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Top 10 Monochrome Laser Printers

Eight newcomers capture places on the chart this month, but the Best Buys in both small-office and workgroup categories are retested returnees.

Laura Blackwell

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B4350 Mono LED Printer, 23ppm, 1200x600, 16MB, PCL6, PS3 Option PCW Rating: 72.9PCW Rating: 72.9PCW Rating: 72.9

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

1. Oki Printing Solutions B4350 Mono LED Printer, 23ppm, 1200x600, 16MB, PCL6, PS3 Option

Rated 23 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 250 pages input, 150 output, 14.0 by 15.6 by 8.5 inches; 22.0 pounds, Street price when ranked: $299 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: This retested printer won hands down against other stand-alone printers in our tests. The first page prints quickly.

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HL-2040 PCW Rating: 79.0PCW Rating: 79.0PCW Rating: 79.0

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

2. Brother HL-2040

Rated 20 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 250 pages input, 100 output, 6.5 by 14.6 by 14.2 inches; 14.3 pounds, Street price when ranked: $150 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: Light graphics are the only weak spot of this solid performer, which delivered nice speed and text quality, and carries a low price.

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ML-2010 PCW Rating: 72.5PCW Rating: 72.5PCW Rating: 72.5

Last Rated: June 23, 2005

3. Samsung ML-2010

Rated 22 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 150 pages input, 100 output, 14.1 by 11.8 by 8.6 inches; 12.3 pounds, Street price when ranked: $150 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: The ML-2010 produced attractive but slightly pale text. Though lightweight and compact, this model feels sturdy.

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E330 PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: June 23, 2005

4. Lexmark E330

Rated 27 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Letter-size paper, maximum, 250 pages input, 150 output, 9.8 by 15.6 by 13.9 inches; 22.0 pounds, Street price when ranked: $399 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: At default settings, the speedy E330 laid down heavy, dark tones that didn't do justice to graphics. Fast living will cost you.

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LaserJet 1020 Laser Printer (14 PPM, 600x600 DPI, B&W, 2MB, PC) PCW Rating: 71.0PCW Rating: 71.0PCW Rating: 71.0

Last Rated: June 23, 2005

5. HP LaserJet 1020 Laser Printer (14 PPM, 600x600 DPI, B&W, 2MB, PC)

Rated 15 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 150 pages input, 125 output, 14.6 by 9.5 by 8.2 inches; 11.0 pounds, Street price when ranked: $179 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: Weighing in at 11 pounds and showing a slim profile, this svelte printer is the lightest, smallest, and slowest unit on the chart.

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PHASER 4500 LASER 35PPM 1200X1200DPI 64MB ENET USB 110V PCW Rating: 78.0PCW Rating: 78.0PCW Rating: 78.0

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

6. Xerox PHASER 4500 LASER 35PPM 1200X1200DPI 64MB ENET USB 110V

Rated 36 pages per minute , 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 700 pages input, 500 output, 16.6 by 18.3 by 17.3 inches; 45.0 pounds, Street price when ranked: $999 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: A snap to install on our network, this model can print both text and graphics fast enough to please most workgroups.

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OKI B6200N DIGITAL MONO PRINTERPRNT (25PPM)/ 120V/ (ENGLISH) PCW Rating: 85.3PCW Rating: 85.3PCW Rating: 85.3

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

7. Oki Printing Solutions OKI B6200N DIGITAL MONO PRINTERPRNT (25PPM)/ 120V/ (ENGLISH)

Rated 25 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 400 pages input, 250 output, 16.6 by 17.9 by 12.8 inches; 41.0 pounds, Street price when ranked: $585 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: It's about balance: The B6200n's output quality and speed fell in the middle range, but so does its price. Setup was simple.

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LaserJet 2430tn PCW Rating: 75.0PCW Rating: 75.0PCW Rating: 75.0

Last Rated: June 23, 2005

8. HP LaserJet 2430tn

Rated 35 pages per minute , 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 850 pages input, 250 output, 16.7 by 15.7 by 15.7 inches; 48.5 pounds, Street price when ranked: $999 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: Grayscale graphics looked nicely balanced, and letters were well formed; but soft, smeary blacks marred the text output.

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T430dn PCW Rating: 79.0PCW Rating: 79.0PCW Rating: 79.0

Last Rated: June 23, 2005

9. Lexmark T430dn

Rated 32 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 350 pages input, 150 output, 16.0 by 16.7 by 10.0 inches; 31.5 pounds, Street price when ranked: $849 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: The T43dn addresses the key workgroup issues with easy installation, handsome text, and fast output. Graphics looked harsh.

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ML-2251N PCW Rating: 69.0PCW Rating: 69.0PCW Rating: 69.0

Last Rated: June 23, 2005

10. Samsung ML-2251N

Rated 22 pages per minute , 600-by-600-dpi maximum true monochrome resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 300 pages input, 150 output, 10.9 by 14.1 by 17.8 inches; 20.1 pounds, Street price when ranked: $300 (5/26/05)

Bottom Line: This compact model yielded excellent prints, but its slow pace and unhelpful setup docs make it nonviable for most workgroups.

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The overall rating for monochrome laser printers is based on price (25 percent), print quality (25 percent), features (15 percent), ease of use (15 percent), speed (10 percent), and service and support (10 percent). Data based on tests designed and conducted by the PC World Test Center. All rights reserved.

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