The last printing device that we reviewed from this Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) was the OKI B512DN. Just shy of one year ago, we reviewed the OKI MC562DNW, which was a colour laser multifunction printer. The device we’re reviewing today is the OKI MB562DNW, which is a monochrome laser multifunction primer. The reason why their model names are so similar is that they use virtually the same printing engines. The surrounding elements are different in both models, though which means that the performance levels vary.
The OKI MB562DNW, in contrast to the colour version, is designed to be a printing solution for those medium to large workgroups that expect to see heavy duty printing on a monthly basis. In other words, most features of the OKI MB562DNW are designed to support and facilitate high volume printing. While the device is classed under the laser printer category, it essentially uses the Digital LED Electrophotographic Printing Technology. This offers numerous benefits such as better energy efficiency and durability.
In fact, as an overview, we can say that the OKI MB562DNW is a good device if high volume printing is going to be a hallmark of your office. Here is our review of this device designed to give you as much information as possible so as to make your purchase decision easier.
Strengths of OKI MB562DNW
The OKI MB562DNW is built for volume. It’s got every quality that a high volume printing machine needs to have in its repertoire. The first feature that every high volume printer needs to have is a good speed of printing. The OKI MB562DNW is formally rated to print at a speed of 45 pages per minute (ppm) which is higher than most of its competing products. Speed, however, isn’t enough by itself especially if you have to open the paper tray too frequently.
That isn’t a problem with the OKI MB562DNW because its standard variant comes with a paper handling capacity of 630 sheets. This total can be divided between a 100-sheet multipurpose tray and a 530-sheet main paper tray. If you find even 630 sheets to be insufficient for your office, you can increase it by opting for the add-on of another 530-sheet paper tray. This means that your printer can have a maximum paper handling capacity of 1160 sheets. The paper handling of this device is also complimented by an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) capable of taking-on 50 sheets in a single task.
High printing speed and high paper handling capacity add up to a good mix but they won’t be sufficient if the printing engine can’t handle so much load. Again, that isn’t a problem with the OKI MB562DNW because its rated duty cycle is to the tune of 100,000 sheets per month.
Finally, the real cherry on top with the OKI MB562DNW is its running costs. Volume printing can quickly turn into a drain on your business if you’re not careful about the running costs of your printer. The OKI MB562DNW, like all good laser printers, has a very low running cost. You can print a single page on this device for only 1.97 cents if you use genuine cartridges from the manufacturer directly. That is in the lower ranges in any case but you can bring it down even further by using generic cartridges. Using generic cartridges will allow you to get every page for only 1.87 cents. You can boost your savings another way too i.e. by using the inbuilt automatic duplexing feature of this device. This feature will allow you to print on both sides of the paper at the same time which will, in turn, halve your paper related costs.
Functionality is also something that OKI has focused on with this device. The OKI MB562DNW will offer you three different connectivity options. The usual USB 2.0 and Ethernet are obviously provided, but what will make this device attractive is the wireless connectivity option. This is beneficial because not relying on wires will increase the options available to you with respect to where you can place this printer in your office. It is also worth adding that the OKI MB562DNW support mobile printing through the OKI Mobile Print app, Apple’s Air Print, and Google Cloud Print.
Weaknesses of OKI MB562DNW
There are two major issues and one minor issue that you’ll have to contend with if you buy the OKI MB562DNW. The first is the high initial cost. This device can seem quite expensive for first-time buyers but seasoned users will tell you that if the initial price of a device is high, it’ll probably save you money in the long run. With surprisingly low running costs, the OKI MB562DNW will do just that. In fact, it will not only help you recoup the high initial cost but will probably end up saving you tonnes too.
The other big problem with the OKI MB562DNW is its output quality. The overall output quality of this device is slightly below the average in the segment it is placed in. Generally speaking, people expect less clarity and sharpness from laser printers anyway. The MB562DNW falls slightly short of those expectations also. While the quality of images printed by this device is similar to the average in the market segment, it is in text and graphics quality that this device falls short on. This brings the overall output quality down. Incidentally, the maximum resolution that this device is capable of is 1200 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi).
The aforementioned minor issue with the OKI MB562DNW is the absence of the Wi-Fi Direct feature. Wi-Fi Direct can be seen as an advanced form of wireless connectivity where one device connects to another device directly and without the help of the wireless network. Effectively, Wi-Fi Direct allows mobile devices to be connected directly to the printer, something that isn’t possible with this machine. Still, these types of features are more like luxuries than necessities in most offices.
Key Features of OKI MB562DNW
The OKI MB562DNW is a large device but it needs to be to provide the kind of volume options that it does. The MB562DNW measures about 493mm in height, 425mm in depth and 427mm in width. This means that the device has an acceptable footprint because it is taller than it is wide. It weighs a good deal too at 20 Kg. You better have people ready to move this thing around when it arrives at your doorstep.
Response times of the OKI MB562DNW are quite decent. It takes about 4.5 seconds to deliver the first page and about five seconds to warm up from the deep sleep mode. The inbuilt memory in the MB562DNW is to the tune of 512MB and surprisingly there isn’t any expansion option here.
In the majority of cases, you’ll use this device through your mobile device, desktop, or laptop but the option to use it directly also exists. The device boasts of a 177.8mm LCD touch screen wherein the items and icons can be customised as per need. This touch screen is accompanied by a QWERTY keyboard and other control buttons for greater control. Even the “Help” function in the software is extra helpful.
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