IT Pro Verdict
This well-made, robust multi-function is a flexible A3+ device for departmental or print-shop use, where larger print size and different media options are important. It’s reasonably cheap to run, gives good print quality and includes a hardware RIP to speed Postscript processing. It can also be tied into an archival system like SharePoint.
Large multifunction printers have several different uses. They're useful at the departmental level for all the print output from a busy office, they can help with archival of printed documentation and they can even be used for short-run commercial printing in print-shops. OKI's C9850 is a heavyweight standalone multi-function, but is also easily expandable into a number of more complex configurations.
The base machine is an A3 multifunction, with a duplex A3 scanner and print engine. The print engine uses OKI's high-resolution LED print technology, a much simpler option than laser, while still providing true 1,200dpi resolution.
There are three paper trays as standard, each of which can take paper from A6 up to A3+, so the machine can print full-bleed A3 pages. The machine comes as standard with four, 530-sheet paper trays, plus a 230-sheet, multi-purpose tray. This is a good combination for keeping a number of different paper types on line at once.
Each of the trays slides out from the front, with paper feeding sideways, in photocopier style, to a 500 sheet face down tray or a 200-sheet face up one. An optional finisher unit can be added at the side, offering bulk-stacking of up to 1,000 sheets and collation and stapling of booklets.
The A3 scanner has a scan-head either side of the paper, so completes a duplex scan in a single pass. It has an Auto Document Feeder, which can feed up to 50 pages and the whole of the scanner section, which is a substantial unit. This lifts up on a counter-balanced hoist at the back, to give easy access to print consumables, once the top cover of the printer section is lifted.
The system includes the Fiery 8e hardware Postscript RIP, a well-known processor for wider carriage printers. This speeds up the printing of Postscript documents, particularly those with high graphical content. It also includes Spot-On colour search, which helps match specific colours with those the machine produces.
Another interesting offering is a direct connection to Microsoft SharePoint, so you can use the scanner to archive print documents in electronic form. You'll need a SharePoint server and storage, separate from the C9850MFP, but each document scanned can be tagged and directed to the required repository, all from the OKI machine's 210mm colour touch-screen. We do wonder whether this won't mean the machine is hogged by whoever's working on the archive, but guess that's an office admin issue.
