The one thing that micro and small scale businesses desire the most is consistency. If you ask any business advisor, he will tell you that the key to making a startup work is stable and steady growth. He will actually advise against sudden expansions so as to avoid sudden contractions. This overall “start-up best practice” filters through every aspect of the business including office equipment. As far as printers go, the desirable quality is consistency and balance in terms of cost versus functionality. Businesses operating from this perspective will find the OKI B401dn very attractive.
The OKI B401dn is an A4 monochrome single function laser printer that is designed specifically for micro or small scale businesses requiring consistent day to day printing functionality. This means that the printer is ideal for moderate business use. The device is based on the Digital LED Electrophotographic Printing Technology. In LED technology, LEDs are used in place of laser but since the overall technology is similar to conventional laser technology, the machine still classifies as a laser printer.
In a nutshell, the OKI B401dn is an all-rounder that delivers good output quality at a good clip and at highly competitive prices. Find out more in our review.
Strengths of OKI B401dn
The primary purpose of any printer, as is obvious, is to print. If the prints are flawed or inconsistent, then no amount of features is going to make it attractive. This is why most printers tend to, at least, deliver mediocre output quality. None of them is really bad at printing. Therefore, if the output quality is above par, then it becomes the machine’s strength as is the case with the OKI B401dn.
This printer delivers monochrome prints that are slightly better than other printers in the same class and price bracket. While the print could be darker, the detailing is quite good. The prints will exhibit good greyscale outputs and shading but you’ll have to be a little wary of some banding. The maximum resolution this device is capable printing in is 2400 x 600 dots per inch (dpi). This output quality comes with decent paper handling capabilities as well. The OKI B401dn has a total paper capacity of 350 sheets split between a 250-sheet paper tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray.
The monthly duty cycle allows for heavy duty printing too at 30,000 pages. Printing a lot will definitely not be a problem with the OKI B401dn. This is one of the faster printers in this market segment and price point. It is formally rated to print up to a maximum speed of 29 pages per minute (ppm). Speed is also evident in how much time it takes for the first print to come out. The first print is delivered in less than 5.5 seconds.
Another feature of the OKI B401dn that users will find very useful is automatic duplexing. Duplexing is beneficial because it will help you cut down paper costs. You’ll give up print speed to achieve this, however. With automatic duplexing, the OKI B401dn’s print speed goes down to about 16.7 ppm.
The one aspect that makes all the qualities of the OKI B401dn better is its cost. This is one of the most affordable business printers in the market right now. You can get it for about $130.
Weaknesses of OKI B401dn
While the cost of acquiring the OKI B401dn is very competitive, running it won’t be as economical as you might expect. However, this doesn’t mean that operating this device will be exorbitant. Instead, this just means that there are slightly more economical options out there, from the perspective of running cost. How much will it cost you to run this device? That depends on what type of cartridges you use.
If you use cartridges manufactured by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), you’ll end up paying about 4.38 cents for every page you print. However, if you use generic cartridges or cartridges made by third party manufacturers, you’ll save a little more because every print will only cost about 4.19 cents.
Another weakness of the OKI B401dn is the absence of a wireless connectivity option. There’s no doubt that this device has good connectivity options but it should also be noted that wireless and Wi-Fi Direct are both missing. You can connect to the OKI B401dn through one of three ports which are USB 2.0, parallel, and Ethernet. All three are located at the back of the device.
The OKI B401dn is also bigger than most of its competitors. This lack of compactness could be a problem for some. It is 245mm high, 364mm deep, and 393mm wide. The large size also makes it heavy. The OKI B401dn weighs 11.6 Kg.
Key Features of OKI B401dn
The OKI B401dn has a very simple design. This can be seen as a positive trait or a negative quality. In the same vein, the device can be described as angular or clunky, respectively. In terms of colours, you can get this printer in either black or white.
On the top and towards the right side of the printer, you’ll find a control panel. The control panel contains a 16-character, 2-line LCD display screen where you can see the status of the printer and your print tasks. This screen is accompanied by a single button for “online” and two status lights – “ready” and “attention”.
There is also a slew of printing modes which will help you save money. The Eco mode will ensure cost savings from multiple directions. The Auto-off mode will turn the printer off when not in use saving on energy costs. The Toner Save mode will cut costs by reducing toner consumption.
The printer runs on a 330 MHz processor that is supplemented with an inbuilt memory worth 64 MB. However, you will have the option to increase this inbuilt memory as far as 192 MB. Finally, the OKI B401dn comes with the standard 3 Year Return to Base Warranty.
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