The market for A3 printers is much smaller than it is for A4 printers. In fact, most businesses need in-house A4 printing capabilities. It is probably because of this that traditionally there haven’t been many A3 colour laser printer options available in the market. All that has been changing in the last decade or so because Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) such as OKI have realised that this market can be lucrative too. The entire OKI C800 series is a result of that realisation.
In this series, the OKI C833n is the most advanced model. It is a colour laser A3 printer that is actually based on OKI’s proprietary Digital 4 LED Full-color Electrophotographic Printing technology. The fact that this device is based on LED technology means that it doesn’t have as many moving parts as conventional laser printers. This means lesser wear and tear and more durability. What other benefits or flaws does the OKI C833n have? Here’s our review.
Strengths of OKI C833n
Easily, the biggest benefit of the OKI C833n is that it will allow you to print both A3 (tabloid) documents, A4 sized pages and many other sizes.
For many businesses, this capability is extremely valuable as there aren’t many devices that offer it. Not only does the OKI C833n exhibit media versatility but it does so along with excellent print speed.
If you print A4 sheets with this device, you can expect to get 35 pages per minute (ppm).
On the other hand, if you print A3 sized documents, you can expect a print speed of 20 ppm. It doesn’t even matter if you print colour or monochrome documents, the speed remains the same.
This device doesn’t just offer media versatility but also capacity scalability. This means that when your business grows, you can ensure that this device’s capacity grows with it. Alternatively, if you already need high-volume printing, you can utilise this scalability from the get-go.
As it is, you’ll get this device with a paper capacity of 400 sheets divided between a 300-sheet primary tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray. You can boost this capacity to as high as 935 sheets with the addition of the optional 535-sheet secondary tray. Obviously, the device can handle the extra capacity with ease. Its recommended monthly duty cycle is to the tune of 10,000 pages.
Running cost is also something that this device excels at when compared to other devices within the same market segment. In fact, in its class, this is possibly the most economical device available. The actual cost of printing day-in day-out will depend on where you get your cartridges, though. If you use genuine or OEM cartridges you can expect to pay approximately 14 cents per page. In contrast, if you use compatible or generic cartridges, every page will cost you about 11 cents.
Weaknesses of OKI C833n
The fact that the running costs of the OKI C833n are economical is important because the acquisition cost of this device is high. This means that over an extended period of time, you may be able to recoup the extra money you pay to acquire this device. Even so, the acquisition cost of the OKI C833n may put many potential suitors off.
It is listed by the OEM for $2,715. It may, however, be possible to get it for a lower price by availing online discounts and offers. Depending on where you look and how many offers are available at any point in time, you can probably get this device at a price near $2,100.
The two other weaknesses of the OKI C833n are that it neither offers wireless connectivity nor automatic duplexing facility. Both, though, are available as options. In terms of connectivity, the standard device will offer USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectivity options with sufficient mobile compatibility. Similarly, automatic duplexing is absent in the standard variant of the OKI C833n. You can, of course, choose it as an option or go for the OKI C833dn.
Key Features of OKI C833n
The output quality of A3 colour laser printers is generally better than their A4 counterparts. This means that the benchmark is usually higher. The OKI C833n meets that benchmark fairly comfortably, delivering excellent text, decent graphics, and acceptable photos.
While elaborate graphics and images with subtle elements may exhibit some banding or fading, all in all, the output is good for the normal business’s internal use. In case you’re interested, the device can print at up to a maximum resolution of 600 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi).
A3 printers need to be bigger on account of the need to handle larger media. They’re rarely ever compact or lightweight. The OKI C833n, itself, measures 449 in width, 552 in depth, and 360mm in height, while weighing 37 Kg. So, you can’t place it on a desk or move it about single-handedly. Find a niche for it, get help to move it there, and forget about moving it again, if you decide to buy it.
In terms of RAM memory, the OKI C833n comes standard with 256MB but you can increase it to as high as 768MB. This, along with LED technology, means the device is responsive. You can expect to wait about 9.5 seconds from the point of the print command for the print to be in your hands. This first print-out time is independent of whether you’re printing colour or monochrome.
The security features of the OKI C833n are neither special nor negligible. You’ll get the standard Private Print feature along with IPSec compatibility. You’ll also be able to get the feature of card-based release of print tasks if you opt in for the IC Card Secure Kit. Speaking of optional components, the OEM has also made a 16GB SDHC memory card, a castor base, and a cabinet available.
The control panel is located at the top of the printer right in front. It comprises a backlit display screen and a number of buttons. The control panel is easy to use for walk-up tasks with the user interface being intuitive and the buttons responsive.
The standard warranty on this device is 12 months where the technician will come to your location and fix the device. If you buy it, though, you should upgrade this warranty’s validity to 36 months by registering your product with the OEM within 30 days of your purchase.
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