Review: Lexmark X5270

Software

The other software that comes with the printer does its best to make sure you're comfortable with the printing/scanning process. A small window pops up when you're printing that offers a page count as it prints, and the status of your ink. A friendly male voice alerts you as to when printing starts and finishes.

When you copy or scan, the software includes the Lexmark 5200 Series All-In-One Center, which offers a number of useful and easy-to-operate features. For instance, it allows you to send the scanned image to a variety of applications (including Lexmark's included Photo Editor, which is a reasonable but not extensive image photo editing application). If you decide to convert an image to text, ABBYY Fine Reader 5.0 Sprint Plus OCR application does a fine job.

In fact, the All-In-One Center is one of the best user interfaces I've seen for a consumer printer. Its functions are laid out in a clear, easy-to-understand fashion that should be comprehensible for the most computer-phobic user. It not only offers a variety of scan and copy options, but offers immediate access to images already stored on your hard drive and invites you to perform a variety of tasks, including editing, sharing, and faxing.

Lexmark's faxing software is also quite good. The application found my system's modem without any problem, and picked up all my address lists from Outlook. That being said, anyone with serious faxing needs should probably find an all-in-one with a separate fax function, rather than one that depends on the computer's.

Conclusion

The Lexmark X5270 is a nicely styled and nicely operating all-in-one system that offers a number of good all-around features for a very reasonable price

Facts

Price: $129.99
Max. Print Speed: 22ppm (black), 15ppm (color)
Resolution: 2400 x 1200 dpi (black), 4800 x 1200 dpi (color)
Max. Input: 100 sheets
Max. Paper Size: 8.5 x 11 inches
Port: USB 2.0
OS: Windows 98 and later, Mac OS X
Dimensions: 6.3 x 17.4 x 12.6 inches
Weight: 10.04 lbs.