Gadgets & Tech

Lexmark Interact S605 Printer, Scanner and Copier – Wireless 3in1 for Home Offices

Having already taken a look at the feature packed Lexmark Pro905, I was very excited at the prospect of testing a 3in1 unit a little further down the pricing scale. You may consider this thinking a little confusing, why on earth would I want to experiment with a device that has less features? The answer is simple, even at the lower price point – the Lexmark Interact S605 printer, scanner and copier enjoys a selection of benefits that would have been impossible for a so called ‘budget’ unit not so long ago – so seeing how it performs in comparison sparks my interest.

Not everyone wants an all singing all dancing printer when they are looking to save on the pennies yet you needn’t spend a fortune to reap the rewards the Lexmark Interact S605 supplies.

4.3″ LCD Touch Screen – Ease of Use

In the not so distant past, the only way to add a ‘user-friendly’ experience for any peripheral was for the manufacturer to offer a selection of software applications and guides that would install on a computer. Of course the Lexmark Interact S605 features the same easy to use software you would expect, however the addition of a 4.3″ LCD screen goes a long way in freeing you away totally from the computer monitor.

If you wish to make a copy of a letter that arrived that same morning, your first instinct would probably be to boot up your computer so you could access the many features this product provides, however this actually isn’t the case. The in-built LCD colour display allows the user to select by the touch of a finger the exact function they require. The touch screen makes this oh so simple and the menus further simplify the process.

For copying a letter, I insert it by lifting the scanner lid on the top of the Lexmark Interact S605 and then select ‘Copy’ on the LCD screen. It will then ask how many copies I need and whether I wish it to be replicated in colour or black and white. Finally pressing the glowing green button to the right of the LCD display begins the process and within moments you have a very convincing copy of the original letter.

The next process you can select is the option to ‘Scan’. Pressing this function allows you to scan the inserted document and save it directly to any connected computer, save the image to an inserted USB memory stick or even attached to an email. Once you have chosen your destination, additional options appear to customise the quality of the scanned document.

On the front of the unit is a USB port and multi-card reader. Here you can insert storage media with any of your photos on and print directly – again without the need of a computer as part of the process.

Smart Solutions – Customised Menu

The final option on the LCD display is Smart Solutions. Here by creating a free account on the Lexmark website, you can adjust and add templates and functions that may prove useful to your everyday needs. If you are a music composer, a set of templates are available that prints suitable musical score sheets for the later addition of notation. Other options allow you to print a wall calendar and far more besides adding as much or as little as you require from the immense selection offered online. You can even check your Twitter account and view any RSS feeds if you are really into your online news and social networking.

Economy

For years the one thing that has frustrated me about printers is the inability to print on both sides of a page. The only way around this was to manually feed the paper back into the printer and pray that you did this correctly for every single sheet. This is far from helpful, however the Lexmark S605 features double sided printing. It is quite magical to watch as the sheet after printing on one side disappears again back into the machine and back out again the right way around to print on the remaining side. This is not only good for saving your precious time but of course the paper required also. You are effectively halving the amount of paper you need, especially when you need to print numerous pages.

The Lexmark features four colours, which include cyan, magenta, yellow and of course black. How many of us have found ourselves running out of one of the single colours and have had to purchase an entirely new replacement, which unfortunately houses all the colours in one single cartridge even though you may have a fair amount of blue and red left. Not exactly economical! This has thankfully been alleviated though, as you can buy each colour in its own individual cartridge.

You can also reduce power consumption by informing the software to power down after 10 minutes automatically when it detects it is no longer needed.

Wifi – Multiple Computer Connections

Although the chances are that your computer will be close by to the Lexmark, if you have additional computers or indeed laptops – connecting them all to a single device can be tricky unless you make use of the Wi-Fi option.

Wi-Fi allows you to link the Lexmark to your wireless network (router) supporting right up to the ‘n’ standard and the older variants ‘b’ and ‘g’. Installing the provided software on other computers and laptops and informing the installation that you wish to connect by wireless solves a bunch of potential headaches. For one thing you won’t need a trail of wires and there is no need to switch the USB connection from one computer to another.

Specification Highlights

  • Print Technology: Thermal Inkjet
  • Colour Technology: 4 Colour Inkjet – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
  • Print Resolution, Black: Up to 2400 x 1200 dpi
  • Print Resolution, Colour: Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi
  • Scan Technology: CIS with 48 bit depth
  • Media Type: Transparencies, envelopes, plain paper, cards, iron-on transfers, photo paper, banner
  • Function: Colour Copying, Colour Printing, Colour Scanning
  • Maximum Print Speed (Draft mono): Up to 33 ppm
  • Maximum Print Speed (Draft colour): Up to 30 ppm
  • Maximum Print Speed (Normal, Black): Up to 18 ppm
  • Maximum Print Speed (Normal, Colour): Up to 11 ppm
  • Maximum Copy Speed (Draft mono): Up to 25 cpm
  • Maximum Copy Speed (Draft colour): Up to 21 cpm
  • Maximum Copy Speed (Normal mono): Up to 16 cpm
  • Maximum Copy Speed (Normal colour): Up to 8 cpm

Conclusion

With both decent document and photo printing, scanner and Wi-Fi the Lexmark Interact S605 features a vast array of options that is sure to please the consumer. The home office really isn’t complete without a device such as this and the Lexmark S605 with the addition of an LCD touch screen makes life so much simpler for those who typically dread any technology interaction. You can also feel greater comfort with the 3 year guarantee included.

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James Woodcock

James is a Freelance Journalist, Copywriter, Author, Blogger & Podcaster specialising in gaming, gadgets and technology, both retro and modern. Ever since he experienced the first controllable pixel movement on the television screen, he has been entranced by the possibilities and rewarding entertainment value generated from these metal and plastic boxes of delight. Writing hundreds of articles, including commentary and reviews on various gaming platforms, whilst also interviewing well-known industry figures for popular online publications. Creator of the ScummVM Music Enhancement Project and host of the Game & Gadget Podcast. View his portfolio for more information.

James Woodcock has 1087 posts and counting. See all posts by James Woodcock

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