Epson WorkForce 600 review

 WorkForce 600 Specifications:

• 5-in-1 printer with WiFi: Print / Copy / Scan / Photo / Fax
• Draft speeds up to 38 ppm (black and color) 
• Extra High-capacity Black ink
• 2-year limited warranty with registration
• Uses up to 3x less power than a laser printer
• Built-in memory card slots and 2.5-inch LCD
• Maximum Printer Resolution: 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi
• Scanner/Copier Resolution: 2400 x 2400 dpi (9600x9600 dpi interpolated)
• Scanner Bit Depth: 48-bit color / 24-bit output
• Maximum Paper Size: 8.5" x 44"
• Paper Sizes: 3.5" x 5", 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", 8.5" x 11", 8.5" x 14", A4, B5, A5, A6, half letter, executive, user definable (3.5" – 44" in length)
• Borderless Photo Sizes: 3.5" x 5", 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", 8.5" x 11", A4
• Connectivity: Hi-Speed USB 2.0, Wireless Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), Wired Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)
• Operating Systems: Windows Vista, XP, XP Professional x64, 2000, Mac OS X 10.3.9, 10.4.11, and 10.5.x
• Software Included: Epson printer driver, Web to Page, Epson Scan, ArcSoft Print Creations, ABBYY Fine Reader OCR

The Basics

The Epson WorkForce 600 is slightly larger than the average all-in-one printer tipping the scales at 18.3 lbs.  Its dimensions are 18.1" x 13.6" x 9.3" with the paper trays closed (18.1" x 22.1" x 12" with the paper trays open) so although it takes up less space than a separate printer, scanner, copier and fax, the WorkForce 600 uses more desk space than a regular printer.

The exterior of the WorkForce 600 looks strikingly similar to the Epson Artisan 800 that we previously reviewed with some key differences in the front panel. The glossy black plastics are prone to smudges and difficult to keep clean but the overall look is modern. Both the input and output paper trays fold into the printer to keep it compact when not in use. 

The rear-loading paper tray can hold up to 100 pages of paper or 10 envelopes. The paper feeder supports plain paper, Epson Bright White Paper, Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Ultra Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Semi-gloss, Presentation Paper Matte, Premium Presentation Paper Matte, Premium Presentation Paper Matte Double-sided, and Matte Scrapbook Photo Paper (letter).

The WorkForce 600’s built-in card reader is compatible with CompactFlash, Microdrive, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, MagicGate Memory Stick, MagicGate Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Secure Digital (SD), SDHC, mini SD, mini SDHC, micro SD, micro SDHC, MultiMediaCard, xD-Picture Card, xD-Picture Card Type-M, and xD-Picture Card Type-H.

There is also a PictBridge-compatible USB port next to the memory card slots.

The tilt-up control panel and LCD status display is located on the front of the WorkForce 600.  The control panel consists of 33 buttons.  While that might sound like an awful lot of buttons, keep in mind that 15 of those buttons are basically only used for the phone dialing pad used with the built-in fax machine.

If you lift the top up, you’ll find the scanner/copier area.   Its dimensions are approx. 8.5 x 11 inches.

If you lift the scanner/copier area, you’ll find yourself looking at the inside of the machine.  This is where you load the four ink cartridges. While it might sound intimidating to change four ink cartridges it's actually a good thing that the each color of ink is contained in its own cartridge. If you run out of one color of ink you only have to replace that one color … you’re not throwing away good ink just because one color is low.

You'll find the connection ports on the the back corner of the machine.