In June 2004 Lexmark introduced the E230/232/234 and E330/332 monochrome printers designed for both home and business environments, their small footprint making them perfect for desktop placement. The E230 was released in Europe at the same time, but was not available in the US. In October 2005 the E240 and E340/342 series printers were introduced to replace those earlier models.
The new printers, like their predecessors, utilize a two-piece consumables system, with separate toner and drum units. The 1200-dpi E240 series replaces the E230, with increased speed and memory. The E240 achieves a print speed of up to 27 pages per minute, a first page out in less than 9 seconds, and a duty cycle of 10,000 pages per month. The 1200-dpi E340/342 replaces the E330/332 and prints up to 30 pages per minute with a first page out in less than 8 seconds and a monthly duty cycle of 15,000 pages per month. Equivalent printers for the Lexmark E340/342 are the Dell 1710 and IBM Infoprint 1512. The Dell 1710 achieves a print speed more in line with the discontinued E330/332 at 27 pages per minute.
Cartridges are available in standard non-Return cartridges yielding 2,500 pages and standard Return cartridges yielding 6,000 pages. High-yield cartridges are available only for the E340/342 models and equivalents. All cartridges have a direct contact chip located on the toner unit. The chip detects Toner Low and an optical sensor is used to make a pixel-count approximation of Toner Out. Lexmark, Dell and IBM models are physically identical and are interchangeable between OEMs when the proper chip is installed on the cartridge. Incompatibilities are due solely to chip differences.