Gestetner F230 Printer Review
The Gestetner F230 is marketed as a compact and affordable laser fax machine, and this is true. Sadly, this is selling the model a little short, as it also has excellent printing capabilities, in addition to limited scanning and copying functions. It can print and copy at up to 16 pages per minute, and Super G3 transmission speeds can send and receive faxes in around 3 seconds. The page yield of Gestetner F230 toner might be a bit limited for some users, but prices are reasonable.
The F230 can store up to 20 quick-dial numbers for faxing with only a few button presses, and up to 80 numbers can be stored in the speed-dial memory, though they take a little longer to access. An automatic document feeder can hold up to 20 pages at a time, and is used for faxing, scanning, and copying. One big limitation is the lack of a flatbed scanning surface, so only standard-size paper or smaller can be used.
Those who use the F230 a lot may find themselves replacing toners frequently, as the Gestetner F230 toner cartridge has a capacity of only 3,000 pages. For most individual users the cost and capacity of Gestetner F230 toner cartridges will likely be just right, however.
The unit includes both parallel and USB ports for connecting to a computer, which is necessary for both printing and scanning. It does not have networking capabilities, but given the model's limited capacity, it wouldn't be particularly useful anyway. The input paper capacity is 250 sheets, with a single-sheet bypass tray that can accept envelopes and other media types.
Overall, the capabilities of the F230 go far beyond a simple fax machine, but it is a bit more limited than the average multifunction laser device. It should appeal to users who want its fax features, and can benefit from its other functions on occasion.