Xerox VersaLink C600DN

The Xerox VersaLink C600DN is perfect for a print-hungry workforce. It claims fast 53ppm print speeds for colour and mono, and boasts a heavy-duty 15,000 page recommended monthly duty cycle. Max out the paper trays and you can also benefit from a huge total capacity of 3,250 sheets.

Inside, it employs Xerox's Hi-Q LED print engine and comes with USB 3 and Gigabit Ethernet ports as standard. Simultaneous 802.11n wireless services can be added via a 46 module that snaps in at the back.

What really sets the VersaLink range apart is Xerox's ConnectKey technology effectively an app store for your printer. On first contact, the C600DN gets you started with four preinstalled apps, providing quick access to printer settings, job status and USB device printing.

Want more? Simply create a cloud account and you can start browsing the App Gallery directly from the large 5in colour touchscreen. There's a great selection to choose from: cloud printing apps for Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Box are all free, as is the @PrintByXerox app, which creates a password-protected account on the printer that you can use to view and release documents. If the touchscreen feels a little cramped, you can also access the App Gallery via a web browser: after we'd configured the printer's IP address, we had no problem installing apps remotely, seeing them pop up on the touchscreen in seconds.

Access controls are another strength of the VersaLink C600DN, allowing you to decide exactly which apps each user is allowed to use. Local and LDAP user authentication is supported, and the printer driver also exposes security features such as print and hold and PIN-secured prints.

While many apps are free, one thing you do have to pay for is the Xerox Print Management and Mobile Service (XPMMS). You can license this either by device or by job credit, with a 3,600-job credit costing 245. After we'd loaded its agent service on one PC on the LAN, we were able to provision remote printing for desktops and mobiles and enforce strict access controls.

From the user's perspective, remote printing is as close to transparent as you could ask for: we simply used the iOS PrintPortal app on our iPad to log into our XPMMS portal account, then added the C600DN as a favourite printer. With this done, we could print files and photos remotely, and send files to it directly from our iCloud Drive account.

Xerox's print-speed claims may seem quite ambitious, but the C600DN made good on them: our 53-page Word document printed in 60 seconds at both standard 600dpi and enhanced 1,200 x 2,400dpi resolutions. Large colour prints slowed it down a little, though: our 24-page DTP document printed at 53ppm at 600dpi, but only 44ppm in enhanced mode. Duplexing, on the other hand, was surprisingly fast: our 53-page Word document came out double-sided at an impressive 50ppm.

It's a winner when it comes to output quality too. The C600DN produced pin-sharp text and detailed mono photos, even on cheap 75gsm paper. Colour photos and graphics are very pleasing to the eye, with the driver's "Vivid RGB" setting adding extra pizazz to our reports and marketing material. And while the purchase price may be high, use the extra-high-yield cartridges and you'll be paying a mere 1.1p per mono page, and 6.4p for colour.

Busy SMBs that want a fast A4 colour printer with all the trimmings will find the VersaLink C600DN the perfect choice. It's fast, feature-packed and terrifically versatile, thanks to the ConnectKey app store. Factor in Xerox's lifetime warranty with an annual toner purchase and it's an almost irresistible deal.

Verdict

Busy SMBs that want a fast A4 colour printer with all the trimmings will find the VersaLink C600DN the perfect choice. It's fast, feature-packed and terrifically versatile, thanks to the ConnectKey app store. Factor in Xerox's lifetime warranty with an annual toner purchase and it's an almost irresistible deal.

600dpi A4 colour LED

53ppm A4 mono/colour

1.05GHz dual-core CPU

2GB RAM 5in colour touchscreen

Gigabit Ethernet NFC (Android only)

USB 3

Duplex

550-sheet paper tray

150-sheet bypass tray

Rec. monthly duty cycle, 15,000 pages

427 x 466 x 443mm (WDH)

29.4kg

Lifetime on-site warranty (with yearly toner purchase).

Options: 802.11n wireless, £47 productivity kit, £181 (all exc VAT)

Running costs

Extra-high toner: K (16.9K), £145

C, Y, M (16.8K), £270 each

K, C, Y, M drum units, (40K), £62 each.

Overall cost per A4 page: mono, 1.1p; colour, 6.4p