Printer Primer, Dell E515dw

Released in late spring with a few other units, the Dell E515dw offers users the convenience of 4-in-1 (print, scan, copy, fax) functionality in one, compact frame. As a monochrome laser, it is a solid option for those that mainly print text documents or can get by without color charts/graphs. Back in August, we looked at one of the other single-function units that came out at the same time, the E310dw which is fairly similar to the E515dw in terms of print speed, but lacks the ability to scan, copy, and fax. Speaking of print speeds, users will undoubtedly appreciate the fast print speeds of up to 27 ISO ppm on the device as well as first time out speeds as fast as 8.5 seconds (from Power Saver mode, the number goes up to 17.5 seconds). The E515dw measures 16.1” x 15.7.” x 12.5” (WxDxH) and weighs roughly 25 lbs. A two-line LCD screen is set in the middle of the printer’s control panel which provides basic information about print jobs, machine status, etc. Designed to be as flexible in connectivity as it is in functionality, there is built-in support to support connection via USB, Ethernet cable, standard Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct which does not require a local access point.

Certainly among the strengths of this unit are Dell Printer Hub software and access to Dell Document Hub. Dell Printer Hub serves as a single, intuitive software interface for anything users need to aid them in using and maintaining their printer including 1-click printer firmware and software updates, 1-click access to user-defined scanning shortcuts, and 1-click access to Dell Document Hub. Dell Document Hub is Dell’s solution for managing all of one’s documents whether on a computer or residing in one of the many cloud storage services such as Box^®, Dropbox^®, Evernote^®, Google Drive™, Microsoft OneDrive^®, and Microsoft SharePoint Online^®. For mobile access, users of iOS, Android, and Windows devices can download the free Dell Document Hub app to print from and scan to the cloud services noted above from virtually anywhere. Additionally the printer works with AirPrint and Google Cloud Print as well as being Mopria certified.

Input capacity for the Dell E515dw is rated for up to 250 sheets, which should certainly be more than sufficient for any users opting for this type of device. There is also a 1-sheet manual bypass tray for heavier media and envelopes. Located on the top of the device is a 35-sheet automatic document feeder which makes unattended scanning, faxing, and copying quick and easy. Last but not least automatic two-sided printing comes standard on the E515dw, helping users reduce paper waste by printing on both sides of a single sheet of paper.

As a monochrome laser printer, the Dell E515dw uses a single black toner cartridge. The cartridge is available in one of two sizes, standard or high-capacity. The standard toner cartridge is rated for up to 1,200 pages while the high-capacity is rated for more than twice that at up to 2,600 pages. The imaging drum that comes with the printer should last for 12,000 pages, which again should be plenty for any users of this type of printer.

The Dell E515dw at the time of this writing is available from the company for $119.99, which is a whopping $100 the standard sticker price. For more information on the unit, visit the product page on the Dell website.