July 16, 2008

Reviews of Ricoh Aficio SP C222DN and Xerox Phaser 6125 Color Laser Printers

By Kara Hiltz

Review Roundup: Riofrio Not Fond of Ricoh Aficio SP C222DN; Computer Algorithm and Journalist Each Review Xerox Phaser 6125N

Ricoh Aficio SP C222DN: Not Enough Muscle Claims PC World

Where's the muscle? That's what PC World's Melissa Riofrio wants to know about the Ricoh Aficio SP C222DN color laser printer. Despite her surname being a near doppleganger for Ricoh Riofrio did not display much affection for the Aficio SP C222DN, awarding it a score of 70 ("Good" by PC World's standards).

Riofrio seemed most disappointed by the Ricoh Aficio SP C222DN's user experience. Both the installation instructions and some of the printer's design points frustrated her. For example, the Ricoh Aficio SP C222DN doesn't have an LCD screen to help you navigate through its functions.

Unfortunately, she didn't think the printer made up many points in its performance, complaining about slow print speeds (17.4 pages per minute for a black-and-white printout) and poor graphics. "[G]raphics we printed on plain paper suffered from a slightly faded look, as well as graininess or moiré patterns. Glossy laser paper only partially mitigated the flaws," said Riofrio.

Xerox Phaser 6125N: CNET Pits Algorithm Against PC World Journalist

CNET didn't exactly review the Xerox Phaser 6125 Color Laser — if by review you mean having a person use a product and then write about the experience. Instead, CNET published a Product Brief, which it describes as follows: "CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing."

With that disclaimer in mind, CNET's algorithm praised the Xerox Phaser 6125 for its ability to act as its own print server by identifying a network address, and criticized its slow print speed and lack of duplex printing. CNET's algorithm concludes by recommending the Xerox Phaser 6125 suits "those who need high volume color printing."

PC World Canada, by contrast, took the old school approach and assigned Ted Kritsonis to use and evaluate the Xerox Phaser 6125. In his review, Kritsonis reports that installation was a breeze. He had his test page printing 15 minutes after taking the printer out of the box.

However, Kritsonis agrees with CNET's algorithm regarding the printer's (lack of) speed. "The Phaser 6125 has the quality side down, as colour and black and white prints come out consistently well, but the speed is the one thing that could frustrate those with little patience to wait," writes Kritsonis. He found that using the USB direct connection increases the speed of the Xerox Phaser 6125, but doing so deprives you of its network capabilities (unless you connect the USB cable to a WiFi router).

In the end, Kritsonis recommends the printer as an affordable color laser for SOHOs with a limited number of users who value quality over speed. Hmm, maybe that CNET algorithm would like to help me out with a few of my articles here at Databazaar Blog.

About Review Roundup
Although we cannot review every printer and printer accessory, we can scour the Web for the most creative and helpful reviews. That's what we do for you in Review Roundup. In the process, we also interview the reviewers for updates and additional insights that you'll only find here.