By Paul Candle | Tech Blogger
SILICON VALLEY, CA – The tech community loves to chase the shiniest new gadget on the market, but questions of product value are often lost in the conversation. These days, the market is overflowing with smart-printers. Are the premium units really worth the sticker price? After bartering my son’s kidney for a Toshiba 3505AC Industrial Laser Smart-Printer/Copier, I am ready to give my verdict.
Product Overview:
The 3505AC is the flagship in Toshiba’s “e-STUDIO” line of mid-tier professional-grade print/copy/scan devices. It measures 23” x 25.2” x 31”. The 3505AC boasts a 1.33GHz e-BRIDGE chip that offers dramatically above-average processing speed for its price class. It comes in a matte black finish with a 9.4-inch TrueRetina touchscreen control panel. All parts are assembled in Japan.
Son Overview:
My son Dylan is the flagship in my line of Candle children. He measures 4’8” and weighs 82 pounds minus the heft of one kidney. Dylan’s processing speed, inherited from me and my wife, is average for his class. He comes in a pale, lightly freckled chassis with dark blonde accents. He was proudly assembled in the honeymoon suite of a La Quinta Inn 11 years ago.
Dylan’s little league season was cut short by the operation. Thanks for being a trooper, Dyl!
Printing Quality/Effect on Relationship with Family:
At first, my wife was upset that I did not consult her before harvesting Dylan’s kidney, but when she saw how the unique ECO-smart system prints high-definition pages with maximal ink efficiency, she begrudgingly acknowledged that the Toshiba 3505AC at least outperforms the Xerox VersaLink and Brother MCFL8610CW. While this did little to temper her rage, I could sleep soundly knowing that I had gotten the best possible value on the market.
She begrudgingly acknowledged that the Toshiba 3505AC at least outperforms the Xerox Versalink and Brother MCFL8610CW.
Additionally, I was able to use the Toshiba to print high-definition photos of Dylan’s favorite Star Wars characters to hang above his hospital bed, as well as an apology letter. The font on the apology letter was exceptionally crisp.
“Recharging” in the hospital. Can’t wait for you to come home and take the Toshiba for a spin!
A major shortcoming, however, is that the document feeders on the Toshiba 3505AC are available only as a premium add-on. This was a poor oversight by Toshiba, as document feeders are typically offered as a standard feature in the e-STUDIO line. It was difficult to look my son in the eye and tell him I bartered his kidney for a unit without enough document feeders to meet all of my commercial printing needs.
Manufacturer’s Warranty:
For a very reasonable $49.95, Toshiba’s warranty covers nearly every repair a printer might conceivably require. However, Anthem Blue Cross’s warranty on my son only covers “preventative” or “necessary” maintenance. Earth to Anthem! Did you Luddites ever consider that this operation was “necessary” to “prevent” consumers from shopping for industrial printers/copiers without being fully informed on the best available products?
Did you Luddites ever consider that this operation was “necessary” to “prevent” consumers from not being fully informed about the best industrial smart-printers on the market?
There’s no question that the 2-year manufacturer’s warranty on the Toshiba is far superior. In addition, Anthem Blue Cross’s claims system is much harder to navigate than Toshiba’s streamlined customer service platform.
Final verdict:
Toshiba has made a splash with this powerful, innovative device. A fellow gadget-head just like his father, Dylan agrees that the 3505AC’s efficient, high-quality performance is worth the asking price, but he would have liked to consider the HP OfficePro 635X before lying down on the operating table.
Nonetheless, my son is very satisfied with the Toshiba, and I expect my wife to come around eventually. If not, at least I’ll get to try out the Quik-Pro document scanning system when I sign our divorce proceedings. In conclusion, as long as you’re comfortable without document feeders in your base model and communicate openly with your family, the 3505AC is one of the finest printing, scanning, and copying options in its price class.♦
Nathan Mostow was happy to receive Dylan Candle’s kidney. He is still shopping for printers.