With some inkjet multifunction devices, the first thing that grabs your attention is a large automatic document feeder or high-quality sample prints; with the Lexmark X2600, however, we guarantee that the first thing that you'll notice is its extremely low price. In fact, you might spend as much for this machine as you would on a set of replacement ink cartridges for other, similar devices. It should come as no surprise, then, that Lexmark did not design the X2600 as an office-ready workhorse; it runs slowly, it has no high-end features, its text output is average at best and it offers no fax capabilities.

The unit's printer runs at speeds of up to 22ppm in black-and-white mode, but real-world printing conditions will produce much slower results. You can print good-quality photos with the X2600, but they will print very slowly. The X2600 can create borderless photos of a variety of sizes, and you can use an optional six-ink printing system to improve your photo print quality.

The unit's scanner and copier offer below-average features. The copier is primarily designed to copy photos, and you only can make up to nine copies at a time. The scanner runs at only a 600x1200 dpi optical resolution, which is well below the standard set by even slightly more expensive machines.

The X2600 uses several extension arms for paper handling; the extensions fold in when the device isn't in use so you can store it in a small space.

Having the opportunity to purchase a multifunction device for so little money may be tempting, but remember the old saying: "You get what you pay for." Lexmark's X2600 has some decent features, but most of what it offers is below average. There are, in fact, much better options available for only a little more money. But if minimizing the initial cost of your multifunction device is your primary consideration, the X2600 might just be the unit for you.


Pros: Very low price, small unit, good photo print quality
Cons: No fax function, below-average copy and scan functions, prints very slowly

Warranty
1 year, limited