Epson EPL 6200N

If you've ever been a student, you'll know how difficult it is to tackle exam revision, coursework. and homework assignments. Not to mention the pressures each subject can take upon a person. You'd also realize the amount of emphasis in recent times on using computers and IT related utilities in order to accomplish the aformentioned tasks. My sixth form department recently purchased this, the Epson EPL 6200N, a laser printed designed for medium sized workgroups within any office or school.

With the latest set of A - Level exams just a few months away, and with several sheets worth of information needing printing, I had the oppurtunity to test the EPL 6200N out...

The Printer

A quick query to the librarian told me the printer cost about 270 pounds inc. VAT, though unfortunately I cannot quote the place of purchase. Thats pretty pricy for a printer, but since it has a 1 year warranty (and will be used an awful lot in that time) whos to complain?

Unfortunately the manual was stashed somewhere or chucked away by the school post-installation , yet never fear, I found its manual as a .pdf (acrobat reader) file online. A quick check through revealed it to be highly detailed and concise, with much detail regarding the settings, installation, paper insertion, and so on and so forth. Pretty much your bog standard Epson manual.

Its a quintessential modern printer, easily compatable with Windows 9X/ME/2000/XP aswell as Apple Macitosh 8.1 or later, our computers were running Windows 2000, which worked extremely well with the printer, displaying useful info about printer progress, more on this later.

The printer looks similar to any workplace laser model, boxlike, curvy, and yet mildly aesthetically pleasing in its own...frankly humdrum way. It certainly complimented the IT room desks and computers well enough! I could hold back my excitement any longer, I had stood back and virtually worshipped this oversized piece of printing gadgetry long enough, it was time for testing!

Testing the 6200N

After gaining permission to fiddle with its settings, I got a chance to print off a variety of sheets, notably some articles for Politics from the Guardian's webpage, and also some business studies/economics data from an American research-ish page...thing. Pictures and graphs were included, but as the title says, the printer is monochrome, so no colour here sadly.

Loading paper into one of these printers is such a simple task that its hardly worth raking over. But for the Rip Van Winkles' out there who've been asleep since the 60's or whatever, here goes; the paper is simply inserted in the tray at the bottom (which can hold 200 sheets, WOW) and then the printer just sucks it in with its magical rollers and begins printing on to it. Rocket science indeed.

The results were nothing short of remarkable, the ink dried super quickly, and in a matter of seconds I had all my revision sheets in my hand, ready to read and revise from. Also, the noise levels were extremely low too, with just a faint humming sound emitting from the device itself.

The speed was very fast indeed, it took around 3 seconds for each sheet to be totally finished, graphs, piccies and all. Although I had no envelopes handy, its possible to print addresses or funky patterns on to them for posting.

Software, Specs and Special Features

The Epson 6200N's real disadvantage is that it lacks any special features aside from printing, supporting the fact it is made strictly for office use, nothing else. The printer can print, but is largely inept to print out labels, photos and thus lacks any software to assist it in accomplishing such endevours. As stated, due to the industrial nature of this printer, such a lack of any bells or whistles is understandable from a business point of view. It does have an "image enhancement" facility, which supposedly improves quality slightly, though.

Its a laser printer, its accepted format being A4 plain paper, it weighs around 7 kilograms (fairly easy to lift for most), prints around 20 sheets a minute, obviously possesses an ethernet and usb port for networking through an office and is 100% compatable with such procedures.

The 6200N comes off as a fairly standard laser printer, not special but with a high standard of performance.

Conclusion

I would recommend this printer to those working within an office or similar type of working enviroment. With a year's warranty as standard, the EPL 6200N is a reliable choice, from a world famed and reputed brand, Epson. It prints at a good rate, and while not really a Monster as the title of this review states, remains a good, solid choice, the sharp images which possess a good level of clarity, aswell as the brisk drying speed make this product an effective and sensible choice in printing.