KM 652 — Ricoh C550Ex — Xerox C550

[artshostak]

Simply vote for the better unit based on what you know.
(The rest of the original post has been edited down to remove the information private to our company.)

[X33]

a couple of things about leasing:

1. make sure, or at least try, to have a lease with the actual manufacturer. try to avoid leasing with a financial intermediary.

2. do a fair market value lease. in an fmv lease, there's no way to know the buyout price at the end of it. that's why it's called a fair market value lease; anything can happen in 3,4,5 years and the buyout price will vary. if someone quotes you 3% or 5% at the end of the fmv lease, I don't think that's accurate to say.

3. I would focus on the low lease payment, rather than thinking if I'm going to own it at the end. that said, I would look for the longest term possible that I'm comfortable with and that will give me the lowest monthly payment. depending on how technology develops in the next few years, it will dictate if I buy or not the equipment at the end of the lease.

[artshostak]

Thank you for the clarification on the lease option, X33. We are likely to do just that!
I'd love to get a couple more opinions/votes before making our decision — today or tomorrow.