The Lexmark Pro 715

The Lexmark Pro 715 may be a latest updated design and quick print speeds, but looks aside, its core is a near replica of the previous model, the Prevail Pro 705. That printer earned a rating of Excellent for its easy control panel and studio-quality snapshots, but there are not enough updates in this new version to catch it up to the Epson Workforce 845, a competing device worthy of its "all-in-one" moniker with mobile printing features, a massive 500-sheet paper input capacity, and a generous 7.8-inch interactive display. By comparison, the Lexmark Pro715 comes up disappointingly short and small offices and busy home users can get more done with the Workforce 845 at the same price.

Design and features:

Like the Pro705 before it, the Pro715 has a drab gray-black color palette that might have earned points with us in the past, but now feels all too typical of an office printer. Its smooth edges and rounded paper input tray shave off the sharp corners and make the device look more streamlined, but the general design of the line has modified very little.

Instead of the massive touch-screen LCD you get on the Epson Workforce 845, the Pro715 has a 2.4-inch color LCD show with a directional panel just to the right for scrolling through onscreen menus, as well as a number pad for dialing fax numbers. The silo paper drawer is built into the base and can only hold 150 sheets of paper, which may be sufficient for a small business. Still, several businesses may find the Epson Workforce more convenient with its 250-sheet tray for standard 8.5x11-inch paper and separate 250-sheet tray for photo paper.

Good:

The Lexmark Pro715 may be a streamlined version of its predecessor, the Pro705, with a higher-resolution 2.4-inch LCD screen and also the company's enhanced Vizix 2.0 set of inks for vibrant photos and professional-quality documents.

Bad:

For the same cost, the Epson Workforce 845 trumps the Lexmark Pro715 in several areas.

Bottom Line:

Lexmark's latest all-purpose office machine introduces a new set of inks with a separate print head that outputs higher-quality photos than the previous model, but competing devices offer you with convenient features like cloud printing and a larger touch-screen display for the same price.