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Top 10 Monochrome Laser Printers

This month's chart presents an all-new lineup of printers, and the striking feature they share is sharply lower pricing.

Melissa Perenson

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Brother HL-5140 PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

1. Brother HL-5140

Rated 21 pages per minute, 2400-by-600-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 250 pages input, 150 output, 15.0 by 15.1 by 9.9 inches; 23 pounds, Street price when ranked: $199 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: The compact, smartly designed HL-5140 offers an impressive combination of fine performance and abundant features at an attractive price. Output quality was top-notch, with sharp text and line art.

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Samsung ML-2250 PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

2. Samsung ML-2250

Rated 22 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 300 pages input, 150 output, 14.1 by 17.8 by 10.9 inches; 22 pounds, Street price when ranked: $225 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: Unit produced high-quality text, but banding marred its graphics. Model has a single toner and print drum cartridge, which could save high-volume users money in the long run.

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Oki Data Oki B4350 PCW Rating: 73.0PCW Rating: 73.0PCW Rating: 73.0

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

3. Oki Data Oki B4350

Rated 23 pages per minute, 1200-by-600-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 250 pages input, 150 output, 14.0 by 15.6 by 8.5 inches; 22 pounds, Street price when ranked: $349 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: This streamlined model was the fastest small-office laser on both our text and our graphics tests. Its relatively steep price prevents it from rising higher on the chart, however.

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Dell Laser Printer 1700 PCW Rating: 71.0PCW Rating: 71.0PCW Rating: 71.0

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

4. Dell Laser Printer 1700

Rated 25 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 251 pages input, 150 output, 15.5 by 13.9 by 9.8 inches; 27 pounds, Street price when ranked: $199 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: Model was slow to print--especially when generating the first page. Its graphics output was the best we've seen, though, and an optional 550-sheet second paper tray is a bargain at only $100.

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Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W PCW Rating: 2.5PCW Rating: 2.5PCW Rating: 2.5

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

5. Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W

Rated 21 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 150 pages input, 100 output, 15.2 by 11.5 by 11.1 inches; 17 pounds, Street price when ranked: $180 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: This Windows-only model economizes by relying on your PC's processor for image processing. Its text output impressed, but its graphics output was too dark and exhibited banding.

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Oki Data Oki B6300n PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

6. Oki Data Oki B6300n

Rated 35 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 700 pages input, 500 output, 18.3 by 15.9 by 16.6 inches; 45 pounds, Street price when ranked: $925 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: The fastest printer on the chart for graphics and the second-fastest for text, the Oki B6300n produced precise text output, but banding and moiré interference patterns tarnished its grayscale graphics.

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Brother HL-6050DN PCW Rating: 4.5PCW Rating: 4.5PCW Rating: 4.5

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

7. Brother HL-6050DN

Rated 25 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 600 pages input, 250 output, 15.7 by 16.7 by 12.2 inches; 46 pounds, Street price when ranked: $650 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: The HL-6050DN's print speeds were comparatively sluggish, but its sharp, dark text looked great. No PostScript printing, but this model is otherwise a good deal for a laser printer with duplexing.

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Xerox Phaser 4500/N PCW Rating: 78.0PCW Rating: 78.0PCW Rating: 78.0

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

8. Xerox Phaser 4500/N

Rated 36 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 700 pages input, 500 output, 16.6 by 18.3 by 17.3 inches; 45 pounds, Street price when ranked: $1200 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: This unit was a breeze to install on our network, and its relatively zippy print speeds for both text and graphics should satisfy most workgroups. Print quality was mediocre, however, lacking the detail we expected.

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Samsung ML-2551N PCW Rating: 3.0PCW Rating: 3.0PCW Rating: 3.0

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

9. Samsung ML-2551N

Rated 25 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 600 pages input, 350 output, 15.2 by 17.6 by 12.8 inches; 31 pounds, Street price when ranked: $600 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: Nicely priced for a dual-sided printer, this model yielded consistently good print quality on text and graphics. Its speeds, however, are the slowest here, and installation on our network was a pain.

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HP LaserJet 4250n PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

10. HP LaserJet 4250n

Rated 45 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 600 pages input, 250 output, 16.5 by 17.8 by 14.8 inches; 45 pounds, Street price when ranked: $1249 (8/27/04),

Bottom Line: The versatile 4250n provides fast performance and lots of upgrade options. But we saw dithering dot patterns on graphics output, as well as some blotchiness, ghosting, and bleeding on text.

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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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