ultifunction devices that combine a flatbed scanner with a high quality color inkjet printer seem to make a lot of sense. Called ''printer/copiers,'' these devices save on desk space and give you the ability to make a copy even if your computer is turned off. But they have not been wildly successful in the marketplace. Xerox is trying to change that this fall, with two new multifunction systems aimed at home users and small businesses. Although I can't recommend these machines, it's instructive to learn from Xerox's mistakes - especially if you are in the market for a scanner or a multifunction system.
Xerox's two machines are the XK35c and the Xi70c. Priced at $399 and $499, respectively, each looks like a standard desktop copier, with lift-up tops that cover a glass surface, room for a stack of paper on the bottom, and front panels with several controls. But unlike traditional photocopiers, they work by scanning the original and then printing the copy on a built-in inkjet printer. The front panel controls let you control the resolution of the copy, the darkness, the number of copies, and whether the copy will be full color or black and white.
But similarities between the XK35c and the Xi70c are only skin deep. These two machines were developed by different product groups at Xerox. They are based on different printer mechanisms, use different software, and have different problems.
The XK35c is designed for home users. It can connect to your computer with either a parallel printer cable or a Universal Serial Bus interface. Xerox says the printer can put out eight pages per minute in black and white or three pages per minute in color. Don't believe it. In my tests, the printer produced just one page per minute when printing black-and-white text, and required 2 1/2 minutes to make a single color copy. Once the image is scanned, additional copies come somewhat faster, but still nowhere near the claimed speed.
Installing the XK35c was problematic. Although the USB is supposed to be plug-and-play, Xerox's software wouldn't work properly unless I first inserted the CD-ROM and ran the installer program, rebooted my system, then plugged the printer into my computer. But once everything was in place, the printer functioned reasonably well.
The XK35c scanner, by contrast, didn't work well at all. Because it uses TWAIN, the software is supposed to let you use the scanner from any Windows application. In my experience, though, the XK35c's TWAIN driver occasionally crashed and refused to work until I rebooted my computer.
The Xi70c is designed for business users. It is larger than the XK35c, has a faster print engine, and has ink cartridges that hold more ink than the XK35c. In what I think is a major oversight, the Xi70c doesn't have a USB interface. The first Xi70c that Xerox sent me arrived damaged; I'm not sure whether this reflects a poor choice of shipping companies (Xerox used DHL) or a fragile print assembly, but it is the first piece of equipment that I've received in the past three years that was damaged in shipment.
Getting the Xi70c to run with my desktop system was a nightmare. I tried for several hours and never got it to print or scan. Xerox said there probably was a conflict between some program on my desktop and the machine. I had better luck when I installed the printer software on my laptop. But even on the laptop, the scanner software remained nonfunctional.
Instead of going with one of these Xerox multifunction devices, another choice is to simply buy a traditional inkjet printer and a separate low-cost desktop scanner. This gives you all the same features as the Xerox machines except the convenience of making a copy without turning on your computer.
One new scanner that deserves particular mention is IBM's new IdeaScan 2000. It's lightweight, low profile, full-color, and 100-percent USB. (If you don't have a USB interface for your desktop computer, buy one: They cost less than $60 each.) The scanner has an optical resolution of 600x1200 dots per inch, fairly typical as scanners go. There are five attractive push-buttons on its front: one performs a scan, one cancels the scan, and the other three provide one-button access to copying, faxing, and a program of your choice. The scanner costs $169 and can be ordered from IBM's Web site, www.ibm.com/shop.
IBM has done a pretty good job with its TWAIN software: I had no problems using the scanner's driver from a number of different programs. The scanner also comes with a version of PaperPort, which is magnificent for scanning and managing scanned images.
Integrated machines such as the Xerox XK35c and Xi70c have a lot of promise. I really enjoyed the ability to drop a piece of paper onto the glass, push a button, and get a copy.
But as general peripherals for a desktop computer, the all-in-one machines still have significant problems. With color becoming more important for both business and at the home, it makes sense to have both a scanner and a color copier. For now, however, I recommend that you keep these machines in separate boxes.
Technology columnist Simson Garfinkel can be reached at chat.
simson.net.
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