Xerox WorkCentre 5300 review
The WorkCentre 5300, the subject of this Xerox printer review, is an intended improvement to the previously popular 5225 and 5230 multi-function printers for small and medium businesses requiring tabloid sized production capability. Advances in the technology go well beyond the 5300’s updated printing capabilities of 35 pages per minute for black and white documents. This new multi-function printer from Xerox is a comparably affordable and exceptionally productive printing solution.
The increased productivity of the WorkCentre 5300 is first noticeable in the inclusion of a front side USB port. The advantages to the addition of this high speed access port is that the 5300 is now capable of transferring hard copy documents directly to digital storage via an exchange of information from the color LED scanner directly to any docked USB storage device. As part of the 5300′s additional improvements in the handling of digital documents, the WorkCentre is newly capable of receiving faxes and instantly routing them through network based email systems to the intended receiver. Scanned documents may also be forwarded to email or stored directly to the WorkCentre’s optional memory upgrade. This improves productivity speed while eliminating the need for hardcopies in many intra-office exchanges. Digital document handling also includes the ability to retain documents on the optionally integrated hard drive for office wide accessibility.
With the 5300′s new inclusion of improved digital document handling, Xerox has also bolstered security measures that may be enacted to preserve to constrained access for sensitive documents. Users can be asked to input a unique security code to allow access to documents stored within the 5300′s memory. This security measure may be applied to all or select digital files stored here. Also, integrated digital shredding is installed to provide a write-over option for documents that have been removed from the 5300′s hard drive memory.
The 5300 has a high capacity for multi-task operation, which allows the machine to offer its full range of functions while other print jobs are occurring. This WorkCentre’s multi-tasking abilities allow that the 5300 to copy, print, scan, fax and route files simultaneously to support the workflow of multiple users. In addition to its high level of productivity, the 5300 was redesigned by Xerox to be ecologically friendly. Despite its large size and simultaneous functionality, the 5300 is Energy Star certified. The relatively low power needs of the 5300 are reduced by the inclusion of Xerox’s EA toner and efficient LED scanner. The networking capabilities and standard duplex facility make the 5300 a significant improvement over its predecessors.
Xerox has designed the WorkCentre 5300 to provide extensive support to high volume small and medium sized businesses seeking a single machine printing solution that is both advanced in its digital document handling and extremely versatile to support multiple users simultaneously. Price comparison shows that the 5300 is comparable to similar offerings from competitors in this class of printing solution, but the advanced digital document handling options add greater value beyond this multi-function printer’s black and white production capabilities.