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F:\TKO\Konica Minolta\Konica Minolta C353 vs SharpMX-3501NPage

Konica Minolta bizhub C353versus SharpMX-3501N

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Competitive Model: SharpMX-3501N

The SharpMX-3501N runs at an advertised speed of 35 ppm in both colour and black. The device comes standard with copy, network print and network scanning functionality, with fax (including walk-up, Internet, network and PC fax) available as an option. The base unit includes 768 MB of RAM, an 80-GB hard disk drive and a standard duplexing automatic document feeder. PCL 5c/6 is standard; PostScript 3 emulation is optional. Standard paper capacity is 1,000 sheets via two drawers that can handle paper weights up to 105 gsm and a 100-sheet bypass tray that can accommodate up to 200 gsm stock.Rated scanning speed is 60 ipm in black and 35 ipm in colour.

Highlights of the bizhub C353

Robust Feature Set

The Konica Minolta bizhub C353 offers advertised print and copy speeds of 35 ppm in both colour and black. It comes standard with copy, network printing (via the standard Emperon print controller), Internet faxand network scan functionality, with a Fiery print controller also available as an option for environments that need advanced print functionality. Faxcapability (including walk-up, network and PC fax) is optional. The base unit includes 1 GB of RAM and a 60-GB hard disk drive. An RADF is optional. Standard paper capacity is 1,000 sheets via two drawers that can handle paper weights up to 252 gsm and a 150-sheet bypass tray that accommodates media weights up to 270 gsm. Rated scanning speed is 70 ipm in both colour and black.

The standard Emperon print controller includes PCL 5c/6 and PostScript 3 and provides users with ICC profiles to improve colour quality. Users can also add the optional Fiery controller, which offers extensive graphic arts tools and is EFI’s most recent server solution. The bizhub C353’s core bizhub OP technology is Open API, which allows the bizhub C353 to integrate with third-party hardware and software solutions for a truly customizable work environment. In addition, this device supports advanced document management and communication features via the PageScope suite of software utilities.

The bizhub C353 offers numerous advantages over the MX-3501N, including:

  • Better security features. Konica Minolta was among the first companies to offer most security features as standard. The company has continued to pioneer security technology with the optional Biometric Authentication unit. This is the industry’s first finger-based authentication system that recognises users based on finger vein patterns, which is more secure than fingerprint authentication. Rather than typing in a username and password at the device to access stored documents, the unit provides quick “touch-and-print” output.” This leading-edge security feature isnot available for the MX-3501N.
  • Scalable print capabilities.TheMX-3501Nlimits users to one print controller that features an 800-GHz processorand standard PCL 5c/6 (PostScript 3 emulation is optional). In contrast, users of the bizhub C353have two print controllers available, including a standard 1-GHz Emperon print controller which includes PCL 5c/6, PostScript 3 emulation and support for direct XPS submission (new Vista XML Paper Specification format). The device’s standard network printing capabilities can be expanded by adding an optional EFI Fiery controller, which offers a 2.8-GHz processor and extensive graphic arts tools,driven by EFI’s most recent server solution. There is currently no Fiery controller available for the MX-3501N.
  • Higher standard RAM. The bizhub C353offers more memory than the MX-3501N (1 GB, versus 768 MB). This delivers more memory when needed, which can enhance productivity for graphics-intensive colour jobs by reducing the need to resort to the slower data transfer offered by the hard drive.
  • Better optional fax capability.The bizhub C353’s fax option offers a resolution of 600 x 600 dpi, while resolution on the MX-3501N is lower at only 400 x 400 dpi. Plus, fax-intensive environments will appreciate the optional dual fax line available for the bizhub C353, which is not offered for the MX-3501N.
  • Simitri polymerised toner. This toner, available only for Konica Minolta devices, employs toner particles that are smaller, smoother and more uniform in size than toner particles produced by traditional pulverization techniques, resulting in more even halftones, sharper text and better grayscales.
  • Range of useful standard utilities.PageScope Web Connection lets users check device conditions on all network-connected Konica Minolta printers and copiers directly from their desktop PCs. PageScope Net Care Device Manager provides network administrators with detailed information about operating conditions on all output devices containing a Management Information Base (MIB) on a network from any Web browser. Optional utilities are also available to handle a wide range of applications including document management and OCR, variable data printing, file format conversion, imposition, routing and bill-back. A plug-in is also available allowing the device to work with HP’s popular Web JetAdmin administrative utility.
  • Optional PageScope WorkWare.This optional document management software allows users to manage scanned documents, data created within applications and Web content in PDF format for editing, processing and searching.
  • “Highly Recommended” by Buyers Laboratory. BLI’s Lab Test Report on the bizhub C353 awarded it the highest possible rating given (“Highly Recommended”).

Superior Paper Handling

The bizhub C353’s robust paper-handling capabilities make it an excellent fit in a wide variety of environments, even in workplaces where heavy paper stock is routinely used. Its advantages over the MX-3501N include:

  • Handles heavier paper weights through the main drawers. Users of the bizhub C353 can load media weights up to 252 gsm through its main paper drawers, while on the MX-3501N, users are required to use the bypass tray for any paper heavier than 105 gsm. Users should also remember that bypass capacity is commonly quoted based on 90 gsm or lower media weight paper, and that heavy card stock greatly reduces the overall capacity. Users looking to print colour covers, business cards, brochures or other materials on heavy card stock may find they are reloading media every few minutes, making the process very labour-intensive, versus the bizhub C353 which can accommodate card stock from every drawer.
  • Handles heavier paper weights through the bypass tray. The bizhub C353’s 150-sheet bypass tray can feed paper weights as heavy as 270 gsm, while in contrast users of the MX-3501N are limited to paper weights no heavier than 200 gsm when using the bypass tray.
  • Bypass tray offers higher paper capacity. The bypass tray on the bizhub C353 can handle up to 150 sheets, while in contrast, the MX-3501N’s bypass tray can handle only 100 sheets.
  • Handles heavier paper weights through the document feeder. The RADF available for the bizhub C353 can handle media weight up to 210 gsm, while the document feeder on the MX-3501N can’t handle weights heavier than 128 gsm. This allows users of the bizhub C353 to feed much heavier weights through the document feeder, such as product brochures, without being forced to use the copy platen to handle thicker paper types.
  • Larger saddle-stitched booklets. Similarly, the saddle-stitch finishing option for the bizhub C353 allows users to create larger saddle-stitched booklets (15 sheets/60 pages) than the comparable option for the MX-3501N (10 sheets/40 pages). (See Chart 1.) Additionally, users of the MX-3501N’s saddle stitch finisher are limited to corner and side stapling up to only 30 sheets, forcing users to compromise on stapling if they also require booklet finishing.

Faster Copy and Print Speeds

When Buyers Laboratory ran identical productivity tests on the bizhub C353 and the MX-3501N, the bizhubC353 proved to be the faster unit in nearly every tested category. For example, when compared to the MX-3501N, the bizhub C353’s advantages include:

  • Faster tested first-copy time (auto-colour mode). In BLI’s tests, the bizhub C353 produced faster first copies from both the automatic document feeder and from the platen when running in auto-colour mode. In BLI lab testing, the bizhub C353’s first copy was deliveredfrom the RADF in only 12.0seconds, while on the MX-3501N, the first-copy time from the RADF was slower (17.8 seconds). Similarly, from the platen, the bizhub C353’s first-copy time was 11.4 seconds, versus a first-copy from the platen of 16.0 seconds on the MX-3501N. Fast first-copy times are particularly important when you consider how many typical office copy jobs consist of a single quick, walk-up copy. Under these conditions the bizhub C353 gets the finished work to its users faster, so they spend less time waiting for copies and more timebeing productive.
  • Faster tested first-copy time (black mode). Similarly, when running in black mode, the bizhub C353 also produced faster first copies from both the ADF (9.5 seconds versus 13.0 seconds on the MX-3501N) and from the platen (9.3 seconds versus 11.0 seconds on the MX-3501N).
  • Faster simplex copies (auto-colour mode). The bizhub C353 proved significantly faster than the MX-3501N when creating simplex copies in auto-colour mode, running at an overall tested speed of 23.6 cpm in BLI laboratory testing. In contrast, in the identical test, the MX-3501N ran at an overall tested speed of only 20.6 cpm. (See Chart 2.)
  • Faster duplex copies (auto-colour mode).BLI lab testing also confirms that the bizhub C353 runs faster when making duplex copies in auto-colour mode, in both 1:2 duplex and 2:2 duplex modes. In 1:2 duplex mode, the bizhub C353ran at an overall tested speed of 25.9 cpm, while in the identical test, the MX-3501Nran at a tested speed of only 19.2 cpm. And, in 2:2 duplex mode, the bizhub C353performed at an overall tested speed of 27.2 cpm – the highest 2:2 copy speed among similar units tested to date by BLI – versus a speed of 21.2 cpm on the MX-3501N in the identical test. (See Chart 3.)
  • Faster simplex copies (black mode).The bizhub C353 also proved faster than the MX-3501N when making simplex copies in black mode (29,0 cpm versus 28.7 cpm).
  • Faster duplex copies (black mode).In 1:2 duplex mode, the bizhub C353 again proved faster than the MX-3501N, with an overall tested black copy speed of 26.8cpm (versus 26.7 cpm on the MX-3501N).
  • Faster simplex printing (auto-colour mode). In BLI laboratory testing, when printing with the PostScript print driver in auto-colour simplex mode bizhub C353 ran significantly faster than the MX-3501N, running at an overall tested speed of 21.0 ppm versus only 18.5 ppm on the MX-3501N. (See Chart 4.)
  • Faster duplex printing (auto-colour mode). BLI lab testing found the bizhub C353 to be the top performer among competitive devices tested to date when duplex printing in auto-colour mode, with a tested overall speed of 22.1 ppm (versus 16.6 ppm on the MX-3501N). (See Chart 5.)
  • Faster simplex printing (black mode).Another critical area where the bizhub C353 outperformed the MX-3501N was in black simplex print speed. When both devices were tested using the PostScript print drivers, the bizhub C353 produced an overall speed of 26.9 ppm, while the MX-3501N’s overall speed was tested lower, at 25.6 ppm.
  • Faster duplex printing (black mode).The bizhub C353’s duplex print speed in black mode was found to be the fastest among competitive units tested by BLI to date, with an overall print speed of 24.9 ppm (versus 24.1 ppm on the MX-3501N) in this mode.
  • More efficient job stream processing: BLI’s Job Stream Test is critical in understanding how an MFP device will perform in a real-world office environment. In this test, a series of nine files (including Word documents, Outlook e-mail messages, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint, HTML and Acrobat PDF files) is sent to the device simultaneously to simulate a busy workgroup’s printing demands. In this test, when printing in both black and colour modes, the bizhub C353 outperformed the MX-3501N. In fact, in black mode, the bizhub C353 produced the highest job stream efficiency among similar business colour units tested by BLI to date (79.4%) while the MX-3501N showed a lower job stream efficiency rate (68.0%) in the identical test. In auto-colour mode, the bizhub C353’s job stream efficiency was 49.4%, while in contrast, job stream efficiency for the MX-3501N in the identical mode was lower at 46.2%.

Productivity data from Buyers Laboratory Lab Test Reports, as well as from bliQ comparative data reports.

Productivity-Enhancing Features

The bizhub C353 offers significant productivity-enhancing advantages over the MX-3501N, including:

  • Faster warm-up time.The bizhub C353 warms up in only 75 seconds, while it takes the MX-3501Na full four minutes to warm up. What’s more, according to BLI’s Lab Test Report on the MX-3501N, “Access to the control panel is blocked during automatic colour calibration, which takes place every 70 pages and after recovery from sleep mode.”
  • Faster scanner. The MX-3501N’s rated scanning speed is 60 ipm black/35 ipm colour, while rated scanning speed on the bizhub C353 is 70 ipm in both colour and black.(See Chart 6.)
  • Higher colour toner yield: The bizhub C353’s rated colour toner yield of 20,000 impressions is 33% higher than the 15,000-impression colour toner yield for the MX-3501N.
  • Better Interrupt mode.On the bizhub C353, users can interrupt print or copy jobs, while in contrast, on the MX-3501N only copy jobs can be interrupted for a higher-priority job.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is a critical factor in predicting how well a device will do in a busy work environment. The easier an MFP is to use, the less time will be wasted as users attempt to figure out how to perform routine maintenance and servicing issues. The bizhub C353 was designed to be user-friendly, with advantages including:

  • Easier-to-read colour control panel. According to BLI’s Lab Test Report on the bizhub C353, its “large full-colour touch screen is very welcoming to walk-up users…The control panel not only tilts in three angles but swivels, too, making it accessible to a user in a wheelchair. Additionally, users can enlarge text on the display, making it easier to read.” In contrast, BLI’s Lab Test Report on the MX-3501N says that its monochrome control panel “lacks a tilting display, which would make viewing easier for those in wheelchairs.”
  • Dedicated Help key. Unlike the MX-3501N, the bizhub C353’s control panel offers a dedicated Help key to offer users intuitive, easy-to-understand guidance whenever they need it.
  • Easier misfeed clearing.According to the BLI Lab Test Report on the bizhub C353, “Accessing misfeeds, which is done either from the front or sides, is easy, and the drum is not exposed.” In contrast, BLI’s Lab Test Report on the MX-3501N notes that if the optional LCT is installed, users have to move it in order to access most misfeeds and the transfer belt is exposed when removing misfeeds from the right side of the unit.
  • Simple paper adjustment. BLI’s Lab Test Report on the bizhub C353 praised its
    “straightforward” procedure for adjusting paper drawers for different sizes. According to the report, “The length guide slides so it doesn’t have to be removed, and the unit automatically detects the size of paper that’s loaded.”
  • Simple, on-the-fly toner replacement: BLI’s Lab Test Report on the bizhub C353 states, “Replacing toner cartridges, which can be done on the fly, is a clean and simple procedure.” In contrast, toner cannot be replenished while the MX-3501N is running.

Strengths of the bizhub C353:

BLI’s Lab Test Report on the bizhub C353 offered high praise for the device, singling it out as noteworthy for features including:

  • Highly reliable; just one misfeed in 100,000 impressions
  • Above average toner yield and user-replaceable drums reduce downtime
  • Above average duplex colour print productivity; generally above average colour and black copy productivity
  • Automated meter reads can be sent to dealers at regular intervals
  • Large full-colour touch screen can be set to one of two copy-centric interfaces, as well as customised with the addition of two menu entries from among 40
  • Above average sharpness in copied colour business graphics
  • Colour output remained consistent throughout testing; PANTONE calibrated for both PostScript and PCL
  • Drawers and bypass tray accommodate heavier paper stock than most competitive devices
  • Supports scanning to and printing from USB
  • Windows Vista XPS printing support and Windows Visa XPS scanning support
  • Available EFI Fiery controller

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Shortcomings of the MX-3501N:

BLI’s Lab Test Report on the MX-3501N noted a number of the device’s shortcomings, including:

  • Jobs are processed on a first-in, first-out basis; one function cannot be established as a priority function.
  • There is a period after all the pages in a scan job have been scanned during which the user cannot access any of the other function mode keys.
  • Unlike with other systems, entry of a password does not require two entries. Consequently, if the administrator has made an error, he won’t be aware of it until the first time he attempts to use the password he thinks he entered.
  • The numeric keys on the control panel cannot be used for entering numeric portions of the configuration settings.
  • Configured accessories are automatically detected, though the administrator must manually confirm each. Doing so adds 14 clicks to the process for installing one of the drivers and another 11 for a second driver.
  • Scan status information at the control panel indicates scans have been sent when the scans were sent to an incorrect address.
  • With the unit in auto-colour mode, two of the four pages in BLI’s test document that contain colour were copied in black.
  • The coverage within halftone levels was rated Fair in print mode due to graininess.
  • Black first-copy time is below average from the document feeder.
  • Rated warm-up time of four minutes is longer than that of most competitive units.
  • Access to the control panel is blocked during automatic colour calibration, which takes place every 70 pages and after recovery from sleep mode.
  • Unlike most business colour models, which are defaulted to auto-colour mode (in which the system detects which originals contain only black and which contain colour and automatically produces the copies in the correct mode so that users don’t have to select the appropriate mode for their jobs) the MX-3501N requires users to select either the colour button or the black button to produce copies. When the colour button is pressed, several additional selectable options are displayed…users will likely be confused by these choices.
  • If walk-up users select the colour button to copy a document that contains a mix of colour and black originals with full-colour as the default setting, the entire document, including the black pages, will be output in colour mode (black pages will be produced in process black using all four toner colours), resulting in wasted toner.
  • The user will need to slide away the optional LCT (if installed) to access the right side panel to access most misfeeds.
  • The transfer belt is exposed when removing misfeeds from the right side of the unit.
  • The standard drawers can accommodate only up to 105 gsm.
  • The MX-3501N’s booklet finisher can staple up to 30 pages in a set while many other tested models in the group can staple up to 50 pages per set.
  • The Sharp MX-3501N lacks a tilting display, which would make viewing easier for those in wheelchairs.

From BLI’s LabTest Report