Copyright © 2006 MCA Internet, LLC dba BERTL.
13 November 2006
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Page 48
Ricoh Aficio MP1350
The Ricoh Aficio MP1350 enters a tough, aggressively
fought market armed with an armada of user friendly
features and design attributes.
As mentioned at the beginning of the report, the device
can be considered both a high end front office device and
as a production device destined for CRDs, quick printers
and printshops.
In the configuration tested during this evaluation, which
included the lower cost Ricoh designed controller,
BERTL’s evaluation had been focused on the front office
environment.
In this scenario, user productivity is of paramount
importance closely followed by ease of use and workflow
flexibility. A unit of this type in the front office will be
expected to be everything to everyone handling the walk
up and desktop digital imaging demands of, in many
instances, multiple departments.
The Ricoh Aficio MP1350 is admirably equipped to take on
this demanding environment with a heady selection of
finishing options, a large full color interface for fast,
accurate data and job entry plus class-leading Web server
technology and print on demand capabilities.
Scanning, already a strong point on the previous
generation of Ricoh departmental MFPs, has been taken
to the next level with color scanning and advanced PDF
encryption and compression capabilities. This further
expands the scanning capabilities of the device and
ensures fast, efficient, and successful scanning. New
features also include the Preview mode, allowing users to
check scan images before they are sent to their final
destination. Another new feature that BERTL appreciated
seeing make an entrance onto Ricoh’s headliner MFP
products was the scan to URL function. This allows users
to use email as the address medium (rather than trying to
find a SMB or FTP route), but not send large files across
to the mail server, which could create bottlenecks or worse
still get rejected for being over the threshold that the IT
administrator set up for the mail server. This is even more
important when you consider the file sizes created during
color scanning tasks.
There is still a way to go before the device can go toe to
toe against production scanners at the higher end with
single pass duplex scanning and ISIS driver support, just
two of the factors that may put off service bureaus and
high volume scanning environments from getting too
excited.
Productivity, as expected, was performed at the high
standard we have come to expect from Ricoh. Fast
scanning into memory limits user waiting times, fast
processing of a wide range of print jobs through the choice
of PCL, PostScript, or RPCS drivers, and innovative print-
on-demand capabilities allow commonly used jobs to be
printed and rerouted at the touch of a button. There is no
need for repeat processing.
Security is well catered to with a diverse range of features
designed to make the device a good network security
citizen, to allow for efficient auditing and control of user
access, and to maintain privacy of confidential information
through the device. As with all devices, there are areas in
which security can be further enhanced, including the
disguise of a secure print job name during its output phase
and integrating personal digital certificates with active
directory personal profiles.
Those concerned with accessibility and Section 508
compliance will find the large tilting arm-mounted touch
screen to be easy to reach and view from a wheelchair.
Paper drawers are now graspable from above and below.
We would like to see a remote terminal or voice guidance
system, which would provide greater accessibility
capabilities for the visually impaired who cannot use the
non-tactile touch screen.
As with many Ricoh devices we have tested recently,
many of the ‘What we would like to see’ comments are
features that are not found on any device currently in the
market and are not criticisms versus its peers, but are
suggestions for how the next generation of product could
be further enhanced. This reflects the changing market
where user productivity is everything and is much more
than a simplistic speed and feed buying decision.
The Ricoh Aficio MP1350 might have its weaknesses, but
to many it will open up new doors of document productivity
and is fully deserving of the special recognition a BERTL 5
Star status grants it.
Summing Up
