WorkCentre 4250/ Multifunction Printer Competitive Assessment
Xerox WorkCentre 4250/4260 vs. Lexmark X656/X658 Series Competitive Assessment
This document has been prepared from data prepared by Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI), the imaging industrys leading source of unbiased and reliable competitive intelligence. Data was collected in BLIs 10,000 square-foot lab in Hackensack, New Jersey and has been published in BLIs Lab Test Reports, Environmental Test Reports, and BLI Side-By-Side Comparison publications, among others.
Summary: WorkCentre 4250/4260 advantages
The WorkCentre 4250 4260s innovative print / drivers were recognized with a BLI Pick award for Outstanding Achievement, Fall 2008
The WorkCentre 4250/4260 supports the Global Print Driver and the Mobile Express Print Driver, which received a BLI Outstanding Achievement Award in Fall 2008. In our lab trial using the Xerox Global and Mobile Print Drivers, we were able to print documents on non-Xerox devices, including copier-based and printer-based models, on our test network, said Tony Maceri, BLIs Senior Test Technician. This flexibility lets workers print anywhere in their office, even on non-Xerox printers and copiers, with a single interface, instead of having to keep numerous print drivers installed (which is time-consuming for IT workers as well as confusing to end users).
* LI tested the Xerox WorkCentre 4260 and Lexmark X6556 for this report. Feature B sets are typically common among product families of the same class; therefore, the advantages highlighted in this report can apply to all products mentioned. The caveat to this is when page per minute productivity figures are quoted, these apply specifically to the products tested.
The WorkCentre 4250/4260 has the following advantages over the Xseries: /X
Productivity* Print-Around feature helps avoid bottlenecks at the printer asier misfeed clearing keeps workers more productive E aster tested first-copy time from the document feeder F aster simplex printing (one, 10 and 20 sets) F aster duplex printing (one, 10 and 20 sets) F aster tested first-print speeds (most file types tested) F aster simplex copying (all modes tested) F aster duplex copying (multiple sets) F onsumables status is available in print drivers C Cost Control ower IT overhead: easier installation L ower IT overhead: configuration management L ower IT overhead: lower help desk costs L etter accounting/tracking B ower cost per page L Security etter administrative utilities B tandard audit log with encryption S tandard hard drive encryption S ore department/user I.D. codes M onfidential fax transmission and reception C ommon Criteria Certified C Environmental considerations ower energy usage when printing L ower energy usage in power-save mode L eleases less ozone and less styrene R enerates less noise G erox-funded recycling of all CRUs X eparate toner and image drum maximizes consumables S yield and minimizes waste
Xerox WorkCentre 4250/4260 vs. Lexmark X656/X658 Series

Table of contents

Test conditions:

Productivity

Productivity analysis. 4 Ease of use. 4 IT advantages. 6 Speed comparisons. 6
B LI tested the Xerox WorkCentre 4260 and Lexmark X6556 for this report. Feature sets are typically common among product families of the same class; therefore, the advantages highlighted in this report can apply to all products mentioned. The caveat to this is when page per minute productivity figures are quoted, these apply specifically to the products tested. The device(s) to be tested, lab test equipment and paper are tested with daily conditions maintained between 20 and 25.6 degrees Celsius/68 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit and 35% to 65% RH. A4/Letter-size 80 gsm/20-lb. bond paper is used for all testing. Electricity is automatically regulated to <1% variation at 115 VAC using a Powerstat voltage regulator. Energy measurements used in Environmental Test Reports are recorded using a Yokogawa WT210 digital power meter. Devices with multiple energy level settings are set to use the lowest amount of energy for energy-save mode and/or sleep mode and to go into each mode at the shortest interval possible. The Job Stream Test conducted for BLI Environmental Reports is started from sleep mode after overnight dormancy and the running mode tests are started from idle mode. This document is strictly for internal use and is provided for self training purposes it should never be provided in whole or part to a customer.

Cost control

Cost per page. 6

Security

Security features comparison. 7
Environmental considerations
Energy consumption comparison. 8 Environmental awards. 8
Key positioning strengths

List. 9

Specifications

Comparison. 10

Productivity analysis
Productivity is influenced by a variety of factors, ranging from the obvious (rated engine speed, rated scan speed) to the subtle (streamlined administrative procedures, for example), and overall ease of use. We will examine numerous factors that contribute to the overall productivity advantages of the WorkCentre 4250 / 4260 Series in this section.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is a critical factor in determining productivity. If users have to spend time figuring out how to use a function properly, theyre not doing the jobs theyre paid to do and their productivity suffers dramatically. The WorkCentre 4250 / 4260s advantages in ease of use include Intuitive print drivers keep workers more productive Check status before you send a print jobright from your application WorkCentre 4250 / 4260 Paper gauge in print driver lets users check consumables before sending a print job, without leaving their desks. Toner gauge in print driver with information on remaining toner in increments of 1 percent. Select collate through the print driver. X656 / X658 Series No paper gauge in print drivers.
The WorkCentre 4250 / 4260 print driver keeps users informed with consumable and paper tray status.
No toner gauge in print drivers.
Unlike the previous generation Status Window, users cant proactively access Status Messenger to check device or consumables status. * Although theres a collate section in the driver, it didnt function in testing; collate must be selected from the Windows print screen within an application for output to be collated. *
The Lexmark X656 / X658 driver does not provide consumable and paper tray status.
Enhancing worker productivity
Xerox Print Around feature avoids bottlenecks at the printer Thanks to WorkCentre 4250 / 4260s unique Print Around feature, one problem job (such as a print job calling for a kind of paper that isnt currently loaded) wont hold up the queue behind it. Instead, the problem job is simply held in the queue until the problem job can be printed. Other jobs in the queue simply print around it in the meantime. There is no comparable capability for the X656 / X658 series.

* Quotes from BLIs Lab Test Report on the Lexmark X656 Series
Xerox WorkCentre 4250 / 4260 vs. Lexmark X656 / X658 Series
Clearing paper misfeeds is easier and faster
Removing jams is simple, aided by dynamic text and graphical instructions on the display. Misfeeds are accessed from the front and sides of the unit; the areas are clearly marked. Consumables dont have to be removed during the process. BLIs Lab Test Report on the WorkCentre 4260
Only the WorkCentre 4250 / 4260 offers scan to hard drive capability, allowing users to store often-used documents directly on the MFPs hard disk drive. Most noteworthy is that the units actual running speeds when outputting multiple sets in simplex print mode and all three copy modes are the fastest of competitive models tested to date. Quote from BLIs Lab Test Report on the WorkCentre 4260
Higher visible halftone range results in better printed output.
Measured printed halftone range: WorkCentre 4250 / 4260 1% to 100%
* Data from BLI Lab Test Reports
X656 / X658 Series 6% to 100%
BLI productivity analysis: Faster tested first-copy time from the document feeder
WorkCentre 4250 / 4260 users can easily access misfeeds.
Tested rst-copy time (in seconds)* WorkCentre 4260 9.25

X656 Series 10.29

There are six access points for misfeedshowever, a portion of the drum is exposed and could suffer some damage if users arent careful. Furthermore, the drum might have to be removed to clear a misfeed. BLIs Lab Test Report on the X656 Series
BLI productivity analysis: Faster printing (one, 10 and 20 sets)
Tested print speeds using the PCL print driver (in ppm) WorkCentre 4260 Simplex mode: One set 10 sets 20 sets Duplex mode: One set 10 sets 20 sets
X656 Series 29.4 46.9 49.8 21.7 35.0 36.3
32.3 50.1 51.4 26.7 37.6 39.2
Lexmark X656 / X658 users may have to remove the sensitive drum to access paper misfeeds.
BLI productivity analysis: Faster first-print speeds (four out of five file types tested; in seconds)
WorkCentre 4260 Word DOC PowerPoint PPT Photoshop TIF Acrobat PDF Photoshop JPG
Advantages for a companys Chief Technology Officer or IT Director
Comparing Xerox CentreWare Web with Lexmark MarkVision Professional CentreWare Web Discovery of locally connected devices? Active Directory integration? Standard report templates? Yes Yes 11 Yes Markvision Professional No No None No
X656 10.46 12.65 12.07 10.79 10.20
7.19 7.78 15.75 9.25 8.80

WorkCentre 4260XF

X656 Series
Automated consumables ordering? Paper Gauge (Web Page)? Accounting capability? Clone settings?
46.8 47.6 49.7 51.2 52.1 52.9
Faster Simplex Copying (all modes tested) Tested simplex copy speeds (in cpm)*

One set Five sets 10 sets 20 stets 29.9 30.6
Ready, Near Empty OK or Empty or Empty Standard Standard Optional No
Faster Duplex Copying (multiple sets) Tested 1:2 duplex mode (in cpm)*
Five sets 10 sets 20 stets 32.8 35.0 36.3 40.7 45.5 48.5

Cost Control

Cost control is influenced by factors including actual toner and supplies cost as well as energy usage and most often overlooked the amount of time workers spend installing, tracking and maintaining it on the network. In this section, well examine the WorkCentre 4250/4260s advantages over the X656/X658 series in all of these key areas.
Tested 2:2 duplex mode (in cpm)*
Five sets 10 sets 20 stets 34.6 35.9 36.6 43.4 47.2 48.4
BLI Cost Analysis: Lower Tested Cost Per Page
Cost per page (in cents) WorkCentre 4250/4260 Toner cost per page Total supplies cost per page 0.509 cents 1.127 cents X656/X658 Series 1.064 cents 1.183 cents
* Data from manufacturer specifications
The WorkCentre 4250/ 260 offers better standard 4 security features.
Does the MFP offer WorkCentre 4250/4260 Standard audit log with encryption? Hard drive encryption? Number of dept./user ID codes? Follow You printing feature?* Confidential fax TX/ RX? Yes Standard 2,000 Optional Yes (with fax option) X656/X658 Series No Optional 1,000 No No

Local IU PostScript

Full system Common Criteria Certification
ost rigorous testing in the world M erox has more devices certified than any competitor X Fax Card OS

Scanner

Disk Xerox Full System Certified Others Full System Certified Controller
* eroxs Follow You printing feature allows users to submit jobs to a secure print queue for printX ing on any available networked device after user authentication.
Safeguard against attacks
External device: The WorkCentre 4250/4260 leverages port blocking and fax securities to ensure product safety. Internal device: With scan securities and rate-based access along with CAC or SMARTcard access restrictions, the WorkCentre 4250/4260 defends against any breach attempts. Xerox has gained full product Common Criteria Certification to ensure product security. Lexmark has not achieved this certification for any of its security functions. On the WorkCentre 4250/4260, the administrator can set security levels to meet specific requirements. Xerox allows setting hard disk overwrite and encryption as needed. Hard disk overwrite can be ad hoc now or can be set to occur after every print or scheduled daily, weekly, monthly.
Lower Energy Consumption = Lower Cost
The WorkCentre 4250/4260 uses less energy than the X656/X658 Series when printing.* WorkCentre 4250/4260 X656/X658 Series Energy used 794 watts 800 watts

Maximize Consumables

Because the WorkCentre uses separate toner cartridge /4 and imaging units, the life of each consumable is maximized to the fullest extent of the technology. Users of the X656/X658 Series throw away their imaging units every time they change their toner cartridge.
The WorkCentre 4250/4260 uses less energy than the X656/X658 Series in Sleep/Power mode.* WorkCentre 4250/4260 X656/X658 Series Energy used 20 watts 29 watts
Xeroxs Recent Environmental Awards:
Corporate Leader by US EPA Climate Protection Award FTSE4Good Index Worlds Most Ethical Companies List
The WorkCentre 4250/4260 uses less energy than the X656/X658 Series in power save mode:* WorkCentre 4250/4260 X656/X658 Series Energy used 20 watts 21 watts

Less Air Pollution

The WorkCentre 4250/4260 releases fewer greenhouse emissions and pollutants than the X656/X658 Series.* WorkCentre 4250/4260 X656/X658 Series Ozone (in mg/h) Styrene 0.08 0.119 0.54 0.160
Supplies Recycling Program Consumables for the WorkCentre 4250/4260 are part of the Xerox Green World Alliance Supplies Recycling Program. For more information, please visit the Green World Alliance website at www.xerox.com/gwa.
* Data supplied by vendors and published in BLI Lab Test Reports

Less Noise Pollution

The WorkCentre 4250/4260 produces less noise than the X656/X658 Series.* WorkCentre 4250/4260 X656/X658 Series Noise (in decibels) 54 56
Key positioning strengths of the X656/X658 Series and how to combat them with prospective customers
Handles heavier paper weights
What the Lexmark sales rep could say: The X656/X658 series can handle paper as heavy as 47-lb. bond through its main paper drawers (versus paper weights of up to 28-lb. bond on the WorkCentre 4250/4260). How to respond Lets be honest. How many office documents are printed on thick oak tag? The WorkCentre 4250/4260s paper trays were designed to handle typical office document paper weights easily and efficiently. On the rare occasion where extra heavy media weight is needed (such as for a booklet cover), the WorkCentre 4250/4260s standard 100-sheet bypass tray can handle paper weights as heavy as 53-lb. bond, which is thicker than most offices will ever need to use.

Standard DSPF

What the Lexmark sales rep could say: The X656/X658 series includes a duplexing single-pass document feeder (DSPF), which scans both sides of a document at one time instead of scanning one side, then reversing the document in order to scan the other. This increases productivity when youre working with two-sided documents. How to respond: In theory, this is correct. However, in BLI lab testing, it turned out not to be the case. When copying multiple documents in both 1:2 and 2:2 duplex modes, the WorkCentre 4260 proved faster.

Faster scanning speed

What the Lexmark sales rep could say: The X656/X658 Series rated scanning speed is 57 images per minute in both color and black, while the WorkCentre 4250/4260s scanning speed is rated much slower at only 25 ipm in color and 55 ipm in black. How to respond: Scanning speed is only one part of the entire workflow equation. The productivity of most workgroups is influenced more by overall productivity in printing and copying (where BLI Lab Tests confirmed the WorkCentre 4260 was faster in very), first-copy time (where the WorkCentre 4260 proved faster) and overall ease of use (so workers dont have to spend time figuring out how to program a copy job, or leave their desks to check on toner and paper supplies).
Specifications at a glance
Xerox WorkCentre 4250/4260 Engine Speed * RADF Capacity Rated First-Copy Time Rated First-Print Time Max. Monthly Duty Cycle Max. Paper Capacity Max. Photoconductor Yield Scan to Hard Drive? Hard Drive Encryption Color Scanning? Confidential Fax TX/RX? Fax Polling? PostScript/PCL? Operating Noise Level 55 ppm 100 sheets 5 seconds 6 seconds 250,000 impressions 3,100 sheets 80,000 impressions Standard Standard Standard Standard (with fax option) Standard (with fax option) Standard 54 decibels
Lexmark X656/X658 series 55 ppm 75 sheets 7.5 seconds 9.5 seconds 275,000 impressions 3,200 sheets 36,000 impressions No Optional ($218) Standard No No Standard 56 decibels
* LI tested the Xerox WorkCentre 4260 and Lexmark X6556 for this report. Feature sets are typically common among product families of the same class; therefore, the advantages highlighted in B this report can apply to all products mentioned. The caveat to this is when page per minute productivity figures are quoted, these apply specifically to the products tested.
For more information, call 1-800-ASK-XEROX or visit us at www.xerox.com/office
2010 Xerox Corporation. All rights reserved. XEROX, XEROX and Design, CentreWare and WorkCentre are trademarks of or licensed to Xerox Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Product information and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. 7/10 610P730067A W60CA-04UB

HP LaserJet M4345 MFP

vs. Lexmark X656
Boost your efficiency and reduce costs with the HP LaserJet M4345 MFP Series
Lower toner cost per page translates to real savings over time Lower power consumption lets you print green and save money Faster first-print times for many common file types and from energy-save mode Faster first-copy time from document feeder means less time waiting for a copy Faster scanning for more efficient workflows Better reliability translates to less downtime and fewer headaches More efficient printing and copying in all simplex and duplex modes tested More efficient job stream printing Simple to install and easy to manage the LaserJet M4345 Series ships fully assembled, offers a Universal Driver for simplified driver deployment throughout your organization and integrates with the industry standard Web Jetadmin
Save money with lower toner cost and energy use.
*Thecharted daily energyusage is calculatedby BLI using the manufacturer's reported power consumption. Usage chart isbased on the assumption of each deviceprinting for30 minutes per day, being in ready mode for one hour, and spending the remainder of the time in sleep mode (6.5 hours during the day and 16 hours overnight). This does not include weekends.

Toner Cost Per Page

1.5 1.5 0.5 0
HP LaserJet M4345xs Lexmark X656de
24-Hour Power Consumption

Over 30% less!

1.012 1.452
Daytime sleep (6.5 hours) Ready/Idle (1 hour) Printing (.5 hours) Nighttime sleep (16 hours)
The HP delivers more efficient printing and copying.
HPs instant-on fuser radically reduces warm-up time and lets HP users have their print jobs done before the X656 is finished warming up. In BLI lab testing of both devices, the LaserJet M4345 proved consistently more efficient at printing and copying than the Lexmark X656.
Faster First Prints from Energy-Save Mode (in seconds)
Faster First-Print Times* (Seconds)
The LaserJet M4345 MFP had faster firstprint times in five out of six files used during BLI lab tests:

HP LaserJet M4345xs

Lexmark X656de

108% More!

10.46 9.45

Word (.DOC) Black Text

12.65 9.64
PowerPoint (.PPT) Color Text/Graphics

14.92 12.07

10.79 10.2 10.16 8.87

Color Text/Graphics

Black Text/Graphics

Photoshop JPEG

PowerPoint PPT

Photoshop TIF

From Energy-Save Mode

Color Graphics

Acrobat PDF

Word DOC

Word (.DOC) From Energy-Save Mode
Acrobat (.PDF)Black Text/Graphics
Photoshop (.TIF) Color Graphics

Black Text

Photoshop (.JPEG) Color Graphics
Scanning Speeds Faster scanning and smaller file sizes keep workflow moving.
Scan speed HP LaserJet M4345xs Lexmark X656de Single-Sided Originals (Monochrome) Single-Sided Originals (Color)
37.4 originals per minute 32.5 originals per minute
25.5 originals per minute 18.7 originals per minute

Scan File Size

Single page, (300 dpi, PDF) HP LaserJet M4345xs Lexmark X656de

Black (Default Mode)

Color (Default Mode)

Black (High Compression)

Color (High Compression)

465 KB 451 KB

1,075.2 KB 1,085.4 KB
311 KB Compression not available for PDF
630 KB Compression not available for PDF
More efficient printing in every test conducted by BLI (PCL 6 print driver):
The LaserJet M4345x MFP was much more efficient at processing a stream of print jobs sent at once. BLIs job stream test is critical because it simulates how a printer handles the demands of a typical busy workplace:

Job Stream (PCL 6)

Time To Completion (Seconds) Hewlett-Packard LaserJet M4345x MFP Lexmark X656 32.75 30.2 PPM 34.81 37.75 Percentage of rated engine speed 77.35% 68.63%
BLIs job stream includes Word documents, Outlook e-mail messages, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint, HTML and Acrobat PDF files, totaling 19 pages. This test simulates the type of traffic a typical device might experience in a real-world, multi-user environment. All of the files are sent to the printer as a group, at which time the stopwatch begins; timing ends when the last page of the last file exits the device. Job stream efficiency is determined by the percentage of the rated speed at which the unit operates when producing real-world jobs. The closer the rate is to 100%, or if it exceeds 100%, the more efficient the unit.

Does the Lexmark X656 offer?
The HP LaserJet M4345 MFP Series was designed to handle the needs of even the most demanding business environments.
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet M4345x MFP Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lexmark X656de No No No No No No No No No
A multi-bin mailbox option? A stapler/stacker option? Ability to handle paper weights as heavy as 53-lb. bond/200 gsm? Ability for users to draw from up to three paper sources per print job? Optional scan to Internet fax capability? Easy fleet integration via a universal print driver? Higher tested print efficiency? Higher tested copy efficiency? Faster tested scanning?
Simple integration, for one MFP or a whole fleet.
HP offers the Universal Print Driver, which lets users find and print to HP printers and MFPs no matter what model they are. This means you only need one print driver, so administrators dont have to keep track of numerous drivers for different machines. Theres nothing like it for the Lexmark X656 Series.
Radically simplify MFP (and printer) management with HP Web Jetadmin.
HP Web Jetadmin outperforms Lexmark MarkVision Professional in several key areas that radically simplify MFP (and printer) management.
Does the Lexmark X656 Generate reports? Include built-in report templates? Offer a simple to use drag-and-drop interface? Discover locally connected printers connected to networked PCs? Manage locally connected printers connected to networked PCs? Support network scanners? Support network projectors? Allow access restriction to color copying, scanning and digital sending?
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet M4345x MFP Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lexmark X656de No No No No No No No No
* as tested by Buyers Laboratory, Inc., the imaging industrys leading supplier of competitive information.
To learn more, visit www.hp.com