If you have a busy small office setting that needs top-of-the-line desktop copier functions, you probably already know you'll need a pretty large budget when purchasing a high-end unit. So the suggested price for Sharp's AR-M162 laser desktop copier probably won't surprise you too much. The AR-M162 has a lot of high-end features, but its capabilities--and price tag--probably will exceed the needs of most SOHO environments.

The AR-M162 uses laser-printing technology in making its copies, and you will receive extremely sharp copies with this machine. Its top resolution matches what you'd expect from a laser desktop copier at 600x600 dpi. The AR-M162 also carries a good copy speed, offering a maximum speed of 16 ppm. This unit doesn't lose much speed when printing in "Best" mode, either. Finally, the AR-M162 carries its speed fairly well, even when making large copies. Documents measuring 8.5-by-14 and 11-by-17 inches can run at speeds of 9-10 ppm

The AR-M162 offers a 250-sheet paper tray, and you can add two more 250-sheet trays as optional equipment. You can resize original documents at between 25 and 400 percent, but the zoom range shrinks to a disappointing 50 to 200 percent when you use the optional single-pass document feeder (SPF), which allows for automated collation of multi-page documents. Unfortunately, an Ethernet networking connection is optional as well (which is surprising for a high-priced unit like the AR-M162).

One other disappointment: The AR-M162 requires an agonizing 45 seconds to warm up, meaning you won't be able to make one quick copy with this machine unless it's already powered up and ready to copy.

Ultimately, Sharp has designed the AR-M162 for office settings that have high monthly output needs. Most SOHO environments won't be able to push the full capabilities of the AR-M162, which means it's not a great value for most SOHO users.


Pros: Sharp output, good copy speed, easily handles large documents, workhorse unit
Cons: High MSRP, optional equipment quickly raises price, warm-up time is too long, no networking

Warranty
90 days, parts and labor