XEROX Phaser 6500/N Workgroup Up to 24 ppm 600 x 600 dpi Color Print Quality Color Laser Printer

Pros: Big, Solid, Color Laser Printer, Complete Independent Network Printer Server - built-in, HTTP web interface, SNMP support, Complete Adobe Postscript 3 support, Upgradeable to 3 times the stock memory and turns on more features with more memory, Upgradeable with a Duplexer for two sided printing, Upgradeable with a second 250 sheet tray under first, Toner won't dry out like an Ink Jet

Cons: Big, Solid, Heavy Duty, Thick Substantial Plastic Shell, Loud - Shipping carton barely fits in the Passenger side seat of a 2010 Honda Accord, Ships very fast with 3 day shipping - its really "there" the 3rd day, Big Solid, Heavy

Other Thoughts: I know Xerox printers from the Office, the 7500 series or so, this is the Phaser 6500 but its built a lot like those big wheeled machines. The sales price $199 seems very inexpensive for such a substantial machine. Make no mistake this is a network enabled, networked printer with a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port. It comes with a USB port but no built-in bluetooth or wireless. It boots up and searches for a DHCP address, or you have to input one in from the control panel and then power off and power on.

You can put it on your network and print from multiple PCs. It comes with Adobe Postscript 3 native, no emulation, it has a few built-in fonts or can download them if you install more memory.

More memory turns on features that are turned off in the base model. The ability to download more fonts to it. The ability to print and hold documents in memory to be released at the printer control panel. The ability to "Collate" or print multiple copies "completely sequentially" instead of three copies of page 1, then three copies of page 2 - then you have to sort and interleave to create three documents (that's what Collation is).

It has one paper tray, but you can add another one to increase paper capacity from 250 sheets to 500 sheets.

The base model does not come with a Duplexer, but you can buy one and install it. A Duplexer prints automatically on both sides of a sheet of paper before putting it in the output tray. Without it you have to re-insert the paper back into the paper tray yourself to print on the other side. The Base model does not come with a Duplexer.

Xerox print drivers are straight forward, they do not layer frameworks or add-ons, or "ads and special offers", so they are less likely to break and easier to update. The Xerox drivers are updated and periodically released at the same Xerox website as for the Big Xerox printers.

This printer seems to have most of the capabilities as the Big printers just reduced or sized appropriate for the consumer. Price appears to be kept down by making many things "optional" but available for a later purchase.

Printing and Copying is Xerox's primary business, so I'm looking forward to a printer designed by a printer company to be used as a printer, not as an after thought or add-on.

This is the "middle tier" printer between the small "but dump" budget printer for the desktop and the "top tier" printer which has the absolute highest resolution and tries to compete with the Photographic quality Inkjets in a Laser Jet format. Technically its a 600x600 resolution, but with a high degree of gray scale levels and blendable color pallete. And it is Pantone certified.. not a lot of printers bother to go that far.

Its a printer I hope to use infrequently and someday turn over to a family member as a long term workhorse.

Pros: I have this connected via ethernet cable and setup was simple. I had to use the included disc to install the drivers and that was again easy. I did connect this printer via a USB cable just to try it that way and Windows 7 x64 found it immediately. Very happy with performance and quality of prints.

Cons: Footprint is a little big, but other than that haven't found any yet.

Other Thoughts: I run a small business from home and print all my forms, brochures, etc. with MS Publisher. Multiple pictures within the brochures so quality is important. Everything looks great and the printer handles the 38 lb brochure stock without any problems.

Replaced a Minolta Magicolor 2430DL that died after several years. Setup was easier IMO and quality is better. Got it on sale for $174.99 and worth every penny.

Pros: Cheap initial cost. Very cheap aftermarket toner available, that IMO works every bit as well as the more expensive Xerox brand. Very sharp, vivid images. Gigabit Ethernet. The duplex unit I bought for it was simple to install and works like a charm.

For those finding it difficult to configure, use the front panel to set a fixed IP address, then browse to that address with any PC on the network to set everything else. Couldn't be easier.

Cons: OK, it took a bit of trial and error to get the color registration dialed in, but I just checked it again after 3 months and it was still dead on.

Not really a con, but like almost every other new laser printer, it ships with "starter" toner cartridges. Be sure to have new toner on hand once you decide you are going to keep it.

Other Thoughts: I print a lot of flyers and 8-page concert programs using MS Publisher. If you want good printing speed, turn off Collate. (Yes, you will have to manually collate the pages after it's all printed.) With collate off, your PC sends ONE image (single or double sided) and the page count for how many to print. With collate on, your PC resends each page to be printed, and even with GigE, it slows down the printing process and adds to network congestion. (This tip is true for ANY network printer, but it took me a while to figure it out, so I thought I would share it.)

Pros: The price was a plus and when it worked it put out good color and was quick.

Cons: This printer was constantly losing the print spooler so it would quit working, called and talked to customer support and was given instructions to get it printing again. Had to do that serveral time and then the crowning blow was the printer just quit one day. It had printed less that 1000 sheets of paper. Part of the circuit board had died. This was the second Xerox printer that had died on me. The other was a 6140. Did not and will not buy another Xerox product.

Pros: Has functioned flawlessly for 3 months.

Cons: Configuration menu a little tedious.

Other Thoughts: I would purchase this product again. Great value for the money.

Pros: Works great. Print quality excellent.

Cons: installed on 11-10-12 and by 2-10-13 I have consumed $750 worth of toner in only 622 pages printed (1 set of regular toner cart and 1 set of high capacity cart). Xerox tech support told me "That is normal if you are printing color exclusive images".

Other Thoughts: I wonder how many of these Xerox would sell if they put a big label on the box stating you will consume toner at the rate of $1.20 per page. I could literally buy a new machine every time cheaper than I can resupply the toner.

Pros: Worked great. For 6 months of extremely light duty.

Cons: After that, not so much.

Other Thoughts: Suddenly started printing out solid black pages today. Not a software issue... even the internal test page from the device is black.

Realistically, all hardware fails eventually. But after 6 months, Xerox? Really? I am disappoint.

Can't even email customer service with "registering your product" and waiting a WEEK.

Xerox shows every sign of being a company that just doesn't care.

Gonna go back to buying from Brother. I've never had a single one of their printers fail on me.

Pros: The color is great and sharp, sent a high res picture to the printer full page and printed in less then 10 sec and startup was less then 10. Easy to setup I would use the software to setup in windows but you can use the windows driver in updated drivers.

Cons: Only problem was after 2 days I lost the printer on the network but I can not blame the printer for that yet although it happens when the printer sleeps most likely it is a network problem just have not had time to trouble shoot this is not a reason to complian though.

Pros: Amazing color, fast prints. Bought for a personal computer setup so a bit overkill but overall has met and exceded expectations.

Cons: None.

Pros: Out of the box, the printer just works. Easy to configure for network printing and the consumables are reasonably priced. Other printers in this price range will kill you on the toner, but this one is not so bad.

Cons: It's a little big, but it's built to handle office level volumes, so you can expect a little extra size. Not really worth a strike against it.