Minolta-QMS Magicolor 2300 DL

WHAT'S HOT: The 2300 DeskLaser costs a mere $799--less than half the price of the next-cheapest recent color laser--so even individual buyers may find it affordable. But don't assume that a low price means a poor printer. The 2300DL gave us solid black text with negligible roughness on big letterforms, and accurate color documents with good detail. We also like the 2300DL's diminutive size: At 13.5 inches wide, 20 inches deep, and 15.5 inches high, it's as small as many monochrome lasers; yet it provides enough room for you to get your hands inside and clear paper jams or replace components. A four-way rocker button replaces rows of buttons for navigating menus on the LCD; prompts displayed on the LCD make it easy to use. Minolta's documentation for using the printer and managing it on a network is thorough and easy to read.

WHAT'S NOT: The 2300DL wasn't the slowest color laser we've tested recently, but at 11.3 ppm for text and 2.7 ppm for graphics, it was significantly slower than average. Gray-scale documents came out almost indecipherable, and narrow parallel lines tended to bunch up into a dark mass. The printer lacks a removable paper tray--instead, you stuff paper into a slot in the side of the case, which we found somewhat awkward. Moreover, the slot's 200-sheet capacity is insufficient for a large workgroup. One other critique: Minolta's instructions for installing the 2300DL seemed to appear on-screen after--rather than before--each step in the process; fortunately, Windows XP's Add New Printer Wizard took over halfway through and whisked us to the finish.

WHAT ELSE: You can equip the 2300DL with a 500-sheet feeder or a duplexer for $399 each. If its 32MB of memory can't handle what your office pours down the network, you can pop in an additional memory module of up to 256MB.

UPSHOT: Even individuals can afford the 2300 DeskLaser--but it's enough printer to support a small workgroup.

SUMMARY

Minolta-QMS Magicolor 2300 DeskLaser $