.



There were other minor setup hassles as well such as being asked to register the printer again after already registering (each new driver installation) not being able to download the OCR software from Lexmark's web site (must use disc) and a few temporary connection failures.



1-7 hours Total: Even a minimal setup with no smartsolutions and no technical difficulties would take an hour and adding just a few smartsolutions will likely add another hour. From reading reviews it appears that many people experience technical difficulties setting up e-mail installing the print cartridges or some other issue - so a 3-5 hour total setup time may be typical for the pro805. Considering that a typical all-in-one takes 15-30 minutes to set up this is the big negative compared to the competition and is a legitimate reason to avoid the printer. We are the types of people who change printers once every 5-10 years so if the Pro805 lasts over 5 years without problems then the setup hassle will have been worth it given everything else this printer has to offer.More detail ...

Very Impressive and easy to setup A real Gem!

I am very impressed with all aspects of this printer. Wireless was very easy and the software installed well in Win 7-64 Ultimate on as Dell workstation. All of my features worked quite well. Very good print speed and quality. The cost per page is a bargain and the lowest of all current machines. All worked perfectly _ if there are problems I will post them.



I am amazed at all the complaints as I use all the features with no problems. I even scan to email to pdf and jpeg's and had no trouble setting up the server id. I am no fan of Lex as I owned a printer with high consumables 15 years ago. It took me that long to try a Lex again.



The feature set just amazed me. All my set-ups went well. I am a very experienced user. I have both wireless and usb conected. This is an allowed config. I use both for different print prefs.



It even has apps just like the iphone that allow one to add and customize the printer menus.



I am a 30 year+ user of PC's Printers like this one are still complicated to install for many customers and the earlier firmware and drivers may not have been to par at the launch of this product. As of 3/19 all continues perfect - very cheap to use.



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Experience the versatility of the Lexmark Impact S305! Print copy and scan from wherever inspiration strikes with wireless 802.11 b/g. Print fast with document speeds up to 33ppm and 4x6 photo printing in as little as 24 seconds. Lexmark’s own Vizix ink technology produces clear consistent results and uses individual ink cartridges that can be replaced one color at a time. Enjoy lab-quality photos with direct photo printing from Memory Cards USB Flash drive or with PictBridge™. All of this is backed by an industry-leading 3 year warranty with lifetime phone support. Other features include WiFi Protected Setup which allows you to sync a printer to a WPS-enabled router with the touch of a button. Installation is fast and easy – requiring approximately 10 minutes! For those users who are not currently using wireless technology the Impact S305 can also easily be connected with the included USB cable.

• Wireless printing802.11b/g wireless network compatibility gives customers the freedom to print from virtually anywhere within the home and the flexibility to print from multiple computers.


• Lexmark's industry leading three year warranty with lifetime technical support provides peace of mind.


• Individual ink cartridges allow customers to replace only the ink that is needed.


• Document print speeds of up to 33 ppm; borderless 4"x6" photos in less than 24 seconds


• Quickly print and share true-to-life photos from memory cards PictBridge or USB

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Solid full featured printer.

I have primarily owned HP printers for the last 15 years but was having sporadic problems with my main printer an HP D360 photo printer. I was tired of troubleshooting with HP so I decided to give in and go with the Lexmark Prevail Pro705. I shopped around and didn't really do much research prior to buying. I knew I wanted to try a new manufacturer and was hoping to get a multi-function unit. I was in an office supply store and asked if Lexmark was comparable to HP quality and saw for myself that there wasn't a lot of difference in quality.



The Prevail Pro705 was the new model at the time of purchase (Oct 14th 2009). This is my first purchase from Lexmark and I am very pleased. The most appealing things to me about this particular model were the number of features (Fax Scanner Copier Printer) the 5 year warranty and the slightly lower costs per print than the HP model. The color cartridge claims to get about 200 prints more than the HP 02 color cartridges so that (ideally) means more prints for less.



After unboxing the printer I first tried to set it up on Windows Vista Ultimate PC connecting via USB cable (included). I was able to print a test page but had difficulty printing pictures- the progress bar would only go to about 30% or so. I contacted tech support help troubleshoot my issue. They spent 4 hours trying to tweak things while remotely connected to my computer with no luck. At the end of the first support session I was worse off- the printer was struggling to print a complete test page. Fortunately my issue was escalated to second level support whom I was able to get in touch with the next day. After another two hours of trouble shooting I was told this was an issue that may need to be submitted to the software engineering team. I was getting ready to pack up the printer to return it but I decided to mention to the technician that I had another computer (a netbook) that had Windows XP on it and if that would make any difference. The tech recommended that I try to install the printer on that using the USB cable. I followed his instructions later that night and was able to get the printer installed and it printed everything including pictures perfectly. After that I thought I'd try printing using wireless (instead of the USB) from my Vista computer and everything worked perfectly. Apparently there are still some bugs that need to be worked out for Vista or it is possible that my Vista computer has other issues that prevent the printer from functioning properly over USB. Since I also had issues with HP printer I think it is possible that my computer settings are the culprit. The Lexmark support technician said the issues seemed to be related to a firewall on my computer though we disabled that and still had the problem. The tech support people were very helpful and spoke good English despite being in another country.



Had it not been for the trouble that I ran into while installing the printer on Vista and the lengthy tech support calls I would have given a 5 star review. There are many pro's: the photo prints are very comparable in quality to my HP D360. The printer makes some noise when printing but a lot less than my old printer. The wireless capability of this printer was a life saver and it was very easy to get set up with the software included (I am using a dlink wireless N router with WPA security). It seems that it is also possible to set up the wireless capability from the printer but I didn't try that.



The copy functionality of the printer works well. It took less than 30 seconds to make a copy and it looks very clean though some colors (like light grays) seemed to be a little darker on the copy. There is also an "eco" setting that will automatically make copies on two sides of the page. This is a nice feature and saves paper which I like. The eco mode also puts the printer into sleep mode after a certain amount of time.



I would recommend this to anyone looking for a solid multi-function printer. It seems to have similar quality and capability to the more expensive HP printers.

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Was surprised with the features

I have this printer only for about 10 days now - thats one of the reasons I have rated it at 4 stars as it has not proven itself over a long period yet.



Overall I found this to be really good! This is my first Lexmark product and I was a bit skeptical initially. The instalation was a bit rough as its driver clashed with my Logitech webcam's driver. The Lexmark support was friendly and trying to be helpful but they had no clue why the installation was failing. After digging deep into the Windows error I found from the web what the possible problem could be. Once I uninstalled the Logitec driver the Lexmark installation was a breeze. (I am yet to re-install the logitech webcam - so don't know what would happen then :))



The installation document and s/w are really top notch - with good graphics and explanations. I set it up as a wireless printer (ofcourse!) for my home with 2 desktops and 2 laptops.



This printer's features have surprised me no end. It comes with full (XL sized) ink cartridges which is a big plus. Its a true wireless multifunction. I can scan and send the PDF to any of my desktops / laptops wirelessly. It does dual side printing. Its controls are very intuitive.



Lexmark gives a whopping 5 year warranty on their printers which is a big plus. (Mind you I have had bad experiences with extended warranties from Comp USA Good Guys Wards (remember any of them????) etc. as they folded before their warranty expired :) - hopefully Lexmark is more stable than them.



Overall I am a happy Lexmark customer now. I keep checking on my printer once in a while and so far can't stop admiring it.



Hope this was helpful.More detail ...

Be warned on ink usage and cartridges

I purchased this printer the other day to replace my Lexmark X74. The X74 printer still works perfectly (in WinXP) but will not work with the new Windows 7 OS. There is no new driver available for it. Lexmark has determined that the printer is too old and they will not develop a new printer driver for it. So I was basically forced to upgrade my printer.



I really liked my old Lexmark so I decided to purchase another one. I did some research and settled on the S605. I liked the look of it and the wireless feature so I purchased it and took it home to set up on my wireless network.



I have to tell you that the installation went flawlessly. As mentioned in some of the reviews I read that reading and following the directions made it go smoothly. In about 30 mins. I had all THREE of our computers setup and printing with this printer.



I gave this printer a 3 star rating due to it's printer cartridges. I am a little disappointed that the cartridges can't be refilled and are a little pricey. The cartridges (#100) have a chip installed in them that prevents the cartridges from being refilled. I've had my X74's cartridges refilled in the past and they worked perfectly - and cost a lot less than new cartridges. I only hope that I can at least get close to the number of pages printed that Lexmark says I should get. Somehow I don't believe that's going to happen. Probably will turn out like the estimated mpg your supposed to get on your new car - time will tell.





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