Test Report Ir400

7/29/2019 Test Report Ir400

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The Canon imageRUNNER 400E, a very

versatile 40-ppm Segment 3 laser-based

multifunctional unit, with standard copy-

ing, printing, fax and PC fax send capa-bilities and optional PC scanning, per-

formed without a failure throughout its

450,000-impression BLI evaluation, the

highest number of impressions ever pro-

duced by BLI on a Segment 3 unit, al-

though seven preventive maintenance calls

were performed, resulting in an MIBS

(Mean Impressions Between Service) rate

of 64,285 impressions. Impressively, the

test unit misfed only five times, for an ex-cellent misfeed rate of one per 90,000 im-

pressions.

Many positive aspects of the Canon

Test Report

continued

MULTIFUNCTIONAL PRODUCTSCanon imageRUNNER 400E

(40 CPM / SEGMENT 3Copier/Printer/Fax/PC Fax/Scanner)

Manufacturer:

Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Lake Success, NY

Made in Japan

Suggested retail price: $18,060 for the base unit (in-cludes DADF-A1), super G3 fax board-F1 and net-

work multi-PDL printer boardH1; $25,463 as tested

with the saddle finisher-C2 ($3,938), cassette-feed-

ing unit-R1 ($2,100) and scanning interface board-

D1 ($1,365).

Type: Console, CCD digital scanner, dual laser beam

imaging, bond sheet paper, dry toner,

monocomponent developing system, heat and pres-

sure fusing multifunctional device with standard

copying, printing, fax and PC fax send capabilities

and optional PC scanning.

Manufacturers recommended monthly volume: Up

to 150,000 copies.

BLIs recommended monthly volume for optimum

performance: Up to 60,000 impressions.

Test period duration:450,000 impressions in three months

GENERAL APPRAISAL

Copyright 2000. WARNING: This material is copyrighted by Buyers Laboratory Inc. and is the sole property of Buyers Laboratory. Duplication of this proprietary

report or excerpts from this report, in any manner, whether printed or electronic (including, but not limited to, copying, faxing, scanning or use on a fax-back system),

is illegal and strictly forbidden without written permission from Buyers Laboratory. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To purchase reprints

to any BLI reports or articles, contact BLI at (201) 488-0404. Buyers Laboratory Inc., 20 Railroad Avenue, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

1791-TR


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BUYERS LABORATORY TEST REPORT Canon imageRUNNER 400E Multifunctional

1792-TR


report or excerpts from this report, in any manner, whether printed or electronic (including, but not limited to, copying, faxing, scanning or use on a fax-back

system), is illegal and strictly forbidden without written permission from Buyers Laboratory. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To

purchase reprints to any BLI reports or articles, contact BLI at (201) 488-0404. Buyers Laboratory Inc., 20 Railroad Avenue, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

General AppraisalcontinuedimageRUNNER 400E were established dur-

ing BLIs testing. For example, it offers an

easy-to-use combination touch-sensitive/

hard-key control panel design that incorpo-rates a help function and a check modes

(job review) key for easier programming of

complex copy jobs. Ease of use was also good

from the desktop using the printer drivers

supplied with the optional network multi-PDL

print controller (an EFI-developed device),

and the unit also offers easy procedures for

adding toner, clearing misfeeds and adding

paper. Moreover, versus previously tested

Segment 3 multifunctional models, our evalu-

ations showed that the imageRUNNER 400E

offers competitive copying and printing effi-

ciency rates. Also noteworthy is that there

is less than a 10 percent drop-off between

its BLI-tested copying and printing efficiency

(printer efficiency is almost always lower), a

very rare finding among multifunctionals in

any segment tested to date. However, it

should also be pointed out that this units 2:2

and 1:2 copying speeds in 10 different jobs

run by BLI technicians were all within onecopy per minute of the less expensive Canon

imageRUNNER 330E, which has a rated

speed of seven pages per minute slower than

that of the imageRUNNER 400E.

When copying, the test unit produced image

quality that earned BLIs highest quality rat-

ing for all types ofcopying jobs (the unit scans

originals and outputs both copies and prints

at 600 dpi resolution in 256 levels of gray);

however, forprinting jobs, the unit receivedBLIs highest quality rating for text and line

art originals, but halftones and solids were

rated as only fair.

continued

Connectivity/Multitasking

The test unit was connected to BLIs test net-

work via the standard embedded Canonmulti-PDL print board, which includes a

10BaseT/100BaseTX network interface.

(BLIs detailed analysis can be found under

Performance Of Printer Functions). All

of the features and funct ions of the

imageRUNNER 400E that would be expected

to be available for printing are accessible from

the users workstation. Network traffic is re-

duced since multiple print jobs can be spooled

to, RIPped and stored on the units internal

hard disk drive. Print jobs can be perma-nently stored and printed again later, and

users can change or reprint jobs without hav-

ing to resend the job from the networked PC

(the ability to change job settings, such as pa-

per size and number of prints, when reprint-

ing stored jobs is a function rarely found in

this Segment). Secure printing to up to 100

mailbox locations is also supported.

A graphical indication of installed options of

the imageRUNNER 400E are automatically

displayed on the driver at the desktop and

fault messages (e.g., out of paper) were accu-

rate and helpful. Desktop users can check the

status of print jobs via the NetSpot or Fiery

WebTools so ftware programs . Use of

NetSpots features is aided by Canons excel-

lent on-line documentation; moreover, the

print drivers are easy to use owing to their

good overall layout. Administrators and us-

ers can pause, delete or reprioritize jobs,making queue management better than on

most competitive systems, and multiple

Canon imaging devices can be managed by

NetSpot administration software. Moreover,


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General Appraisalcontinued

continued

the Fiery WebSpooler job administration util-

ity is considered by BLI technicians to be su-

perior to the job administration utilities of

most other units tested to date in this segment.

The imageRUNNER 400Es multitasking ca-

pabilities are limited, although similar to

those of most other multifunctional models

tested in this speed range. For example, only

one copying job can be programmed while a

print job is in progress; while a copy job is in

progress, pre-programming another copying

job is not possible. A positive aspect of its

multitasking, however, is that the priority

level (level 1, 2 or 3) can be set for each mode,an advantage versus most other competitive

models. Separate non-resettable counters for

each function (copy, print and fax) are avail-

able for expanded tracking capability. Copy,

fax and print jobs can be separated by pro-

gramming them to be sent to either the up-

per, middle or lower trays of the optional

saddle-stitch finisher tested by BLI. Jobs can

easily be reprioritized at the control panel or

at the desktop, a function few other units al-

low. In addition, the user can establish eithercopy or fax as the default mode.

Other Strengths

As with most digital copier/printers, the

Canon imageRUNNER 400E offers numer-

ous advantages versus analog units, the

most important of which is the ability to

serve as a network printer (for a comprehen-

sive listing of the advantages of digital

copiers, see the BLI Special Report entitledMaking The Transition To Digital Office

Copiers: A Buyers Guide). Furthermore, the

Canon imageRUNNER 400E also offers the

following advantages versus other Segment 3

units in general, regardless of whether they

employ digital or analog technology: (1) The

imageRUNNER 400E, at 40 ppm, is one of

the fastest current fax output solutions on themarket. Furthermore, the unit boasts a pow-

erful set of state-of-the-art fax features, in-

cluding a 33.6-Kbps modem speed, JBIG com-

pression, a relatively large fax memory, ITU

subaddressing, duplex send and receive, bul-

letin board memory box and an optional sec-

ond telephone line capability. (2) A choice of

finishing options, one of which offers saddle-

stitching, folding and hole punching in addi-

tion to stapling (only a handful of competi-

tive models offer this many advanced finish-

ing functions). (3) Standard PC fax sending

and optional black-and-white PC scanning are

two additional capabilities of the unit offered

by only a very few competitive units in this

speed range (note, however, that the copy and

fax-send modes are unavailable when scan-

ning and that network scanning is not sup-

ported by Canon). (4) An auto centering

mode. (5) Detailedprintjob log data (such as

account number, total prints produced, etc.)can be exported in comma-delimited format

for administration and job tracking purposes,

thus enhancing the key operators ability to

track print usage data by employee or depart-

ment. Also, usage data can be printed either

directly from the imageRUNNER 400E or

with an optional control card printer.

Shortcomings

The Canon imageRUNNER 400E has severalshortcomings versus competitive Segment 3

units: (1) In part because of a drum yield of

only 55,000 impressions, well below average

for its class, PMs on the unit are specified by


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continued

Canon every 60,000 impressions. On BLIs

test unit, this resulted in a low overall MIBS

(Mean Impressions Between Service) rate,

although it should be emphasized that no fail-ures occurred during testing. At BLIs rec-

ommended maximum monthly volume rat-

ing, the unit will require one PM per month,

certainly an acceptable servicing frequency

given the test units failure-free track record.

(2) There is no program ahead or copy re-

serve feature while copying. (3) The unit has

among the slowest first-copy times for prod-

ucts in Segment 3 both from the platen and

the feeder. (4) The unit has one of the lowest

per-canister toner yields and per-gram toner

yields among previously tested Segment 3

units. (5) There is no 1:1 mode key on the

units control panel. (6) The unit received only

a fair rating for its ease of changing paper

sizes.

Pricing Analysis And Summary

BLIs pricing analysis of the Canon

imageRUNNER 400E took into consideration

two different configurations of the unit sincethe model tested comes standard with print-

ing and faxing capabilities, which are options

on most competitive models (only a very small

number of models in the 35- to 45-ppm speed

range offer faxing). For example, when the

retail cost of the imageRUNNER 400E was

compared to other connected units in its speed

class, it was found to be competitively priced.

Versus analog and non-connected digital copi-

ers as a group, the imageRUNNER 400S, the

standalone copier version of theimageRUNNER 400E, is significantly less ex-

pensive (roughly 9 percent lower, amounting

to more than $1,000 less).

Based upon the above-highlighted test results

and conclusions, BLI considers the very versa-

tile Canon imageRUNNER 400E to be a solid

overall performer. Therefore, BLI recommendsthe unit for combined monthly copying, print-

ing and faxing volumes of up to 60,000 impres-

sions.

Guarantee/Warranty: The Canon image-RUN-

NER 400E is backed by a 90-day warranty.

Copy Quality:

Text: ..................................... Good.

Line art: ............................... Good.

Halftones: ............................ Good.

Solids: ................................... Good.

Print Quality:

Text: ..................................... Good.

Line art: ............................... Good.

Halftones: ............................ Fair.

Solids: ................................... Fair.

Ease of use: .......................... Good.

Ease of maintenance:.......... Good.

Estimated waste: ................. Low.Estimated downtime: ......... Moderate (due to

the units short

PM schedule).

Misfeeds:.............................. 5

Misfeed rate: ....................... 1 misfeed per

90,000 impressions

Total service calls

(including PMs): ................. 7

MIBF: .................................. Not Applicable

MIBS:................................... 64,285

Toner yield


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FEATURES

Automatic selection features: Automatic exposure control;

automatic reduction/enlargement selection; automatic

paper selection; auto start (allows a user to program a copy

job to automatically begin copying after the warm-up cycle

is complete; originals can be scanned into memory dur-

ing warm-up); auto sleep mode, auto tray switching; auto

image rotation.

Book copy: Yes.

Bypass: Standard non-intelligent 50-sheet stack-feedbypass.

Control codes/tracking: Can restrict access and track us-

age for up to 300 users/departments for copying and

faxing. Once restricted access has been activated, both

copy and fax modes can only be accessed using an ID

code. A password can also be programmed for each de-

partment, so users could be required to enter both a de-

partment ID and a user ID. Copy totals for each depart-

ment can then be printed from the imageRUNNER 400Es

control panel. The imageRUNNER 400E utilizes sepa-

rate non-resettable mechanical meters for each function

(copy, print and fax).

Document feeder: Standard 50-sheet reversing automatic

document feeder (RADF). See Performance of Tested

Special Features.

Duplex ing: Standard stackless duplex unit. See

Performance Of Tested Special Features.

Energy-save mode: Yes. The energy-saver mode setting is

user-programmable for 10% (10% less power;

approximately nine seconds before a copy can be made);

-25% (30% less power; approximately 20 seconds before

a copy can be made); -40% (43% less power,

approximately 33 seconds before a copy can be made).

Exposure controls: Automatic exposure; touch keys are used

to manually control the density over a range of nine

settings. Text, text/photo and photo modes. Sharpness

mode allows the user to adjust the level of sharpness (over

a range of nine settings) to high (text and line copy) or

low (photographs).

Fax features: Standard; 33.6-Kbps modem speed; MH/MR/

MMR/JBIG compression; duplex send and receive faxing;

200 autodialing destinations (60 one-touch keys and 140

speed-dial codes, which are programmable for various

settings and functions, such as send time, send speed, ITU

subaddressing, one of five long-distance modes; group

dialing (60 groups; up to 199 destinations per group); multi

access; relay request; transfer reception; confidential

communication with 99 memory boxes; memory reception

(documents can be printed only when an ID code is

entered); batch sending, bulletin board memory box

(allows documents scanned to the bulletin board memory

box to be sent to another fax unit/user that specifies the

memory boxs subaddress and transmit password);

optional dual telephone lines.

Image manipulation features: Original frame erase (erases

the borders around the original image when the original

is smaller than selected paper size); book frame erase

(erases the borders and center margin when copying from

a bound original; sheet frame erase (creates a " blank

border around the edge of the copy); binding erase (erases

the shadows on copies created by the binding holes from

the original); booklet mode (scanned originals are

automatically arranged to make a signature booklet);

negative/positive reversal; image combination/image

separation (2-in-1, 4-in-1; 8-in-1; simplex/duplex modes);

image shift (left and right margins are user-programmable

for from 0 to 3/4" in 1/16" increments; top and bottom

margins are user-programmable for from 1/16" to 3/4" in

1/16" increments; shift mode (corner and center shift;

moves image to the corner or the center of the page; the

location of the shifted image is also programmable by theuser via the multicopy keys); image overlay (sheet

overlaysuperimposes the images from two originals

onto one sheet; book overlayallows user to superimpose

images from facing pages in a book or magazine onto a

single copy); image repeat (image can be repeated up to

(at 6% coverage): ................ 9,117 impressions Cost per copy: ..................... See

Cost Analysis


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1796-TR





20 times on a copy); poster mode (referred to by Canon

as multi-page enlargement).

Insertion features: OHP (transparency) interleaving (blankor copied insert sheets).

Interface: Standard Centronics IEEE 1284 Level 2

bidirectional parallel port and 10BaseT/100BaseTX (RJ-

45) network interface for printing/PC fax functions and

optional SCSI-2 interface for PC scanning.

Job management features: Interrupt key. Settings for up to

nine copy jobs can be stored and recalled plus a previous

job setting recall key (referred to Canon as recall mode;

when selected, the user can recall the settings for one of

the three last copy jobs).

Languages: None other than English.

Memory: Tested with the standard 64-MB image memory

(copy, print and fax; expandable to 96 MB); 2.1-GB hard

disk. Part of the memory is reserved for image storage.

Operating system support: Microsoft Windows 95, 98 and

NT 4.0, Macintosh and UNIX.

Output device: Tested with optional saddle-stitch finisher

(see Performance Of Tested Special Features; see

Accessories for additional output options).

Printer features: Canons network multi-PDL print board

is based on a 32-bit, 200-MHz MIPS R5000 processor;

PCL 5e and Adobe PostScript 3. Mailbox printing (a print

job can be stored to a mailbox where it can held until the

user prints the document from the control panel either

with a password [if the

mailbox location was

setup with a password] or

without a password). See

Performance of Printer

Functions.

Reduc tion/ en la rgemen t

features:Variable reduct-

ion from 25% to 800% in

1% increments; presetreduction settings of

25%, 50%, 64.7%, 73.3%

and 78.6% and preset

enlargement settings of

121.4%, 129.4%, 200%, 400% and 800%. XY

independent zoom. Entire image mode reduces the

image on the original slightly (based on selected paper

size and the image size).

Remote diagnostics:None.

Resolution (maximum): 600-dpi scanning, with 600-dpi

output in copy mode; up to 600-dpi printing; up to 600-

x-600 dpi faxing.

User programs: Default settings are programmable by the

user via various touch-screen menus.

Other features: Weekly timer; optional scanning.

Control Panel

Type: Combination hard keys and a 4-3/4" x 3-1/2" touch-

screen graphic LCD display.

Help key: Yes (referred to by Canon as the Guide key).

Indicators/prompts: Messages are shown on the LCD

touch-screen display when a misfeed or problem has

occurred or service is required, and a graphic display

of the copier is also shown to indicate the location of a

misfeed.

Quantity display/selector: Three-digit LCD display.

Makes 1 to 999 copies. Approximately two minutes af-

ter the last copy is made, the quantity select display

resets to 1 and all selected features reset to the de-

fault setting (reset time is user-adjustable for from one

to nine minutes in one-minute increments or to off).

FEATURES continued

Canon imageRUNNER 400E Control Panel


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FEATURES continued

Canon imageRUNNER 400E Accessories

Finisher C1 (Multi-Position Auto Stapler): Suggested retail price, $2,625. The multi-position auto stapler has three trays, top,middle and lower, plus an interrupt tray. In non-sort mode, the top tray holds 300 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheetsor 150 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The middle tray holds 1,000 20-lb. sheets of 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to

8-1/2" x 11" or 500 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The lower tray holds 200 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets or 100 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. In sort and group modes, the top

tray holds 300 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets or 150 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The middle tray holds750 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets or 500 8-1/2" x 11"R, 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The lower tray

holds 200 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets or 100 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The topand middle trays have a built-in two-position stapler (upper-left diagonal and booklet, left side of page). Staple capacity, 50

8-1/2" x 11" sheets or 30 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" sheets of 20-lb. bond. The interrupt tray, which isautomatically selected when producing copies while in the interrupt mode, holds 50 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"R and

8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets or 30 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. Acceptable paper weights, 13 to32 lbs.

Saddle-Finisher-C2 (Saddle Stitch Finisher): Suggested retail price, $3,938. See Performance Of Tested Special Features.

Finisher-E1 (Stapler Stacker Finisher): Suggested retail price, $1,234. The stapler stacker finisher has two trays, finishing

and output. In sort and group modes, each tray holds 1,000 20-lb. sheets ranging in size from 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11"or 500 8-1/2" x 14" to 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. Stapling capacity, 30 8-1/2" x 11" and 8-1/2" x 11"R 20-lb. sheets or 15 8-1/2"

x 14" to 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets.

Paper Deck B1: Suggested retail price, $2,351. Holds 3,500 sheets of 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. bond paper.

Cassette-Feeding UnitR1: Suggested retail price, $2,100. Includes four additional 500-sheet drawers for 20-lb. sheets rang-ing in size from 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 11" x 17".

Cassette-Feeding UnitS1: Suggested retail price, $1,523. Includes two additional 500-sheet drawers for 20-lb. sheets rang-ing in size from 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 11" x 17".

Output Indicator Lamp: Suggested retail price, $126. When installed on the Finisher-C1 or Saddle Finisher-C2, the indicatorlamp will flash to indicate when printing from the computer or fax, and remain constant once printing is complete.

Cassette-M1: Suggested retail price, $131.

Cassette-N1: Suggested retail price, $131.

Cabinet: Suggested retail price, $243.

Document Tray-D1: Suggested retail price, $58.

SCSI Cable G: Suggested retail price, $150.

Network Interface Kit-TR4: Suggested retail price, $998. Used to connect the imageRUNNER 400E to a Token Ring net-work.

Control Card V: Suggested retail price, $306. Utilizes plastic optical cards ($153 for set 1 to 30; $336 for set 31 to 100; $448for set 101 to 200) that can be issued to individuals or departments. Can track copies and/or prevent unauthorized use of thecopier by using the account number on each card. Data on cards can be cleared or reset.

Control Card Printer-A1: Suggested retail price, $147. Allows the Control Card V data to be printed.


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TEST RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS

Test Equipment: BLIs dedicated test network, consisting of NetWare 4.11 file servers, Windows NT 4.0 file servers and

Windows 95, 98 and NT workstations.

ReliabilityMeter Count Impressions

PMs/Malfunctions Service Required (Impressions) Between Service

Meter count (beginning of test) 0

PM Performed PM 60,113

PM Performed PM 127,486 67,373






Total Misfeeds/Misfeed Rate 5 / 1 per 90,000 impressions

Service Calls 0

PMs 7

Total Service Calls (including PMs) 7

M.I.B.F.1 Not applicable

M.I.B.S.2 64,285

1 Mean Impressions Between Failures (To obtain this number, BLI divides the total number of impressions produced

during the test period by the number of service calls required. In actuality, it reflects the average number of impressionsproduced without a malfunction.)

2 Mean Impressions Between Service (To obtain this number, BLI divides the total number of impressions produced duringthe test period by the number of service calls, including preventive maintenance calls, required. In actuality, it reflects the

average number of impressions produced without a service call.)

Maintenance

When the Please add toner message appeared on the LCD display, the user was required to add toner. Toner cannot be

added while the unit is producing copies/prints. A 530g toner canister yielded an average of 9,117 copies in the test when

tested in print mode using the BLI Toner Yield Test Original, which has 6% coverage (Canon claims a yield of 10,600

copies per canister when an original with 6% coverage is used). Canon states that the expected yield of the organic drumis 55,000 impressions. PMs are scheduled every 60,000 impressions. The ozone filter must be cleaned every 250,000

impressions. (Unless otherwise noted, all of the above consumables that would normally be replaced during the course of

this test met or exceeded the life expectancy specified by the vendor.)


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1799-TR





Ease of adding toner: Good. The front cover on the unit

must be opened to access the toner reservoir. The user

pulls out the toner reservoir until it stops, places thecanister on the toner reservoir and locks it in place. The

user then pulls the seal forward to allow the toner to fill

TEST RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS continued

User-Replaceable Consumables

the reservoir, pushes the seal door inward and removes

the toner canister from the imageRUNNER. The user then

slides the toner reservoir back into place and closes thefront cover.

Documentation: Good. Seven manuals are included with

the Canon imageRUNNER 400E: separate manuals for

the facsimile, scanning and copying functions (the lat-

ter referred to as a Reference Manual) and four printer

manuals (two Getting Started Printer Guides, one for

PCL and PostScript) for setup, a guide for users and a

guide for administrators. In addition to containing ba-

sic information on installation, setup and use of the unit,

the Reference Manual explains maintenance procedures

such as replacing toner and clearing paper jams, as wellas information on key operator/system administration

functions, and it includes charts and diagrams that were

helpful when navigating the imageRUNNER 400Es

control panel menu system. All of the manuals are very

organized. The copier, fax and reference manuals each

contain a master index so the user can look up a feature

or function in the copier manual, for example, and be

referred to the appropriate page in the fax manual. The

four printer guides have individual indexes specific to

each manual. Thorough explanations of driver settings

and features are included, along with information on

Fiery WebTools and Spooler utilities. Although a 20-

page Quick Start guide that contains information on

running the NetSpot software utility is included, the

documentation for NetSpot otherwise consists only of

on-line documentation from the Help menu, once the

software is up and running. While novice users may

find the lack of printed documentation a drawback

(since the software must be up and running to use it

and since an Internet browser is also required), the on-

line documentation was very thorough, covering

NetSpot functions, managing devices, managing jobs

and step-by-step configuration routines for the various

networks supported by the imageRUNNER 400E. It

also includes a glossary of terms and a troubleshooting

section. Since it is in HTML format, the user can

search through the documentation to easily find thetopic on which they need information. Numerous hot

links throughout the document also aid the user in

quickly finding the needed information.

Ease of use: Good. The touch-screen control panel menu

system is set up well, and the user can easily find de-

sired functions. Three clearly labeled keys (Copy,

Fax, Print I/F) are backlighted when selected to

indicate the selected mode. The LCD panel, which is

adjustable for varying lighting conditions, was easy to

read. The special features icon allows users to gain ac-

cess to more advanced functions. Two user-

customizable settings for commonly used features,which can be selected from 14 choices, can be saved

and accessed at the bottom left of the main control panel.

Ease of use as a printer was also good, with well-laid-

out print drivers and good utilities for monitoring the

TONER YIELD (BASED ON 6% PAGE COVERAGE)

Toner Canister WeightToner Yield Impressions

Full Empty Net Weight (Impressions) Per Gram729.2 grams 197.9 grams 531.3 grams 9,117 17.2

Guarantee/Warranty: The Canon imageRUNNER 400E is backed by a 90-day warranty.

Ease of Operation


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1800-TR





status of the device and of individual print jobs. Al-

though users dont receive pop-up notification of sta-

tus, they can check status via the NetSpot or Fiery

WebTools software programs. Ease of use as a fax and

as a scanner was also good. However, as there is no 1:1

key on the control panel, a user desiring simplex cop-

ies when the unit is in 1:2 mode must know to select

the Two-Sided key and then deselect the duplex mode

to make simplex copies. See Operator error. The user

can change the default setting to the 1:1 mode if de-

sired.

Feedback to PC workstations: Good. End users have a

choice of using Canons NetSpot device management

utility or the embedded EFI Fiery WebTools utilities

via a Web browser such as NetScape. See Network-

ing and connectivity under Performance Of PrinterFunctions for details.

Ease of removing misfeeds: Good. Non-clamshell design;

15 misfeed locations, including one for the RADF, five

for the four-drawer cassette-feeding unit and three for

the saddle-stitch finisher. When a misfeed occurs, an

image of the copier appears on the touch-panel display,

with instructions and a highlighted section of the copier

showing the user where the misfeed is located.

Ease of loading paper: Good. Paper is simply placed in

between the guides of each drawer. There are no corner

separators or spring-loaded ramps to lock down.Ease of adjusting paper drawers: Fair. To change the pa-

per sizes in the standard 500-sheet paper drawers and

optional cassette-feeding units, the user must adjust the

length and width guides inside the drawers. However,

in order for the machine to detect the correct paper size,

the user must turn the paper size dial to the desired

size. Although the dial is conveniently located on the

front of the drawer, is clearly labeled and easy to locate

and set, failure to set the dial to the correct paper size

will result in the machine registering the wrong size

paper within the drawer.

Operator error: If the paper size dial is not set to indi-cate the correct paper size when changing the paper

size in the drawers, walk-up users, as well as PC users,

will be misinformed of the correct paper size and may

copy/print/fax onto the wrong size paper. Also, as there

is no 1:1 key on the control panel, a user desiring 1:1

copies when the unit is in duplex mode must know to

select the Two-Sided key and then deselect the par-

ticular duplex mode in order to make 1:1 copies; other-

wise, the duplex copies produced will be wasted. If the

user fails to put the imageRUNNER 400E back on-line

after scanning, print jobs will back up until the unit is

placed back on-line.

Throughput Capabilities/Materials

Standard paper supply: The Canon imageRUNNER 400E

is equipped with two 500-sheet user-adjustable draw-

ers and a 50-sheet non-intelligent stack-feed bypass.

The two 500-sheet drawers accept sheets ranging in sizefrom 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 11" x 17" and in weight from 17

to 20 lbs. The 50-sheet non-intelligent stack-feed by-

pass accommodates sheets ranging in size from 5-1/2"

x 8-1/2" to 11" x 17" and in weight from 17 to 32 lbs.

Maximum number of available on-line paper sources with

options (including bypass): Seven.

Maximum on-line paper capacity with options (includ-

ing bypass): 5,550 sheets.

Maximum image size: 10-13/16" x 16-3/4". Makes cop-

ies from 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 11" x 17".

Paper output: The optional finisher has a top tray, middle

tray and a lower tray. All three trays can be utilized by

the copier, facsimile or printer. There is also an inter-

rupt tray that receives interrupt copy or non-sort fin-

ishing jobs (see Performance of Tested Special Fea-

tures).

Ability to process self-adhesive address labels: Avery

#5351 labels performed satisfactorily in the tests.

Ability to process transparencies:3M-PP2500 clear trans-

parencies performed satisfactorily in the tests.

Void area: There is a void area of 1/8" along the leadingedge, 1/8" along the trailing edge, 7/64" along the top

edge and 5/64" along the bottom edge of the copies.



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COPIER THROUGHPUT SPEEDS/EFFICIENCY(Based on a 10-Page Document)

Finishing Time (seconds)COPY MODE 1:1 1:2 2:2 2:1 One Staple Two Staples

1 Set (non sort/sort modes)Total Time 24.0 31.3 1:08.4 1:03.0 2.4 4.3Images per Minute 25.0 19.2 17.5 19.0Efficiency1 62.5% 48.0% 43.8% 47.5%

3 SetsTotal Time 55.1 1:09.4 2:24.1 2:05.9 1.6 7.3Images per Minute 32.7 25.9 25.0 28.6Efficiency1 81.8% 64.8% 62.5% 71.5%

5 SetsTotal Time 1:26.0 1:46.5 3:40.1 3:05.8 0.6 10.7

Images per Minute 34.9 28.2 27.3 32.3Efficiency1 87.3% 70.5% 68.3% 80.8%

10 SetsTotal Time 2:42.3 3:22.1 6.49.3 5:37.0 0 19.0Images per Minute 37.0 29.7 29.3 35.6Efficiency1 92.5% 74.3% 73.3% 89.0%

20 SetsTotal Time 5:15.2 6:32.3 13.10.3 10:38.0 0 36.2Images per Minute 38.1 30.6 30.4 37.6Efficiency1 95.3% 76.5% 76.0% 94.0%

OVERALL EFFICIENCY2 83.9% 66.8% 64.8% 76.6%

1 BLI obtains this percentage by dividing the tested cpm by the rated cpm of the copier, and then multiplying by 100 to

determine the efficiency ratings for each run length.2 BLI obtains this percentage by averaging the efficiency ratings for each copy mode.

Performance of Printer Functions

General: The Canon imageRUNNER 400E was tested

as a network printer using the Canon Multi PDL Board-

H1 and Network Interface Board K1, both of which are

standard on the imageRUNNER 400E. BLI technicians

found that all the basic features of the device (i.e.,

duplexing, finishing, etc.) that would be expected to

be available for printing were selectable via the printer

drivers, which were easy to use, with a good layout.

Print QualityText: Good.

Line art: Good.

Halftones: Fair.

Solids: Fair.

Comments: Output produced by the Canon

imageRUNNER400s PostScript printer driver at its

highest resolution (600 dpi) did not perform as well as

other laser multifunctional products in its class. Text

and lines were sharp and there were distinct transitions

between grayscale levels. However, the halftones ap-

peared grainy, solids were washed out and toner splat-

ter was evident throughout the page.


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the jobs located in the print queue of the

network server). The administrator can

pause or delete jobs in the imageRUNNER

400Es print queue. Once a job has been

printed, it is erased from the queue and can-

not be reprinted via NetSpot (i.e., jobs can-

not be stored and printed later). The admin-

istrator can move print jobs that are ready

(waiting), as well as jobs that are paused

and held, higher or lower in the queue. How-

ever, in a TCP/IP environment, NetSpot is

limited in that users who want to monitor

print jobs must use Fiery WebSpooler (re-

viewed below), because the Jobs tab is

not displayed and no access to the print job

queue is provided. Only when theimageRUNNER 400E is running in an IPX/

SPX environment (such as Novell NetWare

using the NDS configuration) can jobs be

monitored via the Jobs tab.

The end-user version of NetSpot is essentially the same as the

administrator version, except for its lack of access to setup/

configuration information. Users can access all jobs in the

queue of the imageRUNNER 400E and delete or hold any job.

Consequently, a user could accidentally delete the wrong print

job. As with the administrator version, users have access to the

Status tab, which displays error codes and problems such as

paper-out messages, and to the Features tab, which shows,

in real-time, the units features and functions, such as duplexing,

sorter stapler, etc. Since NetSpot can simultaneously adminis-

ter multiple imageRUNNER 400Es and other Canon network

devices, users can select a device that is not in use or that has

the options (such as duplexing) required for a particular print

job. Unlike with many other systems tested to date, users can

quickly see what size paper is loaded and how much paper is

left in each drawer via a real-time paper gauge that displays

full, two-thirds full, one-third full and empty. NetSpot also

monitors any other Canon devices on the network, such as a

GP200 or a LASER CLASS printer. Monitoring all of a vendors

devices on the network in one window, using one piece of soft-

ware is a convenience not offered by many other network mul-tifunctional devices BLI has tested. Overall, NetSpot is a very

useful administration tool.


NetSpot Features Screen

TCP/IP Configuration Screen Via NetSpot


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Fiergy WebTools:The internal EFI Fiery print controller

incorporates EFIs WebTools software. WebTools includes

WebSpooler version 4.5, Status and WebLink. As this soft-

ware is resident on the print controller of the image-

RUNNER 400E, no loading or setup is required at a users

workstation. All that is required is that the users PC be

running TCP/IP protocol, be connected to the same

network segment as the imageRUNNER

400E and have a Web browser such as

NetScape or Internet Explorer, installed.

The user simply launches the Web browser

and enters the IP address of the

imageRUNNER 400E in the browser Lo-

cation box. WebTools automatically loads.

The system administrator can set WebTools

to display all or some of its functions, suchas Status and WebLink only.

Status will display the current status of print

jobs being RIPped (processed) and printed

by the ImageRUNNER 400E. Information

provided on RIP status includes: user name,

document name and amount of document

processed in kilobytes. Information pro-

vided for print job status includes user name

and document name.

WebLinkallows the imageRUNNER 400E

system administrator to designate a hot link

to a Web sitefor example, the companys


Web site or a site from which the most recent version of

the imageRUNNER 400Es print driver can be down-

loadedthat can be accessed by selecting the WebLink

button. The site address can be set by the system admin-

istrator.

WebSpooler allows the user to view and manage cur-

WebTools Status Screen


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rently spooling print jobs, RIPping print jobs and previ-

ously printed jobs. Any spooling or RIPping print

jobs can be paused or deleted. Print jobs that have

previously printed can be reprinted (reRIPping is

required). Completed print jobs are stored on the Canon

imageRUNNER 400Es 2.1-GB hard disk. Previously

printed jobs that are stored on the imageRUNNER 400Es

hard disk can have print settings changed before

reprinting takes place. Changes that users can make

include image refinement (on or off), portrait or land-


scape printout, rotate image 180 degrees, collate off, col-

late, group, cross-collate or cross-group, staple can be

selected, duplexing (long edge or short edge binding) and

media type (plain paper, transparency, blank interleave

and printed interleave). Currently printing, spooling and

RIPping jobs are displayed. BLI technicians found

WebSpooler to be very easy to use and very useful, of-

fering a greater degree of flexibility in print job control

than NetSpot, particularly for end users.

WebSpooler Screen


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Job log and accounting: The image-RUN-

NER 400E retains a list of all printed jobs

that can be recalled in its entirety or by

specifying job dates. This job log, which

can be printed or exported as a comma-

delimited text file so it can be imported

into a database for custom database ap-

plications, includes the user name, file

name, file size in megabytes, number of

pages printed, etc., This feature, which is

more advanced than the job tracking fea-

tures of other network multifunctional

models tested, would be very useful in an

environment that requires job tracking

and/or departmental billing.

Mailbox: The mailbox feature, which sup-ports up to 100 mailbox locations, is set

up via the units control panel with a spe-

cific name of each mailbox location.

When a mailbox is set up by the adminis-

trator, it can be designated as a secure

mailbox or a non-secure mailbox. With a

non-secure mailbox, a user may submit a

print job without a security code so it can

be held and then printed when the user

arrives at the unit. To retrieve a mailbox

job, the user must access the printer screen

menu, which contains a mailbox icon and

enter a security code. Mailbox security

codes can be set only at the control panel.

Once a user prints a document from the

mailbox, the document is automatically

deleted. The user can view Details,

which displays information relating to the

selected print job, such as Set Time, Host

Name, Number of Pages, TX/RX number,

and Print Sets number. Unlike with some previously tested units with a mailbox function, the user cannot select and

change various job settings.


Job Reprint Screen From WebSpooler


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CANON IMAGE RUNNER 400ECOPY AND PRINT QUALITY INDEX

Magnified view of black text.Unit set to With 600 dpi PS Refine OnPrinted on plain-paper stock.

Magnified view of black text.Unit set to With 600 dpi PS Refine OffPrinted on plain-paper stock.

Magnified view of black text.

Unit set to With 600 dpi PCLPrinted on plain-paper stock.

Magnified view of black text.Unit set to Copy - StandardPrinted on plain-paper stock.

Windows 95/98 PostScript Driver Screen


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COPY/PRINT EFFICIENCY COMPARISON

1:1 Mode Efficiency

1:2 Mode Efficiency

BLI obtains the percentage for each mode by dividing the tested ppm by the rated ppm of the device, and thenmultiplying by 100 to determine the efficiency ratings for each run length. BLI obtains the overall efficiency per-centage by averaging the efficiency ratings for each copy/print mode. For the one-set job, only the non-sort per-centage was included when calculating overall efficiency. Productivity comparison charts represent test results

using the optional finisher.

Note: This test was performed using the highest resolution (600 dpi), a network connection via astandard 10BaseT/100 BaseTX network interface (RJ-45 connector) on a PC workstation using Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 operatingsystem.

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

1 3 5 10 20

Ove

rall

Effic

ienc

y

Efficiency

Copy Mode

Print Mode

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

1 3 5 10 20

OverallE

ffici

ency

Efficiency

Copy Mode

Print Mode

Number of Sets

Number of Sets


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Fax scanning speed: The average scanning speed, ob-

tained from scanning into memory three originals us-

ing standard resolution and normal contrast settings;timing begins when the Start button is pressed and

continues until the last page exits onto the exit tray.

Fax scanning speed with 4% page coverage original: 3.07

seconds per page; range for fax machines tested to date

1.61 to 35.25 seconds.

Fax scanning speed with 12% page coverage original:

3.08 seconds per page; range for fax machines tested to

date, 1.62 to 34.06 seconds.

Transmitting documents: Good. The unit supports multi

access (dual access) and, thus, is programmed to trans-

mit documents from memory, i.e., outgoing faxes arescanned into memory prior to being transmitted. Multi

access allows the user to scan a document into memory

while another document is already being transmitted

from memory and allows the user to quickly retrieve a

scanned document and resume other activities while the

fax is being transmitted, thus improving productivity.

The three available soft-switch settings available to the

user are Memory Sending, Direct Sending and Manual

Sending. Memory Sending stores all pages into memory

before dialing the destination. Direct Sending stores the

pages into memory while dialing and connecting.

Manual Sending bypasses memory and transmits docu-

ments in real time after a connection and handshake

have been made. The destination(s) can be dialed be-

fore inserting the document(s) into the feeder (which

would allow, for example, the user to reference a fax

number on the cover page). When transmitting docu-

ments, up to 200 autodial destinations (60 one-touch

keys/140 speed-dial codes) can be selected at the time

of transmission. Broadcasting to up to 60 groups, each

of which can contain up to 199 fax numbers, is sup-

ported.

Memory capaci ty : According to Canon, the

imageRUNNER 400Es 64-MB memory holds at least

640 pages (upgraded 96-MB memory holds 1,000

pages), based on the ITU-T Test Document No. 1 (also

known as the Slerexe letter). Due to the units large

memory capacity, BLIs test technicians did not test its

capacity.

Transmitting from memory after a failed communication:

Good. When the Canon imageRUNNER 400E was sub-

jected to excessive line noise during the tests, it wasfound that the destination was automatically redialed

after the communication was terminated (it will auto-

matically be redialed up to two times at two-minute

intervals; user-settable for up to 10 redial attempts at

up to 99-minute intervals), and when a connection was

made after redialing, the affected page and the remain-

ing pages, plus the first page of the document, were

transmitted. Since the first page is likely to be a cover

sheet, this method makes it more likely that the remain-

ing pages of an interrupted transmission will get deliv-

ered to the intended recipient. Alternatively, the sys-

tem can be programmed to resend the entire document

or to delete the document from memory and make no

further attempts. A transmission report was not auto-

matically printed following the error.

Transmitting from memory when the file exceeds memory

capacity: Because the size of the units memory makes

it unlikely that a document would exceed the memory

capacity, BLI did not perform this test.

Legal-to-letter reduction: During testing, a legal-size

(8-1/2" x 14") document that was transmitted to the

Canon imageRUNNER 400E with letter-size (8-1/2" x

11") paper loaded was printed on two pages even though

the machine was set to automatically reduce receptions.However, it should be noted that if the Canon

imageRUNNER 400E is configured with a paper tray

loaded with 8-1/2" x 14" paper, the device will switch

to that tray and print the fax at 100 percent of its origi-

nal size.

Performance of PC Fax Functions

General. The Canon imageRUNNER 400Es PCL fax

driver enables the system to perform PC faxing. The

PCL fax driver is installed much like a printer driver

would be. The fax driver is an available option while

running the Canon imageRUNNER 400Es printerdriver setup utility. The installer must know what print

port the imageRUNNER 400E is connected to, just as

if he or she were installing a print driver.


Performance of Standalone Fax Functions


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Composing and sending a PC fax: Fair. The print-

to-fax driver was easy to use. It allows the user

to construct a cover sheet from one of several

default templates. Since it is a print-to-fax driver,the user must select print from the application

being run (e.g., from MS Word 97, the user would

select File, then Print). In the Printer Name

box, the user would se le ct Canon

imageRUNNER 400E PCL (FAX) from among

three drivers. Then when the user selects OK

to print the job, the Canon imageRUNNER

400Es fax properties screen would appear. At

this point, the user would select a name from a

preprogrammed fax address book (which con-

tains all of the fax-related information) or enter

the name and fax number of the intended recipi-ent. While BLI technicians found the PC fax

driver to be easy to use, BLI technicians prefer

for a software program to automatically switch

between drivers when switching between faxing

and printing. Comprehensive on-line help is

available within the print-to-fax driver, and it is

possible to search for a specific topic by select-

ing Index from the Windows Help menu.

Receiving a PC fax. Not applicable. PC fax recep-

tion is not supported by the imageRUNNER

400E.

Printing a PC fax:Not applicable. PC fax recep-tion is not supported by the imageRUNNER

400E.

PC-fax logs/reports: Good. A fax log containing

information on fax jobs can be generated from

the fax menu on the control panel. Information

on fax jobs will also be displayed on the Fax

Monitor menu on the units control panel. No

information is sent back to the PC workstation

from which the fax job was initiated.


imageRUNNER 400E Print-To-Fax Screen

imageRUNNER 400E Print-To-Fax Screen


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The black-and-white PC scanning option consists of the

IR ScanGear version 1.0 software, which includes a

TWAIN-compliant driver for Windows 95, 98 and NT4.0 and an installation utility on CD-ROM. Also pro-

vided is a SCSI interface for the imageRUNNER 400E.

The user must supply a PC running Windows 95, 98 or

NT 4.0, with a SCSI interface and a SCSI-2 cable and

third-party TWAIN-compliant imaging software. BLI

installed the imageRUNNER 400E TWAIN driver on a

Windows 95 workstation and used Adobe PhotoShop 5.5

and PageMaker 6.5 to evaluate the scanning function.

Network scanning was not tested by BLI, as other

TWAIN-compliant, third-party software would be re-

quired to distribute scans over a network.

Installation of the scanning interface in the

imageRUNNER 400E requires a Canon service

technician. The TWAIN-compliant scanner driver has to

be installed on a user-supplied PC with a SCSI interface

using the installation utility on the supplied CD-ROM.

BLI technicians found that the installation utility was very


easy to use and once installed, the third-party software

BLI used in testing had no problems locating and using

the TWAIN driver. A setup function within the TWAINdriver allows scanning defaults to be set for the type of

scanner installed on the imageRUNNER 400E (ADF or

RDF). When the scanner import feature is selected from

within the third-party imaging software (such as Adobe

PhotoShop), the Canon imageRunners TWAIN driver

will automatically launch. The drivers menu will be very

familiar to Microsoft Windows users and allows

selections such as image type (black-and-white text, 256-

level grayscale or text enhancement), resolution settings

from 150 to 600 dpi, brightness, contrast and gamma

control, as well as features such as zoom in, zoom out,

move image, and rotate 90 degrees. An inconvenience of

scanning with the imageRUNNER 400E is that when the

SCSI port is active for scanning, the copy and send paper

fax modes become unavailable. When scanning is

completed, the imageRUNNER 400Es PC scanning

function must be manually taken offline for copying and

faxing functions to be re-enabled.

Performance of Scanner Functions

PERFORMANCE OF TESTED SPECIAL FEATURES

Reversing Automatic Document Feeder (A1)

Satisfactory. The reversing automatic document feeder

will automatically feed and invert up to 50 sheets of 20-

lb. bond ranging in size from 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x

11" or up to 25 sheets of 20-lb. bond ranging in size from

8-1/2" x 14" to 11" x 17". Acceptable paper weight, 15 to

28 lbs. When feeding a stack of mixed originals with au-

tomatic paper selection and Dif. Size Original mode

selected, the unit will automatically determine the most

appropriate paper source for each original or if Auto

Zoom is selected, the copier will automatically select

the appropriate copy ratio for each original. Lead edges

must be must be the same size.

Controls/indicators on unit: None.

Simplex-to-duplex copying procedures: Good. Since the

first original of the set is fed first through the RADF,

the system does not need to count the originals, nor does

the operator have to press an odd or even original

key to begin 1:2 copying. Copying begins once origi-

nals are scanned.

Document feeding speeds (8-1/2" x 11" originals; speeds

were the same regardless of the automatic modes se-

lected):

1:1 copy mode: 40.3 originals per minute.

1:2 copy mode: 38.0 originals per minute.

2:2 copy mode: 10.3 originals, or 20.6 images, per

minute.

2:1 copy mode: 10.7 originals, or 21.4 images, per

minute.

Finisher

The saddle-stitch finisher has three trays, top, middle and

lower, plus interrupt and booklet trays. In non-sort mode,

the top tray holds 300 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11"

20-lb. sheets or 150 8-1/2" x 11"R, 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x


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PERFORMANCE OF TESTED SPECIAL FEATURES continued

17" 20-lb. sheets. The middle tray holds 1,000 5-1/2" x

8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets, or 500 8-1/2" x 11"R

, 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The lower trayholds 200 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets or

100 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets.

In sort and group modes, the top tray holds 300 8-1/2" x

11" 20-lb. sheets or 150 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or

11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The middle tray holds 750 5-1/2"

x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets or 500 8-1/2" x

11"R, 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. The lower

tray holds 200 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets

or 100 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb.

sheets. The top and middle trays have a built-in two-

position stapler (upper-left diagonal and booklet, left side

of page). Staple capacity, 50 8-1/2" x 11" sheets or 30

8-1/2" x 11"R, 8-1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" sheets of 20-lb.

bond, The interrupt tray, which is automatically selected

when producing copies while in the interrupt or non-sort

modes, holds 50 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"R or

8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. sheets, or 30 8-1/2" x 11"R , 8-1/2" x

14" or 11" x 17" 20-lb. sheets. Acceptable paper weights,

13 to 32 lbs. When folding and saddle stitching is se-

lected, finished booklets are delivered to the booklet tray.

The booklet tray holds 25 sets when one to five sheets

are used, 15 sets when six to 10 sheets are used, or 10

sets when there are 11 to 15 sheets used. Saddle-stitcher

capacity, 15 sheets. When the limit of a tray is reached,

the paper is automatically delivered to another tray. Whenthe number of impressions required exceeds the finisher

capacity, the unit will stop copying so that the job can be

offloaded. The imageRUNNER 400E will automatically

continue the job without user intervention once copies

are offloaded. When the imageRUNNER 400E is con-

figured with network printing and faxing, the upper,middle and lower trays of the finisher can be assigned a

function. For example, all copies could be delivered to

the upper tray, fax receptions to the middle tray and

printed images to the lower tray. Two functions can be

assigned to a single tray.

Controls/indicators on unit: None.

Stack-Feed Bypass

Satisfactory. The 50-sheet non-intelligent stack-feed by-

pass has double-geared, adjustable side guides that move

in sync to accommodate sheets ranging in size from5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 11" x 17" and in weight from 17 to 32

lbs. To access feeding from the stack-feed bypass, the

user must select the bypass paper source from the touch-

screen display (the paper size is displayed). Copying be-

gins when the Start key is pressed. The display counts

down as copies are produced. All pages fed from the

stack-feed bypass are delivered to the top tray in the fin-

isher. A screen is displayed that prompts the user to se-

lect the paper size when paper is placed in the stack-feed

bypass.

Duplexing Unit

Satisfactory. Stackless duplexing of sheets ranging in size

from 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" to 11" x 17" and in weight from 17

to 20 lbs.


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SecondaryFunction

CANON IMAGERUNNER 400EMULTITASKING EVALUATION (TWO CONCURRENT TASKS)*

Primary SEND RECEIVE PC FAXFunction PAPER FAX PAPER FAX SEND PRINT SCAN COPY

SEND PAPER FAX Yes2 No3 Yes2 Yes1 Yes1 Yes1

RECEIVE PAPER FAX Yes2 No3 Yes2 Yes5 Yes1 Yes5

PC FAX SEND Yes2 No3 Yes2 Yes1 Yes1 Yes1

PRINT Yes1 Yes2 Yes1 Yes2 Yes1 Yes2,9

SCAN No4 Yes1 Yes1 Yes1 No7 No4

COPY Yes1 Yes2 Yes1 Yes2 No8 No6

1 Primary and secondary functions take place simultaneously. (15)2 Secondary function is completed afterprimary function. (13)3 The phone line is busy with the primary function. (3)4 During the primary function, the user cannot access the Copy, Fax or Print/IF keys. (2)5 The primary function was temporarily paused to output a page of the secondary function. (2)6 The Canon imageRUNNER 400E does not support copy reserve. (1)7 Document feeder/scanner is in use. (1)8 During the primary function, the user cannot access the scanner feature. (1)9 If the copy job is non-sort, or involves only a single copy, the primary and secondary functions take place

simultaneously. (1)

NOTE: (X) indicates number of occurrences. A Yes indicates that the user can initiate the secondary function whilethe primary function is taking place and that no further user intervention will be required for the secondary function totake place.

*The multitasking test was conducted with all functions set to a priority of 1.

Note: In addition to a single-user multitasking test, which

evaluates a units ability to perform two functions con-

currently (see chart above), BLI also tests a multifunc-

tional products ability to handle multiple jobs that would

be likely to stack up in a multi-user networked environ-

ment. Depending on the number of different functions,

three to six different job matrixes are run on each multi-

functional device. The job streams within each matrix

are designed to test not only for concurrent operation of

various functions, but also to uncover peculiarities per-

taining to multitasking as it relates to various software

programs (Adobe Acrobat, Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft

Word 97, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint), various paper

sizes, various copy/print job sizes and various copy/print

modes (e.g., simplex, duplex, finishing).

General summary: The imageRUNNER 400E was able

to run all six of BLIs multitasking job matrices, i.e.,

those involving copying, printing, outgoing PC fax and

walk-up faxing; however, due to its lack of copy reserve

capability, it could fully complete only one of those

job matrices. The PC fax driver is separate from the

PostScript and PCL 5e printer drivers, so PC faxing had

to be performed using the specific PCL fax driver. All

other multitasking job matrices were performed using

the PostScript printer driver. Print jobs are spooled to,

RIPped and stored on the imageRUNNER 400Es

printer hard disk, reducing network traffic. Print jobs

are processed in the order in which they are received.

In testing, up to one copy job could be reserved while

another job was printing. If the imageRUNNER 400E



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is in use for copying or printing, the print job is stored

in a reserve (spool) queue on the imageRUNNER

400Es hard disk. BLI technicians noted that Collate

should be deselected on the Microsoft screen whenattempting to print multiple stapled sets using any of

the above listed software programs. Otherwise, all sets

are stapled together as one set, a problem common to

several other multifunctional devices tested by BLI

when using Microsoft Office software. BLI technicians

also noted that when the unit is receiving a facsimile,

rather than delaying printing or copying until the entire

fax has been received, a pending print or copy job can

commence and the imageRUNNER 400E will then print

the fax after pending copy or print jobs.

Mode priority: The initial function can be set to copy or

fax for walk-up users. Through the AdditionalFeatures menu, a user can choose a priority setting from

1 to 3 for each function (copy, fax and print). When

each is set to the same number (all 1s or all 3s) there is

no priority; first job (function) in, will be first out. BLI

technicians noted that when copy priority was set to 1

and print priority was set to 2 or 3, the print job would

spool entirely to the imageRUNNER 400Es hard drive

and wait for the copy job to complete before starting.

Interrupt: The interrupt key is used for interrupting

copy jobs only to run another copy job. Print and fax

jobs cannot be interrupted using this key.

Memory allocation: Tested with the standard 64-MB

image memory (copy, print and fax; expandable to 96

MB); 2.1-GB hard disk. Part of the memory is reserved

for image storage. Print jobs are processed on the

imageRUNNER 400E print server and remain there

until the previous print job has finished.

Program ahead (reserve copy job) while copying: A copy

job cannot be programmed and initiated while another

copy job is in progress.

Program ahead (reserve copy job) while printing: One

copy job can be preprogrammed and scanned while

printing is taking place.

Device/feature contention issues. None. The interrupt out-

put paper tray will accept output from non-sort copy

jobs while a print job is running.

Control panel status messages/job access: Good. Con-

trol panel status messages were found to be accurate

on the imageRUNNER 400E. A detailed fax job list

could be displayed by pressing a fax monitor icons

accessible from the system monitor icon on any ofthe function screens. An indicator on the LCD flashes

to indicate a print job is printing and the Print Moni-

tor screen shows up to four print jobs at a time, in-

cluding the time the job was input, the job status, and

the number of pages remaining for the current job. To

view job five, the user must scroll to the next monitor

screen. A Details screen allows the user to check the

job settings for each job. The current jobs in the Re-

serve queue can be deleted by selecting the job, then

pressing the Cancel icon and yes.

Device status: Good. Device status is provided via

WebTools or NetSpot monitoring programs. See Net-working and connectivity under Performance Of

Printer Functions.

Paper size/supply gauge: Yes/Yes. Paper-level and pa-

per size information is provided via feedback from the

imageRUNNER 400E to the PCL print driver for Win-

dows 95/98 (only paper size information is fed back to

the PCL print driver for Windows NT). In addition, the

user can check paper levels and size from the PC if

NetSpot software is loaded and running in the back-

ground. The NetSpot status window shows paper lev-

els of full, two-thirds full, one-third full and empty.

Status of jobs in queue: Good, via both the NetSpot and

WebTools software, although pop-up messages are not

provided (users must be running the software and ac-

cess the status information), and good via the control

panel. At the control panel, the name and status of print

jobs printing and in queue to print appear at the lower

section of the screen, along with name of the user that

sent the job. Via a Print Monitor screen, users can

access a complete list of print jobs in queue. Since the

monitor window displays only four print jobs at a time,

the user must scroll to the next monitor window to view

job five.

Error messages: Good. No pop-up messages were avail-

able other than the default messages provided by the

network operation system, but users can obtain feed-

back at their workstations via Fiery WebTools Status

and WebSpooler and Canons NetSpot network admin-

istration utility. See Performance of Printer Functions.



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COST ANALYSIS

Rental: Contact your local Canon dealer or subsidiary.

Service pricing: BLI uses $0.015 (1.5 cents) as an average service cost per page for all volume bands. This average service

price includes all parts, labor and photoconductor replacements (and excludes toner, developer and fuser oil, if appli-

cable). For actual service contract pricing, contact your local Canon dealer or subsidiary.

COST PER PAGE (PURCHASE)

Monthly Depreciated1 Supplies and4** Total Life-CycleVolume Purchase Price Service2* Paper3 Consumables Per Page Cost5

10,000 4.244 1.500 0.627 0.373 6.744 $40,464

15,000 2.829 1.500 0.627 0.373 5.329 $47,961

20,000 2.122 1.500 0.627 0.373 4.622 $55,464

25,000 1.698 1.500 0.619 0.373 4.190 $62,849

35,000 1.213 1.500 0.619 0.373 3.705 $77,805

50,000 0.849 1.500 0.619 0.373 3.341 $100,230

75,000 0.566 1.500 0.619 0.373 3.058 $137,610

100,000 0.424 1.500 0.619 0.373 2.916 $174,960

115,000 0.369 1.500 0.619 0.373 2.861 $197,409

120,000 0.354 1.500 0.619 0.373 2.846 $204,912

150,000 0.283 1.500 0.619 0.373 2.775 $249,750

1 The suggested retail price of the unit as tested, $25,463 was depreciated over a five-year period using a straight-line method.

2 The cost of service was computed using an estimated price of 1.500 per copy (based on the average for copiers tested).

3 The cost of paper was based on an estimated price for 5,000-sheet cartons of 8-1/2" x 11" 20-lb. bond: 1-4 cartons, $36.15 each; 5-9

cartons, $34.80 each

Documents

Test Report Ir400