INK & TONER
Ricoh Aficio MP161 Review
 
Editor's Review
Ricoh Aficio MP161 by Geoff Coldiron 08/24/2010 OVERVIEW: The Ricoh Aficio MP161 is a compact all-in-one monochrome laser printer, copier, color scanner and fax machine combination that is contained within a core build that has a small dimensional footprint. This machine is designed to contain multiple features that will replace small and medium business needs without taking up a lot of space. Decent print speed and durability are also standards that this machine is designed to meet while requiring minimal investment and consumable costs.
Editor's Pros & Cons
PROS: The Ricoh Aficio MP161 can achieve print and copy speeds of up to 16 pages per minute for simplex (single-side printing) and 9 pages per minute for duplex (double-side printing). A console engine configuration and a flatbed scanning element with a CCD array image sensor combine to provide reliability and quality in document reproduction and distribution. 16 MB of system memory comes standard, and can be upgraded to a maximum of 384 MB, enabling copying and printing of some of the more complex, graphic-intensive documents. A 50 sheet automatic reverse document feeder is also included in the base model, which can automatically handle duplex printing without the need to manually reload pages. Copy resolution is 600 x 600 dots per inch with 256 levels of grayscale shading, with automatic exposure adjustment capabilities that make switching between text and graphic document production convenient and fast. Warm up times are incredibly fast, at less than 10 seconds, allowing office personnel to quickly begin any print job, whether it be one or more pages. Full recovery time, from auto-off, is also approximately 10 seconds. First copy speed is rated at 7.5 seconds or less, depending on how long it has been since initial warm ups. This model, along with the small dimensional footprint, weighs only 60 pounds, making integration into any environment easy, requiring a smaller space than other models in its class. Standard paper capacity is 350 sheets, balanced between a 250 sheet paper tray and a 100 sheet multi-bypass tray. An optional 500 sheet tray can be purchased to add to the 250 sheet tray, yielding a total paper input capacity of 850 sheets. A flatbed scanner with embedded scanning to email capabilities operates at a speed of 22 images per minute for scanning in black and white and 9 images per minute for scanning in full color. Scanning resolution is at 600 dots per inch maximum with 256 levels of grayscale. A scan area of 8.5 x 14 in. and a variety of scan modes and interfaces make document digitization easy with minimal effort. Standard file formats for scanned images are JPEG, TIFF and PDF for single pages and TIFF and PDF for multiple pages. Duplex scanning and the automatic reverse document feeder combine to automate scanning both sides of pages, whether they are part of single page or multiple page documents. There are two standard connection interfaces, USB 2.0 and fast Ethernet, allowing integration into a wide variety of network configurations, as well as PC and laptop setups. Optional interfaces include parallel for direct connections, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy connections to portable devices such as laptops and Personal Digital Assistants. A built-in fax machine with a 33.6 Kbps modem and transmission speeds at 2 seconds per page with JBIG compression is combined with ID code programming and dual access to provide speed, security and efficient use of resources. CONS: Print speeds for this model are slower than average for medium to small volume production units, sacrificing speed for a longer duty cycle and increased mechanism life. 256 levels of gradation are often not enough to produce quality black and white photo prints, often yielding results that are grainy and pixelated. Total paper input capacity, whether it be with standard or upgrade options, is rather small and is not suitable for high-volume, big office demands.
INK/TONER NEEDS:
The Ricoh Aficio MP161 has only one toner replacement option, a black cartridge that can be purchased with a maximum yield capacity of 7,000 pages, which is on the low end for comparable models, yet provides very inexpensive toner costs per printed page. 
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