First page print
The time passed from pressing the Copy button to the completion of the first copy in MFPs. Typically specified for low quality black and white printing on A4 paper. The time for the first copy to be released is the longest (because of the time to prepare for work and scan the document); subsequent copies of the same document are printed much faster.
Fast first copy time is important if you have to copy documents frequently.
B/W copy
Black and white copy speed – the number of copies of one page that the MFP can produce in 1 minute. Typically indicated for poor print quality. This option is important if you often need to make many copies of a single document.
B/W printing
The number of pages the printer can produce per minute in black and white mode. Typically indicated for low print quality, higher print quality takes longer. This setting is important if you need to frequently print text documents.
Black Ink Page Yield
Approximate number of pages that the MFP can print in black and white mode without replacing the cartridge. In fact, this greatly depends on the specs of the images to print, so the actual resource may greatly differ from the claimed one in one way or another. Nevertheless, according to this indicator, it is quite possible to evaluate the capabilities of the MFP and compare it with other models.
OPC drum cycle
The yield of the optical photoconductor drum installed in the laser or LED MFP (see "Print Type").
This spec is based on the approximate amount of pages that can be printed on the device without scratches or scuffs on the drum. Such defects lead to artefacts on prints and deterioration in quality, which may eventually require the replacement or refurbishment of the drum. The longer duty cycle, the less often such events will have to be carried out.
Cartridge model
Types of cartridges (both black&white and colour) used in the MFP. Some models of the MFP are able to work with third-party cartridges, but this feature usually refers to undocumented, and the manufacturer's warranty applies only to specific types of cartridges. So, use third-party compatible cartridge models with caution.
Higher capacity cartridge
The MFP cartridge is designed for a certain duty cycle. However, the device compatibility with different cartridges sometimes allows you to install a cartridge with higher capacity, which can result in more pages being printed. These models with
the option to expand the print cycle that are included in this paragraph.
Cloud printing
Cloud-enabled MFPs allow you to work directly with cloud services without connecting to a PC.
The general point of such printing is that the documents sent for printing (and in the case of MFPs, also scanned materials) are stored on a server on the Internet. Thus, the connectivity of the printer/scanner is not limited to the local network — you can send documents for printing and receive scan results from anywhere in the world where there is access to the World Wide Web. In addition, cloud services make it easy to share access to the MFP and other people.
Note that cloud printing can also be used with MFPs, that do not have such a function by themselves — for this, you need to connect the device to a PC with the appropriate software.
More Features
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Cortana. The presence of one or more of these names in the specs of the MFP means that the device is compatible with the corresponding
voice assistant — a system that allows you to give commands to various devices using your voice and receive voice notifications. Note that this is usually not about the presence of an assistant in the MFP itself, but about the ability to connect the device to a gadget equipped with a voice assistant — for example, a smartphone or laptop. However, this feature provides additional convenience — it allows you to control the MFP with just your voice, without using the control panel or touch screen, in particular, to send various files to print. At the same time, you should note that the functionality of the voice assistant and the possibilities for connecting it may be limited. For example, Amazon Alexa is able to print only content directly associated with the assistant (shopping lists, calendar templates, coloring books, and some other types of materials) and does not allow you to randomly select a file for printing from a third-party source, and you need to connect a device with such a voice assistant via a local network — this cannot be done directly via USB.
— Keyboard. In this case, we are talking about a full-fledged QWERTY keyboard, like those used in computers and laptops. For basic tasks, such equipment is not required, so the keyboard is a sign of a fairly
...advanced device. Models with this function, usually, provide a network connection (via LAN and/or Wi-Fi), and also have additional tools for managing materials (sorting, sending by fax or e-mail, etc.).
— Built-in fax. Allows the MFP to receive and send faxes. Two devices are involved in such a transfer: the first scans the document and transmits information via the telephone network, and the second prints a copy of the document based on this information. Despite the popularity of Internet technologies, fax communication is still quite widely used in business. Therefore, the MFP with built-in fax can be recommended primarily for use in the office. Fax is often combined with a telephone.
— Disc label printing. This function allows you to arrange the recorded disc (Printable CD-R/RW and DVD-R/RW) as you wish. Special software can be included to the package of the MFP with such a feature to create layouts for label printing.
