Lexmark Lexmark x500n

The control panel is pretty easy to use. Most of the buttons are clearly labeled, although the major-function buttons for copying and scanning have only large, inscrutable icons. The two-line LCD shows status, messages, and menu options, but I'd prefer more cues for which button to push next when navigating menus. You can also view the printer's status and settings via its internal Web page.

The toner cartridges are sealed, flat packs that slide into bays. The design lacks any sort of visual or audible feedback to confirm that a cartridge is seated properly. The machine ships with a 2500-page black cartridge and three 1500-page color cartridges. They're expensive to replace, and the high-yield versions aren't much more economical: A 5000-page black cartridge costs almost $135, or 2.7 cents per page, while each 3000-page color cartridge costs nearly $120, or 4 cents per page.

Lexmark's characteristically smooth, automated installation leaves you with useful software, including ABBYY FineReader 6.0 Sprint for OCR and Presto Page Manager for scanning. The largely wordless setup poster has big, easy-to-understand illustrations. I encountered just one hitch: The primary user guide is available on the CD but is not installed automatically. Lexmark says it has since added the guide to the list of preloaded software.

--Melissa Riofrio