Sharp Al-1655Cs Laser Copier/scanner/printer

OVERVIEW: The Sharp AL-1655CS all-in-one offersx 14” can be placed singly on the scanning platform,
the copying, scanning, and printing features of earlieror up to 50 sheets placed on the multi-purpose flip-tray
models, plus Ethernet network connectivity and 2-sidedon the side of the copier.
printing of 2-sided originals.CONS:
PROS:During its prime, a 16 ppm copy speed was impressive
At 51 pounds, the all-in-one copier has a footprintfor a small copier. In truth, the touted 16 ppm speed
20.4” x 19.8”. The copier is a little large to put oncan only be achieved at lowest resolution, but
a desk but will feel right at home on any credenza, andthat’s the caveat for any printer specs. Don’t
the second paper tray brings it at a height comfortableexpect the faster print speeds of 20 ppm or more
for someone standing next to it to manually makethat’s typical of current monochrome laser printers.
copies or scans.As this was one of Sharp’s first attempts at
Having built-in Ethernet network support and a hi-speednetwork copiers, it runs on the slower 10BaseT and
USB, the AL-1655CS is right at home either in thecannot be connected to a hub or switch that cannot
middle of an office floor or connected to aauto-switch between the two speeds.
secretary’s computer. It gives an office withWith all the improvements made with the AL-1655CS,
multiple computers to be able to utilize one machine forit’s strange that Sharp reduced the resolution for
printing instead of having to buy a printer for everythe scanning down to 600 x 600 dpi. Older CS models,
workstation.while having the usual 600 x 600 for printing and
Sharp has made some major improvements on thecopying, could at least color scan images up to 600 x
AL-1655’s control panel, making it even more useful1,200 dpi.
than before. Now users have more programmingSharp’s does not offer PCL or PostScript print
preset control at the panel, plus the alpha-numericemulation. Instead, Sharp provides their own SPLC print
display makes troubleshooting easier than with earlieremulator. For most printing users won’t notice any
models.difference in performance, and considering the low
The AL-1655CS uses a stationary 8½” x 14”resolutions of this all-in-one, it’s unlikely any high-end
platen for scanning instead of a sliding platform toAdobe graphics will be going to this unit anyway.
keep its footprint no bigger than its physical size.  TheINK / TONER NEEDS:
automatic document feeder allows for 30 double-sidedStarter toner cartridge that comes with the
copies to be made up to legal-size: more originals canAL-1655CS will last for only 2,000 sheets, so it’s a
be fed in as the level lowers. By scanning the originalgood idea to place an order for more toner when you
once and storing the image into its 10MB memoryget the all-in-one.
allows the AL-1655CS to produce copies at the rateThe AL-1655CS has separate toner and drum to help
of 16 pages per minute, up to 99 copies.reduce overall consumables costs. Sharp offers a
Unlike earlier models, the auto-doc feeder of thechoice for toner: the standard-size toner (4,000 pages
AL-1655CS can automatically scan 2-sided originalsat 5%), or the High-yield (6,000 pages) unit. The drum
and create 2-sided copies. When you think of all theunit will need to be replaced ever 18, 000 pages or
times you had 20 pages of 2-sided originals and theevery 3rd toner replacement.
hoops you had to jump when a copier could only readDuring the course of changing toner, people often
one side, this feature alone makes this worth buying.forget to keep track when it’s time to change the
Another nice feature the AL-1655CS has (if you usedrum.  Combo-packages are available that offer the
the automatic document feeder) is the ability todrum with several toners. By the time the toners are
physically shift the position of each set of copies in theconsumed, the remaining drum is replaced. These
output tray for easy collating and stapling. This iscombo-packages make maintenance easy and
achieved by pressing the Electronic Sort (or E-Sort)increases overall longevity and print quality.
button on the control panel. The multi-page original isSOFTWARE:
scanned first into the 10MB memory, then copied inIncluded is Sharp’s desktop document
order. This offset sorting feature is rarely found onmanagement software. The software does a decent
other desktop copiers or all-in-ones.job in giving you control of the unit’s various printing
The AL-1655CS has three different exposure modesand scanning functions.
& resolutions (auto, manual, photo). Automatic (orUnfortunately, the software is only for Wintel machines.
default) resolution is 600 x 300 dpi. “PhotoSharp does state in its manual that the AL-1655CS
quality” is 600 x 600 dpi at 256 grayscale levels.can be used by Apple machines via the USB 2.0 port.
The magnification can be changed from 25% to 400%But in reality, you need to be running Mac OS 10.3 and
in 1% increments or in 8 jumps.above to use the printing, network, and scanning
This Sharp has two sliding paper trays, each holding upapplications native to OS X or through 3rd party
to 250 sheets of either letter (8½” x 11”) orapplications, like Photoshop.
legal (8½” x 14”) size paper. The two-trayDuplex printing of 2-sided originals, greater paper
feature is especially nice in an realty or legal officecapacity, and network connectivity makes the AL-1655
where legal and standard size papers are often used.a great selection for a desktop all-in-one copier.
Non-standard sizes from 3” x 5” up to 8½”