Xerox PE120 Printer Review
The Xerox WorkCentre PE120 toner based laser printer is a multifunction device designed for the home or small office user. Its multifunction capabilities include print, scan, copy, and fax functions. The PE120i model includes ethernet networking support.
Although the printing mechanism of the Xerox PE120 laser printer using monochrome Xerox toner, scanning and faxing can be done in color, if desired. Copies and prints, however, can only be printed in monochrome. Scans can be sent to a host PC, a networked computer, or a USB thumb drive. This is a very convenient feature, as often the scanner is located across the office from the PC that needs to receive the scanned files. This allows for two convenient options to solve this problem.
Note that the unit uses Xerox toner and not Xerox printer ink. It includes a 50-sheet automatic document feeder, which can be used for copying or scanning. Combined with the multiple scanning options, the combination allows users to load up to 50 pages of documents to be scanned, select a destination, and then walk away and let the machine do its work. This is ideal for offices needing to digitize and archive a large number of paper documents. Optical character recognition software is included, which converts scanned documents into editable and searchable text, eliminating the need to purchase additional software.
Xerox WorkCentre PE120 toner cartridges are very affordably-priced, and the unit includes a "toner save" mode which uses less toner per page, saving on toner cartridge costs. This feature can be easily turned on and off, and can even be set as the default for more savings. The toner save mode does reduce print quality slightly, but is more than adequate for day to day printing needs. This is especially impressive for a machine that already has low toner costs, compared to the cost of the popular Xerox 6180 toner, which is more expensive even with its larger capacities. The printer comes with a standard capacity laser toner cartridge which has a capacity of 3,500 pages. A high-capacity printer toner cartridge is also available with a capacity of 5,100 pages. The high-capacity Xerox PE120 toner cartridges are the more economical option, as they reduce the cost per page.
Overall, the WorkCentre PE120 is a well-designed multifunction machine with some nice bonus features. Multiple scanning options and the automatic document feeder make it a great archive machine. Lack of color printing may be an issue for some buyers.
