OKI C3600n – A Simple Impressive Laser Color Printer

Pros

OKI C3600n offers satisfactory quality for output prints and performs admirably fast while printing.

Cons

OKI C3600n doesn’t possess a USB port for any sort of direct printing, lacks wireless connectivity option and at the same time doesn’t have an auto-duplexing.

Introduction

Oki’s C3600n color printer is a desk-friendly, extremely compact printer for modern users. Being technically precise, the OKI C3600n actually is an LED printer, which is a slight variant on the laser-based printing engine, and is being shipped as a quick printer intended for small offices and solo users.

Most of the small offices and homes these days are looking for a color laser printer that can print large number of documents by maintaining good quality and print speeds, and this is what the OKI C3600n gives to them. Priced at $399 the OKI C3600n prints at significant speed and network ready, but at the same time it’s bigger than some of its very own competitions and lacks a lot of modern features like the wireless printer server and full-color LCD. If you compare output quality and benchmark scores above features, cost and size, then the OKI C3600n is sufficient for most of the small workgroups and homes.

Design

We aren’t overwhelmed by the shape and design of OKI C3600n, but we actually never have been with any of the laser printers. The general boxy shaped for the laser printers including the OKI C3600n could be due to two reasons. First of which according to us is that the laser printers are meant to find places in office and workplaces, so they should have a shape and design that can make them fit into minimum possible space. This is why they have boxy shape at first place. The second reason that we think is that, at such top level of business, the manufacturers concentrate primarily work efficiency of the device rather than its artistic innovation.

Measuring 11.4 by 14.7 by 18.8 inches ( H x W x D) and weighing around 46 pounds, the OKI C3600n comes with matte white finish and proves our aforementioned second believe. The size of the C3600n cant be said “colossal” but definitely is bigger than Samsung CLP-315W, which measures 9.6 by 15.3 by 12.3 inches (H x W x D). Even the OKI C3600n weighs 20 pounds more than Samsung.

All the ports that will be required to connect your printer to the computer like the Ethernet port for networking athwart multiple systems and a USB are located at the rear end of the printer (including the power plug). One vital feature that we found was missing from the computer includes a front-mount USB port that will allow connecting the printer with the PictBridge compatible cameras or for permitting direct printing from USB mass storage device. These ports were present in Brother HL-4040CN.

Now as the OKI C3600n is a single function printer, there actually isn’t much to talk about it and a lot of vital features are missing from the printer. But the inclusion of a hefty 128MB in-built memory and a 400MHz processor definitely deserves admiration from us. This inclusion makes the printer capable of handling heavy jobs than the competitions. The memory can even be expanded to maximum of 640MB.

System Configuration

Manufacturer: Oki Printing Solutions
Weight: 46.1 lbs
Dimensions (W x D x H): 14.6 x 18.8 x 11.4 in
Printer Type: Workgroup printer – LED – Color
OS Required: Linux,   UNIX,   Microsoft Windows Server 2003,   Apple MacOS X 10.2.8 or later,   Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP

Microsoft Certifications: Works with Windows Vista
Media Type: Labels,   Cards,   Envelopes,   Banners,   Plain paper,   Bond paper,   Heavy-weight paper
Memory Installed (Max): 128 MB / 640 MB (max)
Processor: PowerPC 400 MHz
Printer Features: Single Pass Color Digital technology, HD Color technology

Built-in Devices: Status LCD
Interface: Ethernet 10/100Base-TX and USB
Power Device: Power supply – Internal
Software Included: OKI PrintSuperVision, Driver, OkiLAN Embedded Web Server

Performance

The OKI C3600n performed well in our direct printing test against three other laser color printers. It came second best in most of our performance test, and similarly priced and single function Brother HL-4040CN was the one at number one spot. In fact the OKI C3600n delivered almost the same speed as of the Brother HL-4040CN in black printing text and printed 15.61 pages per minute in comparison to Brother’s 15.66. Though, the color printing wasn’t as fast as the black printing and the OKI C3600n failed to keep up with Samsung CLP-310W in our color printing test, but the good thing here is that you won’t have to wait too long for receiving your color presentation.  On a whole the in general print speed for the printer is satisfactory and it can easily fulfill all your essential needs.

Just as the print speed the print quality of OKI C3600n was also not exceptionally good but, but was satisfactory. The black text looked as good as you can get from a laser printer. The OKI C3600n also handled our graphics text commendably, showing first-class signs of color severance and sharp image difference. In general the print quality of the printer for simple text, graphics, and presentation, strengthened OKI C3600n’s overall impression in our mind.

Support

OKI C3600n is backed by a one-year fixed warranty from OKI, and is backed by company’s Overnight Exchange program which during the warranty period will provide a replacement fro your defective printer overnight. You also can bring your printer on any one of OKI’s service centre across the country. If you want an extended warranty, you can buy a 12 or 24 month warranty extension. There was no information available about the telephonic support, but the support centre does offers utilities, manuals, knowledge base and drivers which can be a great help for any sort of troubleshooting.

Word from the Experts

The OKI C3600n doesn’t have many fancy features and on top of it, this system neither is lightweight nor is small in size, but with its great print speed and satisfactory print quality this definitely is one of our favored color laser printers in the market and definitely will be yours as well.