Lexmark e330 Supplementary Manual

© 2005 Better Buys for Business allows both print and electronic reproduction of this document.

Lexmark

2005

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2005

Lexmark’s E-series printers are its entry-level
models, but the level of entry keeps going up.
A few years ago, a 25ppm printer was sold by
Lexmark as a heavy-duty office workgroup
printer. Now comes these models that are
meant for either personal desktop use or for
sharing by a few office mates, and it runs at
27ppm. Like the E232, these are very attrac-
tive-looking machines. With sleek black styl-
ing, compact size, and low noise levels, they
are among the few printers on the market that
could win design awards. And in many ways,
they are similar to the E232. However, for the
added price you get a nice upgrade in fea-
tures.

The basic engine is the same as the E232’s.

There’s a 200MHz processor and print reso-
lution is 1,200dpi (600dpi on the E330). A 250-
sheet paper tray and a single-sheet bypass
(for nonstandard materials such as card stock
and transparencies) can be supplemented
with an optional 550-sheet paper drawer. That
550-sheet output drawer is standard on the
E332tn. Output is limited to 150 sheets, with a
single-sheet exit for the bypass.

USB connections are standard, and an ex-

ternal Ethernet server is optional on the E330,
standard on the two E332 models. Wi-Fi con-
nectivity is an option on all the models.

All three models start with 32MB of

memory, expandable to 160MB. All offer PCL
and PostScript standard. The duty cycle is
rated at 15,000 pages per month.

These models have a lower cost per page

than the E232. Our estimate, based on the low-
est Lexmark prices, is around 2.2 cents, if you
use the larger toner cartridge. This is not
great, but typical for a personal/small
workgroup printer.

In many ways, these personal/small

workgroup printers are unique. It’s not only
their 27ppm speed, but their affordability as

well. Comparable printers like the 25ppm
Samsung ML-2550 family and Brother HL-
6050 family can claim a cost per page (1.5
cents for the Samsung models) and more to-
tal paper capacity (1,100 sheets for both), but
they are both priced higher than the corre-
sponding Lexmark models. The 25ppm
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 2300 family is signifi-
cantly more expensive and has lower paper
capacity, but at a slightly better price per page.

Be aware that this product family was re-

called in 2004. Apparently, Lexmark discov-
ered a shock risk that could occur if you
(foolishly) plugged the three-pronged
(grounded) plug into a two-pronged (un-
grounded) socket. Lexmark was obliged to fix
the problem with existing users just in case,
and so it had a recall. Those currently on the
market are deemed in compliance. There is no
cause for concern at this point.

We applaud these stylish, speedy, and quiet

machines. It’s astonishing how the company
has raised the bar on desktop printing. The
E330/E332 models get our Editor’s Choice
Award.