Are you so niche-driven that you want the text clarity of a laser printer with a copier thrown in to boot? It sounds like you’re jonesing for the Sharp AL-1041, a nifty little number that combines a 600dpi laser printer with a flatbed digital copier.
Digital copying can offer superior reproduction quality, especially when doing enlargements. Digital copiers are also theoretically more reliable than standard copiers because they boast fewer moving parts. And when making multiple copies, a digital copier will simply scan the image once instead of repeatedly scanning the same image. The AL-1041 holds up to 250 sheets in its tray, packs 6MB of RAM for printing chores, is rated for 10 copies per minute, and flatbed copies up to legal size.
The AL-1041 has two glaring holes: it has no scanning functions whatsoever and lacks a document feeder. A feeder is available on the Sharp AL-1020, but that device can’t be used as a printer unless you buy a printer upgrade unit. Still, at a rated eight printed pages per minute, the AL-1041 offers the small office a powerful one-two punch as a laser printer/digital copier.
