The Lexmark Interpret S405 inkjet printer is aimed at home and small office users. And for a budget all-in-one, it does a fairly decent job. Pushing more towards the home market as opposed to the corporate setting of an office, the S405 has a built in scanner, copier and fax machine. Not only this but Lexmark have installed Wi-Fi for ultimate flexibility.
Design
The Interpret S405 is fairly bulky but this is mainly down to the 35 sheet Automatic Document Feeder which sits on top. The S405 comes with a decent paper feed system which makes a refreshing change from some of the lower end printers. The control panel which runs along the centre of the printer allows the user to fax, scan, copy and print directly. The inkjet also comes with a memory card reader that accepts SD, xD and Memory Stick formats and USB/PictBridge support. Lexmark spoils the user for choices when it comes to connecting up your computer – choose from USB, Wi-Fi or even Ethernet for super print speeds.
Advantages
Lexmark have crammed this printer full of functions, all of which you will struggle to find unless you opt for a pricier, high-end device. The option of being able to use the printer on a network is perfect for small offices and households with more than one computer. Fax functionality is another huge plus and will be hard to find on other budget all-in-ones. Print quality is also pretty impressive with text and graphic documents looking crisp and vibrant.
Disadvantages
What really lets the Lexmark Interpret S405 inkjet printer down is the speed at which it runs. Lexmark openly admit they run the same print engine across the entire range, resulting in the same technology being installed in the S405 as the budget S305 – the end result is an all-in-one device that's not only slow to print but scans and copies at a snail's pace too. This alone will cause problems in a small office setting where print volumes are high which is why, despite its business functionality, the S405 is best suited as a home or home office printer.
