LEXMARK OPTRA S1255 TONER CARTRIDGE

Lexmark Optra S 1255 Review

Overview:

One glance at the Lexmark Optura S 1255 is enough to tell you how old this device is, and as a borderline ancient laser printer, its specifications are way behind those one would expect to see in a more recent piece of hardware. The unit’s stripped down style and low performance level makes it a dinosaur that is just about ready to retire.

Pros:

While the Lexmark Optura S 1255 may be old, high resolution never ages and this printer is quite impressive when it comes to true print quality. The device is capable of producing up to 1200 x 1200 dots per inch, which is a lot more resolution than you might find in many personal laser printers today that max out at only 1200 x 600 or 600 x 600 dots per inch. When dealing with 1200 dpi, text will have a noticeable degree of polish not seen in lower end devices.

It should be noted that the operating volume of the Lexmark Optura S 1255 is actually quite low. This is mostly due to the fact that the device is an incredibly slow printer but none the less, its 46 dBA printing volume is a pleasant bonus to some otherwise somewhat disappointing hardware.

The device can hold a total of 350 sheets of input and is compatible with a small variety of special media types that include envelopes and transparencies. Also, when printing to special media, the unit’s straight through paper path is certain to come in handy as using it will reduce the amount of permanent bending that happens to input material.

The unit’s installed RAM is quite pitiful, as it totals only 4 MBs, but a 72 pin SIMM slot allows users to boost the unit’s RAM to ta total of no more than 68 MBs. 72 pin SIMM slots have mostly given way to the more popular 100 pin DIMM slots, which means that random access memory expansion should actually be quite cheap to achieve.

Cons:

The unit’s print speed of only 12 pages per minute is a pretty far cry from what would be considered acceptable these days, regardless of if you’re dealing with inkjet or laser technology. Considering that real world print speeds will be even slower than advertised ones (about 10 pages per minute in a real world test), the Lexmark Optura S 1255 should not be given a second glance if your workload requires optimal performance levels.

On top of a slow overall speed, the Lexmark Optura S 1255’s age also means that the unit is clunky. Units that are two and three times as fast are now also much smaller and lighter, not to mention affordable. With a ridiculous weight of 41 pounds, this printer is much, much heavier than a personal laser printer you might find on shelves today. Its dimensions of 13.2 x 15.9 x 19.5 inches (H x W x D) are much larger than you would see on any printer of this caliber that is being manufactured today.