BUYERS LABORATORY TEST REPORT Imagistics 2500 MFP Multifunctional
2-TR
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General Appraisal continued
can also be programmed remotely from a PC
whenconfiguredwith thestandard parallelor
USB interface and using the bundled remote
utility (this utility was not tested by BLI since
thetested unitwasconfigured witha network
connection). Ease of use as a printer was also
good. Further contributing to the unit’s good
ease of use are its procedures for loading
paper, removing misfeeds and replacing the
tonercartridge anddrum unit.Moreover,un-
like most units tested, the Imagistics Model
2500MFPreceivedBLI’shighestratinginboth
copyandprintmodeforalltypesofoutputevalu-
ated(text, line art, solids andhalftones).Test-
ing also revealed that the unit’s multitasking
capabilities are typical of other units in this
rangetested todate byBLI, withthe userable
to program a copy job while a print job is in
progress, but not while another copy job is
inprogress.
As a fax machine, the Imagistics Model 2500
MFP offers a 33.6-Kbps modem, JBIG com-
pression,an 8-MBstandard memory thatcan
be upgraded to 40 MB, the highest maximum
memorycapacityforcurrentmid-volumeunits,
a30-sheet automatic documentfeeder, a 250-
sheet paper capacity that can be increased to
500 sheets, as well as a single-sheet bypass
tray, and multi-access. Other fax features of
thisunit,whichhasa3.56-second-per-pageBLI-
testedscan speed,include batchtransmission,
50timers fordelayed operations,132 autodial
destinations, 168-hour battery backup (the
longestbattery backuptime availableforcur-
rent units), broadcasting to 182 destinations,
distinctive-ring detection, error-correction
mode, an automatic cover sheet feature and
remote diagnostics. Furthermore, the
ImagisticsModel 2500MFP dials thedestina-
continued
tion and begins transmitting while pages are
scannedtomemory.
As a convenience copier, the unit can output
upto 99 copiesin asinglerun at600-dpi reso-
lutionandprovidesanautoreductionmodeand
pre-set(50%, 78%,94%,100%, 104%,150%
and200%)and zoom(50% to200%in 1%in-
crements)reduction/enlargementmodes.Other
copyingfeaturesincludetheabilitytosortmul-
tiplecopiesand tocopy twoorfour pagesonto
onepage aswell asa faxand copyfeature that
allows users to make a copy of their fax docu-
ment at the same time they send the fax. Fur-
thermore, the unit’s first-copy time, at 12.78
seconds,isfasterthanthelargemajorityoffax-
centricmultifunctionalunits testedtodate.
Connectivity
The Imagistics Model 2500 MFP was tested
as a network printer using the optional exter-
nalAXISprintservernetworkinterface,which
waseasyto install.Thebundled PCL5e (emu-
lation)print driver forWindows 95,98, 2000,
NT 4.0 and Me was also easy to use and in-
cludessuch noteworthyfeaturesastoner-save
mode,brightness/contrast, manualduplexing
withmargins(Windows 98only),theability to
printthedateandtime,andN-upprintingwith
orwithoutborders.Alsonoteworthyisthat the
driver allows users to click on a graphical
image to select the paper source. The
Imagistics2500MFP,whichoutputatitsrated
speedof 15ppm,prints at600-dpi resolution.
The Imagistics 2500 MFP also offers LAN
faxingas well asPC scanning toa PC directly
connected via the unit’s standard parallel or
USBinterface (PCscanning wasnot testedby
BLI as the unit was tested in a network envi-
ronment).
