MindMachine Associates Ltd

Phone: 0191 417 9295 e-mail: admin@mindmachine.co.uk

Epson Aculaser C900/900N

Epson Aculaser C900 and C900N are personal / small workgroup colour printers with speeds of 16ppm mono and 4ppm in colour.

The Epson C900 is a smaller and cheaper replacement for the C1900 - it had a market price around 499 when new.

The main disadvantages are the cost of consumables - the transfer belt particularly. Users also consider it noisy. It does also take a time to warm up and format a page, so it isn't best suited to printing the odd single page.

Control:

None - there is no control panel on the printer itself.

• "The EPSON AcuLaser C900 features simple management with live status information accessed via your PC screen, where clear, intuitive driver software ensures total desktop control. Easy maintenance is assured, with a simple paper path and the main consumables located behind one easily accessible door at the front of the machine. This makes changing them a quick, clean and easy process even for less experienced operators. "

Duty Cycle:

35000 pages per month claimed (but it's basically a light duty machine)

Print Speed:

16ppm black, 4ppm colour

Claims first page in 14 seconds for mono, 25 seconds colour. Warm up time of 180 seconds.

Reviewers suggest it can be slow to print a first page.

Print Resolution:

Engine resolution 600 x 600 dpi or 300x300 dpi.

Claims 2400 RIT. with enhancement

Reviewers in pcw.co.uk say it can't cope with 2 point text - but that is a stretch for many printers.

• "EPSON AcuLaser Fine Dot Control Technology adds professionalism by boosting the printer's resolution to an effective 2400dpi by controlling the size of each dot to one of 16 horizontal steps."
• "EPSON AcuLaser Colour RITech (Resolution Improvement Technology) eliminates dotted or jagged edges in colour text, reproducing finely detailed areas sharply and making charts and graphs come alive with clear, crisp tones."

Paper Handling:

200 sheet tray. Extendable up to 500 sheets. Duplex printing is supported (in software) and a duplex option is (was) available.

• " A paper capacity of up to 700 sheets, a standard 200 sheet tray plus optional 500 sheet tray - provides a choice of two media sources, while an optional duplex unit adds even more flexibility. A wide range of media includes envelopes, labels, transparencies and paper up to 163gsm thickness. "

Tray 1:

Intergral tray 200 sheets

Tray 2:

An extra 500 sheet tray can be added under the printer.

Face Down:

200 sheet face-down

Memory:

16MB as shipped. Extendable to Maximum 144MB. Only Epson DIMMS are compatible.

• "EPSON AcuLaser Adaptive Data Compression makes more efficient use of memory and speeds up image processing by optimising print data compression. Depending on the document, the Driver will switch between compression methods when processing images composed of multiple smaller images."

Interface:

Parallel and USB 1.1

• "The EPSON AcuLaser C900 comes with all the connectivity required for the smaller PC or Mac-based workgroup or business, including standard USB and parallel interfaces. The optional 10/100Base network interface provides easy connection to your local area network (LAN) and can be easily configured and managed remotely with a range of network management tools."

Network:

Available on the "N" model.

Print Languages:

ESC/Page Colour S (Host Based) Interfaces:

Power:

220V to 240V + 10%. 50Hz to 60Hz + 3Hz

Power Consumption:

Less than 7A

Dimensions:

Compact Footprint.

Acoustic Noise:

39dB(A) or less in Standby Mode,

54dB(A) or less while printing

Consumables:

The Epson C900 is similar to the QMS2300 / 2350 and some remanufactured cartridges can fit either

As usual with colour laser printers the machine takes four colour toners. Colour toner life 4,500 pages

• "New EPSON AcuLaser MicroPolymer toner maximises output quality even at fast print speeds by using smaller toner particles for uniform toner coverage. It improves stability and quality, helps to minimise toner wastage and cuts costs by eliminating the need for a printer oil roll."

C13S050100, Black Toner Cartridge, C13S050100,

CC13S050099, Cyan Toner Cartridge, C13S050099,

C13S050098, Magenta Toner Cartridge, C13S050098,

C13S050097, Yellow Toner Cartridge 6000? Pages,

C13S050101, Waste Toner Collector.

Photoconductor Unit:

Uses a single photoconductive drum.

C13S051083, Aculaser C900 C1900 Photoconductor Kit, C13S051083

Photo conductor unit 45,000 pages black and white 11,250 pages colour.

Transfer Kit:

C13S053009, Transfer Belt Unit ,for the C900 and C1900 - 210,000 pages black and white, 52,500 pages colour C13S053009,

Fuser:

The fuser uses pressure and heat to fix toner powder to the page.

113146, Fuser Unit for C900 / C1900 120,000 pages aka 2077368 and 2089222

Epson reckon fitting the fuser needs an approved engineer. Given the printer's age, performance and price the cost of that may be prohibitive.

Maintenance Kit:

1276831, Maintenance Kit with 230V fuser and 2nd BTR Roller

Warranty:

Supported by a 1 year warranty. Coverplus Extended warranties can be purchased. Warranty is transferable if the product is sold on.

Spares:

1276831, Maintenance Kit

2113146, Fuser Unit

1213562, 2nd Transfer Roller Assy

C13SO51083, Drum Kit

2077360, HV Power Supply

2077362, LV Power Supply

C12C824352, Interface Board Ethernet,

1213567, Pick Up Roller,

2077415, Print Head Unit (Scanner)

C13SO53009, Transfer Belt Unit

2077945, Transport Unit,

C13SO50101, Waste Toner

1231159,Cover for Paper Input Tray

1231160,Back Of Paper Input Tray

1231161, Bottom Sides of Paper Input Tray

Service:

We are researching service and support options.

Options and Accessories:

500 SHEET PAPER CASSETTE UNIT C12C813911

DUPLEX UNIT C12C813921

Additional Memory

7000272 - 16MB SDRAM for Epson Lasers

7000273 - 32MB SDRAM for Epson Lasers

7000275 - 64MB SDRAM for Epson Lasers

7000276 - 128MB SDRAM for Epson Lasers