By Anuj Sharma

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS): With a focus on small businesses and work groups, HP Inc. recently launched its new PageWide Pro 500 series that includes the HP PageWide Pro 552dw and the HP PageWide Pro 577dw to help lower total cost of ownership.

Both machines are energy efficient and also come with extra security and management features.

The PageWide technology printers have a stationary printhead that spans the width of a page and allows for higher print speeds and better-quality text and graphics than standard inkjets.

The Rs 69,000 PageWide Pro MFP 577dw can print, fax, scan and copy, features a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen panel and has 768MB memory. The device has print resolution up to 1200x1200 dpi for black and up to 2400x1200 dpi for colour pages.

In terms of paper handling, the MFP has 500-sheet input tray, 50-sheet multi-purpose tray, 300-sheet face-down output bin. An optional 500-sheet paper tray or a 1,000-sheet tray with stand can be added for a maximum 1,550-sheet capacity.

Here is what works for the device.

The 577dw has an uncluttered and compact design and features a 4.3-inch touch screen panel that is easy to use and allows you to initiate jobs directly from the screen.

It supports automatic duplex (double-sided) printing. Plus, there is a 50-sheet automatic document feeder for walk up scanning/copying so the 577dw MFP provides most of the features that SME/enterprise users are likely to need.

The device has a duty cycle of 80,000 pages and a recommended monthly volume of 6,000 pages and is capable for handling medium to large volume printing.

Most of the devices in this print capacity operate at 1,500-1,600 watt which is more than your AC power consumption at home, but this PageWide device operates at just 100 watt, thus helps in cost saving, reduction in the carbon footprint.

Speed is the strong point of 577dw MFP and it printed a total of 70 A4 B/W and colour pages in a minute. Text quality was good enough for most business uses.

Graphics quality is better for any internal business use as well as for PowerPoint handouts and you may not even hesitate to give those to a potential client you are seeking to impress upon.

Maximum of 99 copies can be taken with reduce/enlargement ratio of 25 to 400 per cent.

Most printers/MFPs only recognise pdf format along with jpeg format during USB printing but with 577dw, you need not worry printing word or ppt presentations as these formats can be directly printed via USB print mode.

Users can print on-the-go as the device supports mobile printing which includes printing directly from your iOS/Android smartphone, WiFi Direct, HP ePrint and NFC feature available.

In terms of security, the MFP offers PIN printing feature, which is very demanding nowadays in the corporate world and allows you to encrypt your document with a pin and release jobs by entering PIN at the MFP -- restricting unauthorised personnel getting their hands on sensitive information.

Another important feature is HP colour accent feature which helps customer print colour logos at mono price.

What does not work?

The MFP weighs 22.15 kg so you may need two people to unpack and move it into place. Apart from that, we did not find any issues with the device.

Conclusion: The HP PageWide Pro 577dw MFP offers best of both laser and inkjet worlds, delivering fast, high-quality outputs. A duty cycle of 80,000 pages makes it a key contender for heavy duty yet high-quality output usage in enterprises, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), telecom, education, SMB customers, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals sectors.