I welcome you back to another of these (fortunately) well-received Blog Posts on Technology, as I am always on the hunt-down for new technology and new gadgets that will make your business run more efficiently, and make you happy, if you like that sort of stuff. I have been asked (not badgered, really...just asked) by a number of clients that make up my readership to continue focusing on technology, as it is helping them immensely. I have also exchanged E-mails with many of you requesting more on-topic items such as the Rent to Own Market, so everyone will be glad to know they are all being granted their wish, and we have some cool Real Estate posts forthcoming.
With that being said, today we are going to take a journey from the past into the present, with a very sophisticated twist on how we to use a printing feature that most overlook, and wind up paying more for that ambivalence in the long run.
If I told you I was reviewing a Monochrome (Black and White Printer), you might think I was crazy. However, if you told me you print everything from your to-do list and your own personal notes in color, every day, I might turn around and say that you, my friend, might be the crazy one.
Well, the cat is out of the bag, and the printer I present to you today is like no other one you have seen before. Sure, in your past, you might remember those old workhorse Black and White Printers that were scattered among offices, which could produce large output. But looking back, do you remember the smudging? The low-quality look of the characters that usually came out in Arial or Times New Roman, and you knew there had to be better than this. Then came Color Printers, and everyone got hooked on them, since they could also print black and white, as well as color. But color was shiny and new, and you got hooked.
Back to the present day, and I present to you the Epson WF-M5694, a sleek new offering from Epson that captures the spirit of the work-horse printers of the past, while putting an edge and a spin on this printer that you never would have imagined possible. From a person with a technical background spanning a little over 20 years, I, personally, was quite impressed! Let's examine the Set-up, Speed, Quality, features, and how this printer can save you money from multiple angles. Then we'll wrap it all up with the full Technical Specifications at the end.
Setting this baby up was easy as can be, and I had a non-technical friend run through the set up to keep things honest here by verifying that I didn't just geek my way through it. Instantly connected it to my Wi-Fi and loaded up the paper, checked out the ink to get a good look at it and installed it. Locked and loaded and ready to print.
That was an understatement. I half-expected the print job to come out section by section and quite slow, as that as what I was conditioned for from years back. Was I ever wrong! The pages came out blazing fast, and apparently, the speed of pages of text can approach 20 pages per minute, which comes out to about 3 seconds per page. I had a stopwatch and I was close to if not eclipsing that speed. Nice! That will let you knock down some hefty print jobs while making some big savings (I will explain shortly).
Printing using the Auto Document Feeder (ADF) makes life so much easier than doing page by page copying, and it does a step further, as it also Auto-duplexes, saving you from having to flip the pages over for the other side to get it's share of the print job. What I also found very cool with the printer was how they are paying attention to the ability to print from specific devices, for example, Amazon Kindle Printing, Google Cloud, Apple, and Android Printing. These are also is a snap to get working.
How about the quality? I tried all of the functions, and wound up with high-quality printed output of scanned items and general printing items and copies. I was happy to find everything had crisp lettering, that, I might add, will not smudge even when shaking the paper back and forth violently like a lunatic! As another test, I sprinkled a few drops of H20 on it, and sure enough, it is water resistant as well!
Now, the ink that is used is DURABrite (Ultra Pigment ink), and they say you can get about 10,000 printed copies before ever having to change the cartridge. Please read that line again. I'm not kidding. Additionally, the efficiency of this printer is guided by the leap-years ahead PrecisionCore Printing Technology. The Printer is so efficient that it uses up to 70% less power than laser printers. Did you just hear a big "BOOM!" in the Accounting department? The Controller just fell of their chair after hearing that. This is some serious technology here, folks. Did I mention it can handle 45,000 pages per month?
The real benefit I see here is from my own personal experience visiting with clients, where they print absolutely everything in colored ink, and in actuality, at least 50% of their jobs could be done in Monochrome.
However, one could argue, with validity, that it does not make sense to overburden those current color printers with massive Monochrome and Color Print Jobs. The current alternative points to their in-place hardware; but the Monochrome printers that plenty of offices do have in many of their locations are dated often by 10 years or more. This brings us into a whole new category of costs currently being incurred, as these decade-old printers are terribly inefficient in terms of Power Usage (if this printer can approach a 70% more efficient level than a Laser Printer, than compared to the 1990's Monochrome printers, the level would probably approach triple digits in terms of increased efficiency/less power usage, from what I am calculating here). Just as important is the replacement cost of old hard-to-find probably refurbished/refilled ink cartridges vs. brand new easy-install cartridges for the WF-M5694. Then there is the obvious remaining factor; the smudgy dated output vs. the crisp and clean, sharp output that you upgrade to with this printer.
So, in closing, I end with a question; If you could potentially lower power usage/costs by replacing the older monochrome printer(s) with the WF-M5694, taking a load off your current central hub color printer(s), and start producing the monochrome copies you really need with super-efficient ink usage, along with one more benefit (that nobody needs to wear the ink that rubbed off onto their hands and clothes from Mr. Jones' inter-office Memo), then would it all be worth the change?
Technical Specs:
The lowest cost multifunction monochrome printer in its class.
The WorkForce Pro WF-M5694 multifunction monochrome printer provides the lowest-cost monochrome printing in its class. Designed for small workgroups, it requires little intervention, with a 10,000-page cartridge yield, 580-sheet maximum paper capacity and 45,000 page monthly duty cycle. Professional-quality documents can be printed at fast speeds — 20 ISO ppm (black). The device supports auto 2-sided printing, copying, scanning and faxing. Network setup and security features provide seamless integration and administration into wired and wireless environments, via Universal drivers, PCL5 and PostScript. Powered by PrecisionCore printing technology, the WF-M5694 delivers Performance Beyond Laser.
Model: C11CE37201
MFP with WiFi & Ethernet: Print | Copy | Scan | Fax | PCL/PS
Ink: DURABrite Ultra pigment ink
Print Speed: Up to 20 ppm
View Specifications
Product Guides & Additional Information:
WorkForce Pro WF-M5694 Monochrome Multifunction Printer Brochure (PDF)
User Reviews
Key Features
ISO Print Speeds
ISO Print Speeds
Prints at speeds of 20 ISO ppm (black)
Wireless and Ethernet Network Ready
Wireless and Ethernet Network Ready
Share one printer with multiple computers in your home or office, using a wireless or wired network.
High-capacity Cartridges Available
High-capacity Cartridges Available
Extra large, easy to install ink cartridges with high print yields.
Automatic Two-Sided Printing
Automatic Two-Sided Printing
Save up to 50% on paper with automatic two-sided printing .
Epson Connect - Print and Share from Anywhere
Epson Connect; - Print and Share from Anywhere
Easily print from iPad, iPhone, tablets, smartphones and more.
Automatic Document Feeder
Automatic Document Feeder
Easily copy, scan and fax stacks of documents with the built-in automatic document feeder.
Cost savings — the lowest-cost monochrome printing in its class
Low intervention — print up to 10,000 black pages without changing the cartridge; up to 580 sheets maximum paper capacity with optional second paper tray
Do more — 35-page duplex Auto Document Feeder; auto 2-sided print, copy, scan and fax; Document Capture Pro scanning software included
Fast output — prints at speeds of 20 ISO ppm (black)
Heavy-duty networked workgroup printing — 45,000-page monthly duty cycle; up to 2500 pages recommended monthly for high-volume printing
Security features — secure PIN printing, user access control, Web Config and more
Professional-quality results — laser-sharp text on a wide variety of media with DURABrite Ultra Ink
Built-in networking — wired and wireless connectivity plus Wi-Fi Direct; also print from smartphones, tablets and the cloud
Included drivers and utilities — Universal driver, PCL5 and Adobe® PostScript® 3™
Get Performance Beyond Laser — the WorkForce Pro WF-M5694, powered by PrecisionCore
Designed for use exclusively with Epson cartridges.
Eco Features
Uses up to 70% less power than laser printers
Save up to 50% of your paper supply with automatic 2-sided printing/copying
ENERGY STAR qualified
RoHS compliant
Recyclable product
Epson America, Inc. is a SmartWay Transport Partner
Better Products for a Better Future
For more information on Epson's environmental programs, go to www.epson.com/environment
What's in the Box
Epson WorkForce Pro WF-M5694 printer
Manual
Power cord
DURABrite Ultra Ink cartridge – One 792 ink cartridge: Black
Warranty
One-year limited warranty in the U.S. and Canada
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com
