Dell All-in-One V305W – Inexpensive Wireless Printing, Copying and Scanning at its Best

The Dell V305 W is a wireless, inexpensive all-in-one printer connecting directly to the home network. The multifunctional device does triple duty as full range copier and 1,200 x 2,400 dpi scanner. It lacks fax machine and auto document feeder. The replacement cartridges are exorbitantly pricey and the printer eats up ink.

Features and Design:

The V305W appears extremely simplistic and the entire unit looks as if it was carved from a single plastic block. The control panel is basic too. It has two ports for memory cards (MD, CF, MMC, xD, MS, SD) and PictBridge USB port directly beneath two-ink cartridge bay to print directly from compatible digital camera.

You can’t use the device as a printer server as it misses the Ethernet port. Wireless connectivity is painless, thanks to Dell’s step-by-step setup. Establishing a USB connection at the start prompts the driver to set up an ad-hoc wireless connection between computer and printer to enable fast prints.

The CD has several pre-installed drivers to configure network settings while the remaining work of pairing the two devices together is done by the printer. The process lasts 10 minutes.

Performance:

Dell has the worst and best of the pack. The black text prints at 7.82 per minute, twice the speed than the costlier Kodak ESP5. It also scans full page of color and black and white graphics faster than its competitors. The overall time taken for printing color documents is disappointing.

The cost of the printer ranges from $130 to $75.