Lexmark's X63 is a budget multifunction device aimed at small business and home office users. It combines a colour inkjet printer, colour scanner and fax machine in one unit that can also be used as a monochrome or full-colour copier.

The X63 is only equipped with a USB interface and installing the printer and supplied software is quick and simple. Some of the X63's functionality, particularly when scanning, is controlled by a combination of the unit's front panel controls and the supplied software, which makes it difficult to share this device across a network.

The unit's printer has a maximum resolution of 2,400 by 1,200dpi and uses two ink cartridges: one colour, one black. Colour output is good, and monochrome text is very crisp.

A claimed print speed of 14ppm mono/7ppm colour is respectable, but these speeds are hard to achieve in use. An A4-size colour photo took over a minute to print, but performance is better with monochrome text, reaching almost 7ppm.

Scanning requires you to press the X63's Scan button. This launches the Scan and Copy Control application on the connected PC. From here you select the scan destination: application, file, clipboard, email or text (via the supplied OCR application, ABBYY FineReader). The scanner has an optical resolution of 600 by 300spi and scans to a 36-bit colour depth.

Some functions, such as selecting a colour copy, require delving into the X63's menu system and some can only be accomplished from the control panel, such as faxing.

These limitations can become tiresome. Sending a fax is a manual operation and faxes can't be received or sent from your PC. This a compromise made to keep the cost of the X63 down.

If you're in the market for a low cost colour printer, scanner and fax that also works as a standalone colour copier, the Lexmark X63 performs all of these tasks adequately, and is one of the cheapest multifunction devices we've ever reviewed.

Price: £126.99 (ex. VAT)

Specifications:
OS: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Engine technology: colour inkjet
Print processor: 40MHz memory 2Mb DRam, 1Mb Flash
Duty cycle: 3,000ppm
Interfaces: USB 1.1

Contact: Lexmark 08704 440 044
www.lexmark.co.uk