As an investor in both real estate and the stock market, office machines are part of my life. I regularly need to FAX documents to a bank or customer. I need to be able to receive a FAX. Being able to make copies without going through the computer can save a lot of time. And scanning documents to a hard drive file so that the paper original can be filed(hopefully permanently) saves a lot of desk and file clutter in the office.
This blog came to the attention of Walt & Co.(Epson marketing and promotions) last month and I was offered an Epson Workforce 635 for evaluation. I was clear with the contact person that I have used nothing but Hewlett Packard printers and all-in-ones for more than ten years. A week later the new Epson arrived at my door.
I was quite impressed by the easy set-up on a PC running Windows7. From opening the box to the first test print took less than 30 minutes with no glitches. I used a USB connection because there was already a cable in place. Other connection options for this printer are wired or wireless network.
The Workforce 635 has many features that save time and make business life easier. It will automatically copy and scan double-sided documents. Borderless printing is available. Text is very crisp and sharp and graphics/photos have accurate colors and fine detail without edge artifacts or banding in large, evenly colored areas. Text-only printing is very fast and graphics take only slightly longer.
This machine is obviously designed for heavy daily use. It is solid and very quiet when operating. The automatic document feeder will take up to 30 originals and the paper tray is designed for more than 200 sheets. It takes individual large-capacity ink cartridges for black, yellow, cyan and magenta that are very easy to change. The included software has a great driver interface for printing from a computer and the control panel on the printer makes access to any commands easy. Good optical recognition software is also included for converting scanned documents into editable text documents. Prints can be made directly from all common types of digital camera flash memory cards.
I have used the Workforce 635 for three weeks and am pleased with all aspects of its performance. It has produced high-quality bordered and borderless letter-sized photographs on both glossy and matte photo stock. Post-card sized mail pieces on plain 110# card stock were no problem. Tri-fold brochures on heavy presentation paper and many house flyers and documents on my standard 24#, 30%-recycled bright white paper were quickly printed. After nearly 350 total pages there has not been a single mis-feed or paper-jam and I am still on the first set of ink cartridges. That is pretty impressive performance for any printer. Scanning and Fax operation have also been flawless.
I would not hesitate to recommend the Epson Workforce 635 to anyone looking for an office machine capable of handling scanning, copying, FAX and printing on a daily basis. It has a smaller footprint than some competitors and produces less than average vibration/wobble during printing. Just as important in a busy office is the low noise level during all operations. Pricing should be approximately $250 and this machine should stand up to many years of heavy-duty use.
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