 Smooth as silk installation |
| Review Date: November 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: atmj, Rochester, NY USA |
I received this printer and my first thought was "Whew" wireless, this is going to be a pain...Well I'm happy to say I was wrong.
First things first:
PACKAGING:
This printer was packed such that the instructions and installation CD, were right on top. No foraging around looking for this essential piece of information. You receive the printer, this folder of information with the CD, a power cord, a USB cord and a phone cord.
THINGS TO SET UP THE FIRST TIME:
When you get this printer, you will need to do the following:
1. Install the SW
2. Update the SW
3. Communicate with your computer during setup
4. Install the Print head
5. Install the inks (4 in all)
6. Hook up to your wireless network
7. Hook up to your FAX if you choose to use it such
8. Run a test print.
And it goes so smoothly you can't believe you did all this!
Key here is to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
One of the first instructions tells you not to hook up anything and to follow the directions as to when to hook stuff up. I don't know what happens if you don't listen. I do know that if you follow directions in less than a half hour you will have a smoothly hooked up printer that is not only accessible to the computer you set it up with, but clearly visible on your network.
The directions show up both on your computer due to the wizard you are following during hook-up, but some also are on the printer display once it is active.
MINOR ISSUES:
I found insertion of the ink cartridge to be a bit questionable. I felt I had to press harder than I would have expected to. I did get a click to confirm, but suspect others might not press hard enough resulting in improperly inserted cartridges.
SUBSEQUENT HOOK UPS:
The first computer we hooked it up with was a wired setup, Windows XP desktop.
The second computer we hooked it up with was a wireless laptop with Windows 7. In this case, the CD did not have the drivers but easily accessed the web for the correct ones and the printer was hooked up, in no time.
The next machine was a Windows XP desktop and it also went well.
Key here in each case we used the installation CD. We did not try to hook up by just looking up the drivers on the Lexmark site. However since in all cases of these setups, the website was polled for either updates or the original drivers, I'm sure this would work too.
USAGE:
We have only printed several items and each was flawless. The two-sided printing was great for minimizing paper. Mind you we all know it is the ink that costs the most. However, this two-page printing was easy to do, within the printer settings.
I've scanned one item (a magazine article) using the OCR capability and it was easy to do and find within the application. Quite easy in comparison to many other printers I have tried to do this with.
I will add to this section as I do more.
DOUBLE-SIDED COPY DILEMMA:
One thing I had to school myself to do, is not touch the paper when it comes forward in the delivery chute until it is done. Since this printer does two-sided copies, it will send a page forward into the delivery chute, prior to pulling it back in, to print the other side. They clearly show you are not to touch the paper yet in the display, but having used single-sided copy printers so long, it was nearly automatic to assume the copy was done, despite the warning. It would be better if the paper did not go right into the delivery chute so visibly.
INK AVAILABILITY:
A quick check around, I did not find the ink at a popular warehouse store. I found the ink online, only at one of the two popular office supply places near where I live. I'm assuming they would also carry it locally. So close to Black Friday, I didn't venture there in person. They do provide an easy link within the printer application directly to Lexmark to buy ink and it is comparatively priced, to the one office store online. However there seems to be a high yield version, that I'm ignorant on, at the moment.
The Standard Black is the typical, twice as much as the separate three colors: Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. A quick check seemed to be inline with many of the other printers out there.
An update, both local office stores have this ink and it is comparatively priced. However the warehouse store still does not.
SUMMARY:
It is hard to write a summary on a printer I have done so little with so far. I plan to update this review. However it looks sleek, it installed well and so far; it performed well. The lack of ink availability may be due to it being so new.
FEATURES 4 in 1:
This printer has a sheet feeder for the scanner and a flat bed. You can also fax with it as well as copy too. This 4 in 1 set of features was essential to me, having had various 4 in 1 printers for over 10 years now.
You would think for personal use, this would not be handy, but how many times have you had to take document to work to copy or to the drug store at 10-25 cents each.
Also if you have found something interesting in a magazine or book, it is a simple thing to scan in and put it into your computer for later reference. This is great for recipes.
I have also done this with old medical records (>3 years old) when I didn't want to lose the information, but hated having all that paper around. I then back it up with CDs that take up so much less room too.
Though I did not have my previous printer nor this one hooked up to a phone line, it is a simple thing to set it up and hook to a phone line, when I want to send or receive a fax. This also eliminates junk faxes as well.
AN ADDITION TO ORIGINAL REVIEW:
One neat aspect of a wireless hook up is when my son had a bunch of scans he had to do, all he had to do was unplug the printer, bring it down to his room, run the scanner near him, then bring it back up to where it normally is. Since the paper area folds down and the panel pops in, that is very easy to do. It ran wonderfully while he did this and then returned it to it's spot.
I've since done quite a few scans myself, and you can send them to the computer you want. That is really handy.
Also the Fax has an automatic redial if the fax number is busy.
The more I used this cool multifunction printer, the more I am impressed.
PRINT HEAD ERRORS-ADDRESSED AND SOLVED BEFORE I NEEDED TO COMPLAIN:
A few weeks ago, the printer started to have quite a few "print head errors" where I had to remove the print head (easy to do) and wipe it off with a lint free cloth. You would then reinstall it, and it would work fine. However this started happening with each initial series of usage, when it hadn't been used in a few days. Just about the time, I was getting ready to complain, Lexmark came out with an update they sent via email(to my registered user address with them), that fixed the problem. On top of that clicking on the email and installing this update was seamless. Great job and I'm impressed. |
What a DEAL!
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| Review Date: November 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: John B. Moss, Moyie Springs, ID USA |
I have been an HP Printer user for over 15 years; I had tried other brands (not Lexmark) and kept going back to HP. This Lexmark Pro205 blew me away! I use it as a wireless device, connected via my router. That's convenient, but the performance and quality are remarkable! So, too, was the support I received when I had questions regarding how to connect to my router. The support technician was quick to answer the phone, was knowledgeable and courteous, and got me up and running immediately!
I love the duplex printing. I am enjoying a fast scan, fast copy, fast fax, fast printing.
But...
...the print cartridges cost as much as the printer. It just so happens that, with use, the ink runs out. And a set of replacement ink cartrdges run pretty close to the cost of the printer itself!
I am not anxious to try other brands of ink, because I don't want to risk a warranty violation. But I would encourage Lexmark to rethink their pricing policy, because the ink cost is the only detrimental aspect of using this printer. As I say, it doesn't matter whether you get 250 sheets, or 1,250 sheets of printed output; eventually, your ink will be used up, and then you have to (in effect) buy another printer. This is the only bad thing here, and I know the same complaint can be made for other printer brands.
Bottom line: the expense of ink cartridges (black + cyan + magenta + yellow = approx. $100 for 1 of each (4 cartridges)) is pretty steep! Other than that, I LOVE THIS PRINTER! |
Best Out of The Box experience ever ...
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| Review Date: November 1, 2009 |
| Reviewer: D. Smith, Texas |
| After 15 years of HP only printers, I took a chance on this one.. really based on user experiences here. After the first day of use, here's my recommendation: Buy this printer, if for no other reason than to experience the best unpacking and setup up I've ever seen, truly the most well thought out and easy to understand ever. It made me think: If Lexmark built this printer to the same standards they used to pack it and write the setup, I'm going to be a happy camper. Everything works as advertised. Note to HP: remember when you built cheap printers this way? Note to Amazon: What's with the pricing here: I see the same printer offered by Amazon for either $99, free shipping; or $150, free shipping? |
A Good Purchase
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| Review Date: March 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: FY Woodwerks, Inc., Las Vegas, NV USA |
I have been an HP printer(s) owner for as long as I can remember...Never Again! Never! Never! Never! (I wouldn't wish an HP Printer on my worst enemy!). I guess my big, ignorant mistake was thinking just because I own an HP laptop an HP printer would be a perfect fit, much like putting a Ford part on a Ford. IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY WITH COMPUTERS. HP software conflicts with each other, in addition the HP printers come with so many additional useless programs that you can't keep from being installed on your computer when setting up the AIO. On top of that, if one tries to remove those extraneous programs the uninstall process will most likely remove a critical file that is needed for the HP Laptop. I almost always had communication and/or shut down problems with my HP computer when using HP printers, specifically the All In Ones.
I had heard good things about Lexmark and after reading hours and hours of reviews on several Lexmark printers including this one, I thought I would take the leap of faith and buy it. I almost purchased it at Office Depot and paid (way too much) $170 plus tax. I restrained myself and went online, found it, you know where for $99.99 with free shipping.
The Print quality is outstanding, I have always had ink jet printers and it's print quality is as good as any of them. It's not a laser printer but if you are concerned about the difference in print quality between the two types, you need some real problems in your life. The set up is quick and brainless, the Wireless feature is far better than any wireless HP AIO I have ever used or owned (Please see updated reviews below). I have had some communication issues but they seemed to be related to the timing of trying to print at the same time my security software was updating. The Scan feature, again outstanding. Scan to a flash drive, file, PDF or email whatever, it all works excellent. It has Abbyy Optical Character Recognition software for scanning, which is most useful, all automatically activated when working from the computer. It's hard to screw up Faxing these days and this Lexmark does it just like most all other AIO's, perfectly. I have used the Flatbed Copier to copy single sheets but again that is a process that was perfected centuries ago. I have not used the Auto Document Feeder: I have not read a single complaint regarding that feature so I am confident that once I need to use that feature it will perform seamlessly. The print speed is very good but I am usually only printing a couple of pages at a time. It prints rite quickly; again if seconds mean the difference between a good (fast) printer and a slow one, somebody needs 'real' problems. I have had some failures at the two sided printing but I know I am doing something wrong, as again all of the reviews were very favorable. All functions can be controlled at the computer OR at the printer. The unit comes with FULL Extended Life ink cartridges, 1 black and 3 color; not your basic introductory cartridges like with HP, and they are cheaper than HP ink. I always check the price of replacement ink before purchasing a printing device: To often the "sweet smell" of a low priced printer/AIO is soured by the "foul aftertaste" of high priced replacement cartridges.
I am using a Linksys wireless 802.11B (dinosaur) router, this AIO is supposedly not compatible with the new faster Routers (N?), although the newer routers are supposed to address the crux of compatibility. I have read many complaints about the so called, reverse compatibility of these newer routers and how they may not be so reverse compatible in all cases, so if you are using the latest technology in routers, I would confirm the compatibility and prepare yourself for possible issues, but if Lexmark's performance is directly consistent, you should have no problems, just contact Lexmark and confirm its compatibility first. If this one isn't compatible, the next Prospect Pro in series most likely is.
Basically, I can't believe that an AIO of this quality and features can be sold for $100 and still be profitable. I would buy this all over again just to have a back up. It goes without saying that I would recommend this unit if you are looking for an AIO. I would faithfully compare it up to $200 and even a bit more. This AIO is truly a Good Buy. I can't review all the features of this AIO, there are many, but I can say I have zero complaints of the features I have used (See updated reviews below). I am really impressed that it only comes with the pertinent software needed to fully use the unit. And (although I have not had to use it(See updated reviews below)) it comes with full support and once you register your ownership with Lexmark, the warranty goes from one to five years. I also looked at Canon and Kodak. Canon was the only other company I found that produced an AIO that had comparable features for the price and had a high percentage of favorable reviews.
(March 16, 2010)
This is an update to the original review after further usage: I still feel positive about this unit however, I am having one big problem with its wireless communication function. I occasionally get a Communication Error message when trying to print. This Lexmark has a feature called Eco Mode, where the printer effectively goes to sleep to reduce power consumption. A nice feature but it seems to have trouble waking up when a print job is sent to it. It sometimes requires me to physically go to the unit and manually 'wake it up' by briefly pressing the power button. In my opinion, this somewhat defeats the wireless aspect. I have searched support for hours and the solutions offered; mostly related to defined IP addresses; doesn't seem to be the problem. Firewall isn't the problem. Router access isn't the problem. All I can extrapolate is that if the printer isn't used everyday and hopefully several times a day, the manual says the printer needs to re-establish it's IP with the router. I would still buy it as this communication issue is not 100% of the time, maybe at most, 10-20%.
(March 25, 2010)
The communication issues experienced, as described above, seem to have been recified. Lexmark has very recently (3/5/2010) released a Firmware patch that addresses a wireless communication issue along with issues pertaining to the Auto Document Feeder. After downloading and installing this patch, the 'sleep/wake-up' problems I was experiencing have not resurfaced. Also now having used the two sided print feature I can say it's very cool. Works well. The printer prints one side, spits it out (the printer screen tells the operator not to touch it) then after a (customizable) period of time the printer pulls the sheet back in and prints on the back side. The Delay time can be adjusted for your region, as in more humid environments the ink will require longer times to dry. |
Long time HP bigot here...
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| Review Date: January 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: S. Payne, Marietta GA |
I bought this for my daughter to use with her Macbook after having great luck with the Dell branded Lexmark printers and a Lexmark laser printer that I use daily on my windows machines.
What impressed me was the ease of installation, perfect functioning, and no-nonsense software. The wireless function is initiated via the included USB cable and setup program run on the computer (either mac or windows). It prints and scans faultlessly from both mac and windows. The driver seems lean and I detected no conflicts. I did modify network TCP/IP settings to utilize a fixed IP address for the printer (other network printers I have got "lost" after power-outages when using DHCP assigned IP addresses). After doing this, running the wireless utility via USB got the Mac talking to it again. It was necessary to delete the other printer instance after doing this.
The design includes 4 cartridges (large black plus the three primary colors) and a separate print head (unlike HP and previous Lexmarks where you replace the print head with the cartridge). I suppose this saves money for Lexmark not having to provide new print heads with the cartridges. I'm a bit leery of this layout. Hopefully it will save us money not having to replace a tri-color cartridge every time just yellow runs out. We'll see. In the meantime printed output even on the fastest draft mode is very good. With the five year warranty (be sure to register the product, or it's only one year) I'm less concerned about the print head gumming up.
The scanner software has plenty of options, either top level general ones or you can drill down to set every detail. Scanned output is excellent.
The duplexer (print both sides) functions well. There's only a momentary pause to let the ink dry before printing the other side.
Haven't used the fax capability, but it's nice to have.
Within the last year I also bought an HP J6450 all-in-one as my scanner/color inkjet. What a horror story that is from the software viewpoint. It continues to plague me with driver glitches (even with current drivers) under Vista and Windows XP. I may chuck it out the window and get another Lexmark.
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