Epson Inc. has introduced two new multifunction devices: the Stylus CX5200 and CX3200. Both sport USB connectivity and Mac compatibility. However, there’s no information on Epson’s Web site about whether Mac OS X drivers are offered.
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The US$199 Stylus CX5200 is a scan-print-copy device that combines desktop printing with Durabright inks. The Stylus CX5200 uses a new high-speed Micro Piezo print head that delivers up to 22 pages per minute (ppm) in black and up to 11 ppm in color. The CX5200 also uses an imaging technology known as Resolution Performance Management (RPM), that enables it to place up to six different ink droplet sizes as small as three picoliters at resolution levels up to 5,760 x 1,440 optimized dpi.
DuraBrite inks can be submerged in water without the ink coming off the page, so the printer can output printed matter that will resist smearing in rain, spills, or from people with wet hands. DuraBrite inks also purportedly have a light-resistance rating of up to 80 years on certain specialty paper and a 70-year rating on plain paper.
The Stylus CX5200 includes four separate “snap-in/snap-out” ink cartridges. The printer’s paper input tray holds up to 150 sheets of 20-pound paper. It also sports a stand-alone color copier and full-function scanner. This built-in 1,200 x 2,400, 48-bit color scanner and Epson SmartPanel software lets you digitize photos, text or graphics to the Internet, an e-mail application, or to faxing software. You can also make copies without turning on your Mac.
Epson’s other new device, the Stylus CX3200, is a $149 scanner-printer-copier. It also utilizes the RPM technology. The printer’s Micro Piezo print head can produce up to 14 ppm of black output and up to 10 ppm in color. And it can print an 8 x 10 inch photo on a variety of media using its “Photo” mode in as little as three minutes, seven seconds, Epson says.
The multifunction device uses quick-drying dye inks and sports an ink level tracking chip that offers info on current ink quantities and on-screen instructions on how to replace empty cartridges. You can print a variety of photographic papers (including borderless 4 x 6 inch photos) using the new EXIF Print feature. EXIF is an international standard and acronym (Exchangeable Image File format) that enables the printer to automatically compensate for advanced digital image parameters such as color space, noise reduction, white balance, and more.
The Stylus CX3200 has a built-in 600 x 1,200 dpi, 48-bit color scanner and Epson SmartPanel software. And, as with the CX5200, you can make copies without using your computer.