Epson AcuLaser CX11N

Reviewed by

Elsa Wenzel

on 06/24/2005

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Page 2 Overview: Small offices that want one machine to print, scan, and copy pages are increasingly turning to laser multifunctions. And, until recently, the only affordable choices lacked color skills--except for bargain-bin, impractical inkjet all-in-ones. That's changing now that Canon and HP have rolled out sub-$1,000 color laser multifunctions, and Oki Systems has released a $1,399 LED version. Epson's the next vendor to get in on the action, plunging prices further: the Epson AcuLaser CX11N costs only $699, or $100 more for the CX11NF model with built-in faxing.

Upside: Features and affordability make the Epson AcuLaser CX11 line attractive. Both the CX11N and the CX11NF are network ready, and they hook up to Windows and Mac computers. They also offer more RAM and faster estimated print speeds than their opponents: 25 pages per minute (ppm) grayscale and 5ppm color. The bundled software includes extras, such as business card scanning tools, photo index printing, and a utility to print Web pages. The pricier model, the CX11NF adds faxing capabilities and a 50-page automated document feeder, but it still costs less than the HP Color LaserJet 2840.

Downside: The pair of models in the Epson AcuLaser CX11 series holds only 180 sheets of input paper, though you can pay more for a maximum 680-sheet capacity. There's no built-in wireless connectivity, but its rivals don't offer that either. Unlike the HP Color LaserJet 2800 series, the AcuLasers lack memory-card slots.

Outlook: Less expensive than the Canon ImageClass MF8170c, the Oki C510n, or the HP Color LaserJet 2840, Epson's AcuLaser duo looks tantalizing. We suspect that the sub-$900 price will intrigue business and home consumers alike. Multifunctions eat up less office space than a separate fax machine, printer, scanner, and photocopier, but their talents are usually less than well rounded. Will the Epson AcuLaser CX11 line hustle and provide great prints and scans? Because Epson has never sold laser printers in the United States, we're especially curious to run our tests as soon as we get a model in CNET Labs.