LAB TEST. Lab Test Report European Edition. Buyers Laboratory. Kyocera FS-9130DN. 40 PPM Laser Printer. November 2007

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1 November 2007 Buyers Laboratory A Comprehensive BLI Laboratory Evaluation 40 PPM Laser Printer Test duration: Two months, including a 100,000-impression durability test. Reliability... Excellent Administrative Utilities...Very Good Feedback to Workstations...Very Good Ease of Network Setup...Very Good Print Drivers... Good Applications Compatibility... Excellent Print Quality... Good Print Productivity... Good Ease of Use... Good Feature Set... Excellent Toner Yield... Excellent Cost per Page... Not available ALSO INSIDE Test Procedures Certificate of Reliability Ratings scale: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Manufacturer s maximum monthly duty cycle: Up to 200,000 impressions. BLI s recommended monthly volume for optimum performance: Up to 40,000 impressions. More information on the is available through bliq ( BLI RECOMMENDATION With a manufacturer-rated speed of 40 ppm, the proved to be a solid performer throughout its lab assessment, earning ratings of Excellent and Very Good in many aspects of evaluation. The unit completed its 100,000-impression durability test with only one misfeed and no service of any kind required. Moreover, it went on to produce another 100,000 impressions with no failures during toner yield testing, which ended with the FS-9130DN having the highest tested toner yield compared to devices in this class tested to date. Perhaps most noteworthy about the unit is that its supplies cost per page is the lowest in the group. Offering good overall productivity, the FS- 9130DN demonstrated efficiency using both the KPDL and PCL drivers that was well above average and above average, respectively, when printing BLI s job stream. Accommodating up to A3 output, the unit features the highest maximum memory and paper capacities compared to devices in this class and speed range, and it offers an optional booklet folder that stacks up to This 2007 Buyers report Laboratory has been Inc. reproduced WARNING: This with material the is written copyrighted permission by Buyers Laboratory of Buyers Inc. Laboratory and is the sole Inc. property Any of duplication Buyers Laboratory. of this Duplication report, of this in whole proprietary or report part, or in excerpts any form from this or manner, manner, without whether printed written or electronic permission (including, of Buyers but not Laboratory, limited to, copying, is unlawful faxing, scanning and violators or use on a will fax-back be prosecuted. system), is illegal 2007 and strictly Buyers forbidden Laboratory without written Inc. To permission purchase from reprints, Buyers Laboratory. contact Violators BLI at will

2 16 sheets per set. Based on all of these findings, most notably its impressive reliability and low cost per page, BLI highly recommends the FS-9130DN for mid-size to large workgroups with monthly print volumes of up to 40,000 impressions. STRENGTHS Highly reliable Well above average and above average efficiency using the KPDL and PCL drivers, respectively, in BLI s job stream Very good halftone range Highest toner yield in competitive group; lowest supplies cost per page Higher than average drum yield Highest maximum memory and paper capacities; second highest standard paper capacity; highest bypass tray capacity Significantly faster than average first-print-out time for TIFF file CF memory card and Microdrive support; USB port Pop-up messages, as well as icon and audible alerts, for device status and error conditions Well-designed control panel Simple and clean procedure for replacing toner Optional booklet folder that stacks up to 16 sheets per set WEAKNESSES Higher than average acquisition cost Below average overall simplex efficiency and well below average overall duplex efficiency when producing multiple sets Slower than average first-print-out time for Word document and PowerPoint and PDF files Switching between drivers requires users to close or minimise the application and then open the driver via the Windows Start menu

3 Performance Overview, and represent positive, negative and neutral attributes, respectively. Reliability EXCELLENT The FS-9130DN is certified highly reliable by BLI, completing a 100,000- impression durability test with just one misfeed and no service of any kind required. Furthermore, the unit went on to produce another 100,000 impressions over the course of toner yield testing with no failures. Additionally, the rated yield for the amorphous silicon imaging drum is 500,000 impressions, which far exceeds that of any competitive device. Administrative Utilities VERY GOOD KMnet Admin is a unified solution for network device management for both Kyocera and competitive network printing devices. The utility allows the administrator to view page count, device status and view and configure alerts for groups of output devices on the network. Administrators can also access detailed information on individual devices such as amount of toner remaining, alerts, configuration settings and event logs. KMnet Admin General Tab (U.S. model pictured)

4 KMnet Admin Status Window (U.S. model pictured) Kyocera Command Center (U.S. model pictured) KMnet Viewer enables device discovery and management for all printers and MFPs on the network, including Kyocera and non-kyocera models. The utility allows administrators to sort devices by name or IP address and specify which information on monitored devices is shown. Administrators can also select which device conditions prompt pop-up messages on users PCs. Kyocera Command Center the embedded Web page provides administrators with information about the FS-9130DN and lets them handle administrative tasks such as changing device and network settings, viewing device status and monitoring toner and paper supplies. Additionally, the embedded Web page can be programmed to send alerts to three recipients for error conditions, including paper jam, cover open and add toner or paper. KMnet for Clients enables users to monitor the status of multiple devices, as well as multiple print drivers for each device, all within one window. The embedded Web page allows for direct printing of PDF files, without requiring the application. Also included is a software utility that enables direct printing of PDF, PostScript, PRN and Kyocera s PRESCRIBE files without having to have the respective applications installed on the PC. With this utility multiple files can be sent at one time, with the user able to change settings such as quantity, duplexing, N-up printing, resolution, etc.

5 FEEDBACK TO WORKSTATIONS VERY GOOD KMnet for Clients can be installed on users PCs, enabling them to receive pop-up messages and icon alerts for error or warning conditions and device status. Audible alerts can also be enabled. However, KMnet for Clients doesn t offer pop-up messages or icon alerts to indicate completed jobs. The Kyocera Command Center provides users with a very good level of detail regarding the FS-9130DN, including device status, paper size, remaining paper and toner supplies (percentages). It also allows users to switch between PCL and KPDL PostScript emulations. EASE OF NETWORK SETUP VERY GOOD Physical setup of the unit must be done by a Kyocera service technician. The FS-9130DN comes with two CDs, the first of which contains the drivers and utilities; the second contains the user s guide and other documentation. PRINT DRIVERS Setup and installation of the drivers was easy thanks to the auto-install feature, which automatically creates the port and will have users up and running in minutes. Although installation of the KX driver requires 12 clicks of the mouse because the drivers are combined, users need only install one. Administrators can t clone device settings from one device to another, and they can t simultaneously install the drivers at multiple workstations on the network. GOOD The FS-9130DN comes with Kyocera s proprietary KX driver, which combines three drivers in one: PCL XL (PCL 6 emulation), PCL 5e and KPDL (the company s PostScript emulation). The KX driver facilitates a more streamlined installation procedure and uses fewer resources on the network. While many users may never switch between emulations, it should be noted that for those who do, switching isn t convenient as it can t be done from within an application. Users have to close or minimise the application and then open the driver via the Windows Start menu in order to switch from one driver to the other.

6 KX Print Driver Basic Tab (U.S. model pictured) KX Print Driver Device Settings Tab (U.S. model pictured) The drivers provide selections for most of the commonly used features on the main screen; graphical changes in the driver show altered settings. The PCL and KPDL drivers are identical in layout, increasing ease of use in environments where both are used. The drivers offer a good feature set, including booklet printing, collation, N-up printing, proof print, the ability to save settings, a secure printing option, custom watermarks and poster printing. APPLICATIONS COMPATIBILITY The PCL XL and KPDL drivers feature PRESCRIBE Kyocera s page design and control language that enables graphics, logos and forms, including multi-part forms, to be created independently of the system and saved and updated on the unit. File size remains the same when producing multiple sets regardless of whether collate is selected from the print screen within an application or from the properties screen of the driver. EXCELLENT No problems were experienced with any of the test files used in the applications compatibility tests. Units are tested for compatibility on Windows XP platforms with Microsoft Word 2000, PowerPoint 2000 and Excel 2000, as well as Adobe PageMaker 7.0, Photoshop 6.0 and Acrobat 6.0, using 25 application test files that contain text, graphics, halftone images, tables, etc., enabling BLI technicians to evaluate memory usage, file processing, font rendering and grayscale capability.

7 PRINT Quality GOOD Output produced by the FS-9130DN s KPDL driver was good overall. Characters were fully formed and displayed average sharpness, while curves/serifs were smooth. Circular lines were also fully formed and closely spaced fine lines remained distinct; BLI technicians saw no evidence of stair-stepping of diagonal lines. Solids exhibited average darkness and some graininess. Halftones were visible over a very good range and featured distinct transitions between all levels. Coverage within levels displayed some evidence of graininess and minimal banding. PRINT PRODUCTIVITY GOOD Using the KPDL driver to produce BLI s 19-page job stream, which replicates typical office usage in a multi-user environment, the FS-9130DN s efficiency of 65.4 percent of its rated engine speed is well above average compared to A3 monochrome laser/led devices tested to date. EASE OF USE Using the PCL driver to produce the job stream, the unit s efficiency of 82.4 percent of its rated engine speed is above average for the group. The FS-9130DN s overall simplex efficiency when producing multiple sets is below average for A3 monochrome laser/led devices in this speed range tested to date, while its overall duplex efficiency is well below average. First-print times for the Word document and PowerPoint and PDF files used in testing are slower than average for the group. While the first-print-time for the JPEG file is competitive, the first-printtime for the TIFF file is significantly faster than average compared to A3 monochrome laser/led devices tested to date. Tests were conducted using U.S. letter-size paper and A4 results may vary slightly. GOOD The FS-9130DN s control panel is well designed and easy to use, featuring a two-line, 32-character LCD and eight LEDs for Ready, Attention, Finisher, Drawer One, Drawer Two, Drawer Three and Bypass.

8 Control Panel (U.S. model pictured) The interface, drivers and utilities are consistent across Kyocera s product line, including copier-based MFPs. FEATURE SET BLI technicians found the procedure for replacing toner to be simple and clean. Loading paper was easy, although a locking mechanism has to be released before adjusting the length and side-to-side guides. Users don t have to set paper size through the control panel. Although the process of removing misfeeds from any of the five misfeed points is simple, there s no instruction on how to remove a misfeed or graphics showing where misfed paper is located. The drum isn t exposed and consumables don t have to be removed from the unit. EXCELLENT The FS-9130DN s standard memory capacity of 64 MB is competitive compared to A3 monochrome laser/led devices in this speed range. The unit s maximum memory capacity of 576 MB is the highest in the group.

9 While the FS-9130DN s standard paper capacity of 1,200 sheets is the second highest compared to A3 monochrome laser/led devices in this speed range, its maximum paper capacity of 4,200 sheets is the highest. The unit s bypass tray capacity of 200 sheets in the highest in the group. The FS-9130DN can accommodate up to 105 gsm and 200 gsm through the drawers and bypass, respectively. Automatic duplexing is standard. Kyocera offers users a choice of two optional finishers: a 3,000-sheet threeposition staple finisher that staples up to 50 sheets per set; and a 1,000- sheet finisher that staples up to 30 sheets per set. Also available are a two- /three-hole punch unit and a booklet folder that folds and stacks up to 16 sheets per set, as well as a 100-sheet seven-bin mailbox unit. The unit supports CF memory cards and Microdrives of up to 4 GB, in lieu of an onboard hard drive. The CF memory card or Microdrive provides storage for PRESCRIBE forms, fonts and frequently printed documents, as well as printer functions such as proof and hold, secure printing and job storage. An optional 40-GB hard drive is available. SECURITY FEATURES A USB port that supports thumb drives enables users to print PDF documents at the FS-9130DN. However, the port is located on the back of the unit and is difficult to find. NOT RATED Secure print allows a user to send a print job directly to the FS-9130DN and hold it until it s released via the control panel. After it s printed the unit deletes the job from memory. Administrators can lock the control panel via the embedded Web page. KMnet Viewer and the embedded Web page can be password-protected by an administrator to prevent unauthorised users from changing configuration settings.

10 TONER YIELD EXCELLENT The tested toner yield of the FS-9130DN is the highest compared to A3 monochrome laser/led devices in this speed range tested to date; in fact, it s just under 32,000 impressions over the average. 10

11 SUPPORTING TEST DATA Test Environment Test Equipment Test Duration The product has been tested in BLI s 10,000-square-foot test lab, in an environment monitored by a Honeywell Temp/RH chart recorder, which replicates typical office conditions. BLI s dedicated test network, consisting of Windows 2000 servers, Windows 2000 and XP workstations, 10/100BaseTX network switches and CAT5 cabling. Products are tested for two months, a portion of which consists of a durability test during which the product is run at its manufacturer-rated maximum monthly volume, with daily volumes evenly divided over the course of the test. Tested Configuration base model, with optional 1,000-sheet staple finisher. Test Procedures Buyers Laboratory Inc. Michael Danziger CEO Mark Lerch COO Anthony F. Polifrone Managing Director Daria M. Hoffman Managing Editor The test methods and procedures employed by BLI in its lab testing include BLI s proprietary procedures and industry-standard test procedures. In addition to a number of proprietary test documents, BLI uses an industry standard KATUN test original for evaluating black image quality and test suites from Quality Logic to evaluate applications compatibility. In addition to a visual observation, colour print quality is tested using the ANSI standard IT8 Colour Test Target, which is read using a Minolta CM503I Spectrophotometer, and samples are analyzed using the CIE XY Chromaticity Diagram. In addition, density of black and colour output is measured using an X-Rite 428 Densitometer. Georgia-Pacific Spectrum Multi-Use Paper is used in the tests, 10 percent of which is recycled paper containing 30 percent post-consumer content. Image quality is tested using Georgia-Pacific Printing Paper. Tests are conducted using U.S. letter/ledger paper and A4/A3 results may vary slightly. John Donnelly Managing Director International Pete Emory Manager of Laboratory Testing David Sweetnam European Lab and Research Manager BUyers Laboratory Inc. info@buyerslab.com BLI International (UK) Ltd. blieurope@buyerslab.com BLI International Ltd. bliasia@buyerslab.com NORTH AMERICA EUROPE ASIA 11

12 Reliability PMs/Malfunctions Service Required Meter Count (Impressions) Impressions Between Service Meter Count (Beginning of Test) 0 End of Test Period 100,000* Total Misfeeds/Misfeed Rate 1/Not applicable Total Service Calls 0 * The FS-9130DN s durability test was 100,000 impressions, but it produced another 100,000 impressions during toner yield testing. Administrative Utilities Included software: KMnet for Clients is a network utility that can be used to monitor and configure printing systems and maintain e-mps (enhanced-multiple Printing System) jobs in storage devices. Monitoring the status of the printing system in real-time, confirming and modifying default settings and manipulating jobs stored temporarily or permanently can all be implemented between PCs and printing systems. KMnet Viewer provides centralised network device management of all connected printers and copiers/mfps and enables device discovery and management for all printers and MFPs on the network, including Kyocera and non-kyocera models. The utility allows administrators to sort devices by name or IP address and specify which information on monitored devices is shown. Administrators can also select which device conditions prompt popup messages on PCs. KMnet Viewer is password protected to prevent unwanted changes and interruptions in device and network management. Administrators can install and update firmware for all Kyocera Mita connected devices from the utility, and the status of the devices can be easily monitored and problems remotely identified. 12

13 Embedded Web page: Kyocera Command Center the embedded Web page provides administrators with information about the FS-9130DN and lets them handle administrative tasks such as changing device and network settings, viewing device status and monitoring toner and paper supplies. Additionally, the embedded Web page can be programmed to send alerts to three recipients for error conditions, including low toner, paper jam, cover open and add toner or paper. Administrators and users can also send print jobs to the unit via the embedded Web page. Consumables monitoring: Yes, via the embedded Web page. PRINT DRIVERS Print Driver Features Features PCL XL KPDL Auto Feature/Device Detection Yes Yes Booklet Printing Yes Yes Collate Sets Yes* Yes* Max Paper Sources per Job 2 2 Mirror Image No No Negative Image No No N-up Printing 2 to 25 2 to 25 Overlays No No Paper Gauge No No Print and Save Yes Yes Proof Print Yes Yes Quantity Selection Up to 999 Up to 999 Reduction/Enlargement 20% to 500% 20% to 500% Resolution Modes (dpi) High Quality (default); Proof; Draft; Custom High Quality (default); Proof; Draft; Custom Save Settings Yes Yes Secure Print Yes Yes Watermarks/Custom Watermarks Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Poster Printing Yes Yes * Although there s a collate selection in the driver, it didn t function in testing; collate must be selected from the Windows print screen within an application for output to be collated. This isn t uncommon, as most drivers are written to allow the application settings to override the driver settings. 13

14 Send once/print many: Yes. While a collate selection is available from the driver, it didn t function in testing. Collate must be selected from the Windows print screen within an application. Doing so doesn t increase file size. Output was properly collated. PRINT Quality Text Good Line Art Good Halftone Range Very Good Halftone Fill Good Solids Good Print density Black density: 1.18 to 1.25 FS-9130DN Density for units in this class tested to date: 1.00 to 1.94 Range for tested units Measurements are based on four readings corresponding to four different solid black locations on the output. The higher the density reading, the darker the image. Halftone range: Grayscale is visible from the 1% to 98% dot-fill levels with distinct transitions between all levels. Typical halftone range for monochrome laser/led printers: 3% to 93% 14

15 PRINT PRODUCTIVITY First-print out of energy-save mode: seconds. TESTED FIRST-PRINT TIMES Windows 2000 Word PowerPoint Photoshop Acrobat Photoshop File Type Black Text Colour Graphic/ Text Colour Graphic Black Graphic/Text Colour Graphic File Extension DOC PPT TIF PDF JPG Pre-Raster File Size 114 KB 99 KB 20 MB 426 KB 248 KB Post-Raster File Size 134 KB 356 KB 51.5 MB 582 KB 2.18 MB First-Page Time (Seconds) First-print time indicates the time it took to RIP an image and deliver the first page of the test document set to the output tray. The FS-9130DN s print speeds were tested in High Quality mode using the KPDL driver. s rated speed: 40 ppm BLI S TESTED PRINT SPEEDS excluding first page including first page Copies per minute Print speed is tested using BLI s Monochrome Test Original with 6% page coverage. The test page is printed in a quantity equal to double the vendor s rated print speed for the device in each mode tested (e.g., if the vendor s rated print speed is 20 ppm, 40 pages are printed). The Kyocera s print speeds were tested in High Quality mode using the KPDL driver. Tests were conducted using U.S. letter-size paper and A4 results may vary slightly

16 Print Efficiency Copies per minute Print Mode 1: Print Mode 1: % BLI obtains the overall efficiency percentage by dividing the tested speed of the device by the rated speed and then multiplying by 100 for each run length. All jobs are based on a 10-page document printed in High Quality mode using the KPDL driver. Job Stream Evaluation A job stream consisting of nine files (a mix of Word, Excel, HTML, PowerPoint and ) is sent to a paused print queue. All files are monochrome or monochrome and mixed colour and consist of five or fewer pages (total of 19 pages). Timing begins when the queue is released and ends when the last page of the job stream completely exits the device. Time to completion of all print jobs (KPDL): seconds, running at 26.2 ppm, which translates to an efficiency rate of 65.4%. Time to completion of all print jobs (PCL XL): seconds, running at 33.0 ppm, which translates to an efficiency rate of 82.4%. Range for monochrome printers tested to date: seconds to 15 minutes, 1.88 seconds. Problems encountered: None Tests were conducted using U.S. letter-size paper and A4 results may vary slightly. 16

17 TONER YIELD Tested Toner Yield and Supplies Cost per Page (5% Page Coverage) Colour (5%) Net Weight (Grams) Yield (Impressions) Impressions per Gram Toner Cost per Page 1 Supplies Cost per Page 2 Black 1, , * * Toner and supplies cost per page could not be calculated as pricing for supplies was not available. 17

18 CERTIFICATE OF RELIABILITY AWARDED TO KYOCERA, INC. For the performance of the throughout BLI's in-house durability test. This is to certify that when subjected to a 100,000-impression Buyers Lab durability test in a networked environment, the proved to be a highly reliable product. ANTHONY F. POLIFRONE MANAGING DIRECTOR RELIABILITY CERTIFIED TESTED TESTED NBUYERS LABORATORY I NBUYERS LABORATORY I C C November 2007 DATE the leading independent office products test lab and business consumer advocate THE LEADING INDEPENDENT OFFICE PRODUCTS TEST LAB AND BUSINESS CONSUMER ADVOCATE NORTH AMERICA EUROPE ASIA Copyright BUYERS 2007 LABORATORY by Buyers Laboratory. INC. 20 RAILROAD Reproduction AVENUE without HACKENSACK, written permission NJ from BLI USA is illegal and strictly prohibited. Copyright 2007 Buyers Laboratory. This certificate has been reproduced with the written permission of BLI.