Your Reproductive System Don't get too excited: a not-so-intimate look at workgroup copiers and whether you should choose analog or digital

There may come a time when Kinko's just won't satisfyyou anymore. Someday you'll get tired of leaving the office toget copies made. You'll also come to terms with the fact thatrunning off multiple copies means using up your printer's inkcartridges. And you'll watch your employees twiddle theirthumbs while waiting for 10 copies of a report to finish.That's when you know it's time to invest in a dedicatedcopier.

Personal copiers are tempting because they're cheap (lessthan $500) and small, but they don't have the muscle power tohandle high-volume demands or an office full of employees. Sowe're going to look at work-group copiers that are sized forbusinesses and used by small workgroups of employees. Thesearen't the horse-sized copiers of yore, but compact,networkable machines for low- and mid-volume use. The price tagscontinue to clock in at well over $1,000, but that's smallchange compared to the bigger machines on the market.

Fit To Print

There are two basic types of workgroup copiers: analog anddigital. Analog is the kind we're all familiar with. You placeyour book or paper on the platen glass, set the lid on top of it,push the button and wait as the light goes buzzing along underneathit, one pass for each copy you make. The Xerox 5818 Copier, at$3,060 (all prices street), is a good example of a relativelylow-cost analog copier. Its reduce and enlarge ratios of 64 to 156percent are typical of analog. (By comparison, some digital copierscan enlarge up to 800 percent.) The 5818's 20,000-page monthlyvolume is enough to handle most small work-group demands. The inputtray holds 720 sheets with a 99-sheet maximum output. Compare thiswith the high-priced, high-volume Kyocera Mita DC-6500 Work-groupCopier.

We've included the DC--6500 in our "ShoppingList" for comparison's sake. This machine is $19,995worth of free-standing, old-fashioned analog printing. It's wayout of the budget reaches of some companies, but it's typicalof what's left lingering in the analog product lines: largeworkhorse machines for companies that really have some seriouscopying to do. The DC-6500, for example, can crank out a whopping65 copies per minute (CPM) and can be retro-fitted to hold a6,300-sheet paper supply.

Not surprisingly, digital copiers have begun to outnumberanalogs in the market-place. Analog prices and copy quality may becomparable to digital machines, but digital offers otheradvantages: For instance, you don't have to stand there andwait for the machine to scan the paper every time it makes a copy.It scans the paper once, remembers it and continues copying. Youcan snag the original and return to work while the copier staysbusy.

And unlike analog machines, for which copying is the one andonly duty, most digital copiers are designed as "documentmanagement systems." That's the long term for"multifunction." A network copier might also be yournetwork printer, scanner or fax machine. Some systems come thisway; others offer modules so you can add printer capabilities toyour copier later if the need arises.

The Konica 7415 Workgroup Document System is a good example ofthe latter. The basic machine is just a copier, but you can add ona network card or a fax module. This sort of setup is ideal formaking one machine operate as a networked multifunction device. Itcan also evolve as your business grows and your hardware needsincrease.

If you already know you want it all, another option is to justbuy all the features ready to rumble in one machine. The $2,799Sharp DM2000 Network Laser Document System comes pre-equipped as acopier and network printer. A fax feature is optional. It isn'tas cheap as running out and buying another inkjet, but you'llget all the advantages of a laser printer along with theconvenience of a copier. And 20 pages per minute (ppm) outputisn't too shabby, either.

The Choice Is Yours

For most business workgroup purposes, a sub-$3,000 copier willsuffice. Narrowing down the options will require some thought. Onthe one hand, you don't want to spend more than you have to,but on the other hand, you don't want to invest in a machinethat will be inadequate for your needs.

One of the first considerations is how many copies per monthyou'll be making. Make a generous estimate and pad it with roomfor growth if you see some business expansion in your future. Ifyou figure you're going to run off about 200 copies per day,then you can figure about 6,000 per month. Next, match that up withthe listed monthly duty cycle for copiers that interest you. Beaware that manufacturers are notorious for inflating duty-cyclenumbers, so always aim for well over your estimate. Back to ourexample, you would minimally want a copier with a 10,000-page dutycycle. Working a copier harder than what it's designed tohandle increases the chances of it breaking down and requiringservice. Most digital multifunction copiers don't list dutycycles.

Speed is another factor to consider. Warm-up time, time to firstcopy and CPM all come into play. The Sharp DM2000 Network Laser,for example, takes 7.2 seconds to spit out the first copy, whilethe analog Xerox 5818 takes 6 seconds. But the Xerox has a100-second warm-up time-which doesn't sound too terrible untilyou find yourself standing around waiting for the machine to getready. And despite the high-end Kyocera Mita DC-6500's480-second warm-up time, the big analog machine only needs a scant2.8 seconds to produce the first copy.

Once you and your copier are ready to go, you'll want toconsider copy speed. If you're used to 6 or 8 ppm output froman inkjet printer or multi-function machine, you'll enjoy theminimum 20 CPM these copiers do. Those speed-demon statistics carryover if your copier doubles as a network printer.

Some other features to consider include duplexing capability,sorting options and memory. Duplexing is an advanced featurethat's available as an option on some lower-end copiers, and itcomes standard on the Kyocera Mita DC-6500. Most digital copierscome equipped with memory that can be upgraded. The Sharp DM2000comes equipped with 8MB memory, expandable to 136MB.

Traditionally, copiers have been purchased from local officesupply dealers through the normal sales-person format. Most of thesmaller workgroup machines can now be found through onlineretailers and even at the occasional office super-store. One-on-onecontact through a local seller still offers some advantages when itcomes to such a major hardware purchase. The more complex machinestypically are bought along with a service contract to handle anyrepair problems that arise. But many buyers are now relyingentirely on the manufacturer's warranty. Read over the warrantyterms to see how long you'll be without a copier if repairs areneeded.

And don't forget paper, ink, drums and cartridges. Yum,consumables-parts that require refills or replacements. This isalso where most of your operating expenses will come from. Alwayscheck the cost of supplies before you buy. One interestingpurchasing option comes from the Ricoh online store. For $4,580,you can purchase the Aficio 180 in a package that includes one yearof service and supplies. Other online stores may offer similardeals.

In Plain English

Automatic document feeder:allows multiple sheets to be copied without manually placing eachone on the platen

Bypass tray: allows directfeeding of odd-sized paper, like card stock

CPM: copies per minute, ameasure of a copier's output speed

Duplex copying: premiumcopier feature that automatically copies both sides of thepaper

Duty cycle: also calledmonthly volume, estimated maximum number of copies per month amachine is designed to copy

Platen: flat glass areawhere the document is placed for copying

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