Kyocera Mita KM 1820

The Kyocera Mita KM-1820 is an ideal solution for the small or home office, with a great set of features. The KM-1820 is so in tune with what the small office needs, that even though it doesn’t perform as well as some of the others, it is still very much a contender.

Purchasers of it don’t have to worry about it, but there are three ways of connecting the device, USB, Ethernet or parallel, which is a good set of choices. The USB option is the easiest to set up, but offers slower transfer speeds than the network. The KM-1820 comes with installation included in the price, so this is largely irrelevant unless you move it around and need to configure it yourself.

The KM-1820 works quickly, running at a top speed of 18 pages per minute. Unlike other desktop copiers and multifunction devices, the KM-1820 can make copies at its top speed even when running in "Best" mode. You will have to wait 20 seconds for the unit to warm up after pressing the power button, which is average for this kind of device.

Output was of a high standard. Text was dark and edges were exact, even when we used the smallest and largest points. Images, graphs and photos we all of equally good quality. Easily good enough for internal or external literature. Monochrome reproduction is still a big deal, even with so many color ones around. The KM-1820 is an ideal candidate for those who don’t need color, or don’t want the expense of it.

Paper is held in a 250 page drawer at the front, which is expandable to 550. There is also a 50 page automatic document feeder and a 50 page bypass tray for envelopes and such. The fax is pretty standard, offering quality reproduction and decent speed.

For small businesses or workgroups who need a multifunction device for convenience rather than necessity will do well to consider the KM-1820. It has enough features, and produces documents of a quality suitable for almost any office environment. The consumables are affordable enough to make the cost of ownership lower than many other options which many businesses will find attractive.

Review of the Copystar CS 1820

Overview:

The Copystar CS-1820, a multifunctional printer, is equipped with print, scan, copy and the   capacity to fax. This printer is compact and potent meant for small offices that do not need a printer for mass printing needs.

Pros:

For a multifunctional printer the CS-1820 provides extraordinary speeds when it comes to output; for letter paper it prints at 18 ppm, and for legal paper it prints at 15 ppm. When it comes to the copy and printing speeds the same response is expected. When it comes to initial copy results it clocks in at 9.5 seconds or less. For initial print results it is even more remarkable as it clocks in at 8 seconds. When it comes to resolution the Copystar CS-1820 is exciting. It has a standard resolution of 600 x 600 dpi and 256 levels. When combined with Fast 1200 mode the resolution increases to 1800 x 600 dpi, and with KIR it reaches a resolution of 2400 x 600 dpi. These impressive resolutions are due to its customary 96MB of memory which when a 100 Pin DIMMS slot is integrated into it the memory increases to 320MB. When you perform the upgrade it allows the printer to handle the increased resolutions without issue along with other features and capabilities of the printer. To help produce jobs that need to be adapted via magnification this printer has an automatic magnification that is full size. It has the ability to zoom in 1% increments from 50% to 200%.

The Copystar CS-1820 has the ability to handle imaging for text and photo products; it accomplishes this using automated and manual exposure controls. This printer also comes equipped with an ECO function which saves on toner and power usage lowering production costs. The CS-1820 can copy uninterrupted up to 999 copies, and then can be reset automatically back to 1 copy. In addition it comes with other options for copying including; paper select, copy priority, 8 job plans, electronic sorting and a job cache.

This printer uses an implanted controller that has a PowerPC 750 processor with a whopping 300MHz, and the RAM is shared by all the various functions. Network capable it will support the following protocols; TCP/IP, AppleTalk, and NETBEUI. When scanning in color you can choose resolutions from 200 to 600 dpi in increments of 100 dpi with the exception of 500 dpi. Scan production speeds are reasonable with monochrome speeds of 18 ppm and color speeds of 5 ppm. Fax capabilities are optional to include network faxing. Fax capabilities come with a G3 modem working at a speed of 33 Kbps. When transmitting it takes about 3 seconds per page, and the quick scan ability works in less than 2.5 seconds.

Equipped with a 50 sheet multipurpose tray for media and a standard 250 sheet paper tray; the CS-1820 can come with an additional 250 sheet paper tray option. Also included is a document feeder for 50 sheets of paper that feeds automatically for up to 18 genuine papers per minute and processes paper with a weight of 13 to 32 lbs.

Cons:

With limited capabilities when it comes to volume, the condensed size of the Copystar CS-1820 may hinder it. If an office requires a multifunctional printer that can process high levels of output then it is not nearly big enough as it only measures 19.5 x 16.6 x 17.9 inches.