Geesh, where do I start? One MFP with 5 different flavors of speed. Keeping with tradition of most copier manufacturers the speed of the system is somewhere in the model number. Take the first two digits of the model number and you have the copy/print speed of the system, the 03 represent the 3rd generation of the product. All systems will print at 1200x1200 dpi, standard 250GB Hard Drive, 1,200 sheet paper supply, Full Color TWAIN & Scan2email, Scan2folder, Scan2FTP, up to 12x18 media, embedded USB & SD card slots for print from and scan to.
Ricoh will call them workflow enhancements however since I'm an old timer in the business I'll refer to them as new features.
- Improved Home Screen with Document Server operability: The tilting home screen now measures from diagonal corner to corner at nine inches. Also with customizable color touch screen LCD. Doc Server will now allow for up to 200 folders with the ability to designate personal or shared along with user name and password protection. In the field I always talk about the FAB (Feature Advantage and Benefit of the Document Server), this is an awesome workflow solution and can win you many deals. There's more about this on the forums.
- Embedded Smart Card Reader (Option): At first I wasn't sure what this was, it's and embedded card reader, for example you can use it for authentication to the system or even use it for secure printing applications (Print Audit Secure is a really nice one).
- New Smart Operation Panel Option: Why oh why is this an option? Sell the sizzle right? The smart operation panel replaces the 9 inch color display with a 10.1 full color touch screen with "pinch, flick, tap and zoom". We'll also be able to program some colorful "quick screens" that will promote additional ease of use. One P4P Hotel member put it like this, Ricoh touts that they are a ECO friendly manufacturer, then why would they make us throw away a perfectly good color LCD displays in order to install the New Smart Operation Panel? Couldn't they at least give us a credit for the non used ones and they can re-use them on additional systems?
- High Capacity Standard Document Feeders with faster scanning speeds: The MPC3003 & 3503 comes standard with a 100 page document feeder and the MPC4503,550, 6503 comes standard with a single pass document feeder of 220 pages!! Yikes, since it's a single pass scanner and you're working two sided originals you'll be able to scan or copy 440 pages at once! Love it.
- Standard Gigabit Ethernet Card: With previous systems the Gigabit Ethernet Card was an option that retailed for $599. It is now a standard feature.
- Scan to Searchable PDF (option): Take those paper based documents and turn them into searchable .pdf's is an awesome feature for people that need to review or find content when a paper based document is scanned. This feature only can save hours of time. I'm not a big "option" fan, Ricoh should have included this as a standard feature and compensated with a higher MSRP.
- ID Card Copy: Place the ID card on the platen glass copy the first side, flip the card and both images come out side by side on one sheet of paper! It's about time, right?
- Auto Paper Draw Closing: Watch out for your tie, as I understand it, you give the paper draw a small nudge and the draw will then close on its own. (Something else that can break right)
- Poster Printing: Years ago you needed to buy software that would allow you to print multiple pages to create a poster from your document, now you can do this right from the printer driver.
- Folding without Stapling: Just think for years we've had to jury rig the sensor in the stapler to make this happen for accounts. Nice feature just a TAD too late, however it will be a great selling point.
- Standard Envelope Feeding from Paper Tray #2: With the option Paper Feed Unit, you'll also be able to feed envelopes from trays 3 & 4 also.
- 500 Sheet Internal Finisher: Available as an option on the 3003.3503,4503 and the 5503. In the past a finisher on these models would have required and additional foot print to the base unit. The internal finisher would now rest in the paper exit area for one nice neat cubed package.
- Flat Booklet Production with SR 3170 Finisher: Seen it, love it, more professional and takes up less space when you need to pack booklets in a box.
- Distributed Scan Management: Something new.... allows administrators to set up customized scanning workflows that match document submission preferences of the recipient.
- Improved MFP Browser: I'm loving this because I can finally start selling the heck out of UDOCX with their scan2cloud solution for MS365.
So, there's a lot of sizzle in the new color systems, and for an industry that has lacked creativity with MFPs in recent years it's good to see that some manufacturers are finally starting to get it. A few items I'd like to see in the future is a standardized OS (operating system) for all MFP's. In the future, I'd like to be able to plug in my smart phone or tablet to the system and be able to print, scan and fax to or from my applications.
Next week (if I have the time), we'll go over the specs of the new systems.
-=Good Selling=-
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