HP Laserjet Printers Targets SMB Market

CRN Test Center engineers examined the LaserJet 4300, a relatively small laser printer that produces true 1,200-dpi output, spits out up to 45 ppm in letter size and prints the first page in less than 9 seconds. A 350MHz processor and standard 64 Mbytes of memory help make such high-speed printing possible, but users who feel the need for more speed can upgrade the printer's memory to as much as 416 Mbytes.

The LaserJet 4300's relatively large toner cartridge will print up to 18,000 pages, delivering a low cost per page of 1.1 cents. A duty cycle of 200,000 pages per month means that this printer really can support an entire workgroup, rather just one or two people. A standard 600-sheet input capacity means users won't have to add paper whenever they go to get their printouts.

In addition, the printer has a standard 250-sheet face-down output tray that can handle all kinds of media ranging in size from 5.8 inches x 8.3 inches to 8.5 inches x 14 inches.

Options for the LaserJet 4300 include a 75-sheet envelope feeder, a duplexer, a 500-sheet output stacker and a stapler/stacker unit.

The printer supports PCL5e, PCL6 and PostScript 3. Pricing starts at $1,399, and a network-ready unit is priced at $1,879.

CRN Test Center engineers tested the LaserJet 4300 for performance and print quality using various sample files from a printer test suite from Spencer and Associates. The unit prints so fast that it's difficult to count the pages as they shoot out of the printer.

A 10-page Microsoft Word document took only 23 seconds to finish, with the first page out in about 11 seconds. Subtracting the first-page delay from the total time equals a print time of just 12 seconds for 10 pages. That's close enough to 45 ppm to know that the printer is indeed capable of printing 45 ppm.

CRN Test Center engineers recommend the LaserJet 4300 for workgroup printing.