Panasonic DPCL21md, DPCL21pd, DPCL21 Instruction Manual

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Buyer’s Guides for Office Equipment

Panasonic

Panasonic WORKiO DP-CL21 Panasonic WORKiO DP-CL21PD Panasonic WORKiO DP-CL21MD

17ppm full color 21ppm black & white

Sum-up: Solid low-cost workgroup printer series with good features and low operating costs.

Panasonic has followed its successful KX-CL500 set of color laser printers with another model family, one that looks almost exactly the same. The DPCL21 differs from the CL-500 group mostly in terms of channel. These printers are available through Panasonic’s dealer channel only, while the CL500series products are sold through dealers, distributors, and the Internet.

The base list price for this line is $2,299, which puts it in a select but growing group of printers. However, few in this price range can match this family’s performance. At 17ppm in color and 21ppm in black-and-white, this is definitely a fast machine, as fast as some far more expensive printers. It also has built-in Ethernet, even on the lowest priced model.

There are three models in the WORKiO DP-CL21 family:

● The DP-CL21, the base model ($2,299)

● The DP-CL21PD ($3,299), which adds a hard

disk, more memory. And a second paper

drawer.

● The DP-CL21MD ($3,799), with standard

PostScript

All of these models have excellent standard features. Ethernet connectivity, along with USB and parallel ports, is built in. They all offer automatic duplexing (two-sided printing) as a standard feature. All have embedded Web servers with remote administration and maintenance tools. All have PCL 5c as a standard feature. And all models offer a 20GB internal hard drive (optional on the DPCL21).

The DP-CL21 starts with 128MB of memory, and maxes out at 512MB. You start with 630 sheets of input capacity. PostScript 3 is optional.

The DP-CL21PD adds a few nice features. The

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hard disk is standard on this model, and is useful

for features like confidential printing and checkand-print. Standard memory is a generous 384MB. It also adds a second paper drawer as a standard feature, meaning you start with 1,160 sheets.

The DP- CL21MD is identical to the PD model,

but it adds PostScript as a standard feature.

Note that full speed is available at 600dpi resolution only. At 1,200dpi, things slow down to 8.4ppm. This may be a big concern to some, but we believe 600dpi is good enough for most users. You can speed 1,200dpi printing to the rated speed for most pages if you move up to 128MB of memory, but you may need 256MB to safely print duplex pages with very high coverage.

The units are quite compact and under 66 lbs., rather light for color laser printers.

The are DP-CL21 priced to sell. They are among the fastest network-ready color lasers on the market. They also have superior paper input capacity, plus duplexing built in. The biggest competition is from the OKI 7300 family, the base model of which has a street price of just below $2,000. Given the list price, you have room to negotiate with your Panasonic dealer a comparable price on these models.

We believe this printer series is a strong contender, with a low sticker price, and good features.

Excerpted from The Color Laser Printer and Business Ink Jet Printer Guides, volume 158, November

Panasonic WORKiO DP-CL21 — Low price and

good features make this printer a winner.

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