Brother HL-1670N Laser Priner 16ppm 16mb 1200dpi Duplex 10/100btx Pcl6

WHAT'S HOT: Brother's $750 HL-1670N straddles the line between small office and corporate workgroup. Despite its low price, it includes some high-end hardware: An ethernet interface and a duplexer come as standard equipment, and the LCD control panel is conveniently backlit. The HL-1670N also holds its own in performance, turning out text at 10.8 ppm and graphics at 3.2 ppm. Text output is sharp and even, and the HL-1670N does a great job on narrow parallel lines. Gray-scale graphics have a slightly dotty texture, but they show good detail and shading.

WHAT'S NOT: The HL-1670N's main paper tray holds just 250 sheets (an auxiliary tray holds 100 more), and it has limited expansion options: You can add a single extra 250-sheet paper tray ($199). Working with a total paper capacity of only 600 sheets, your workgroup will run out of paper often if it uses the printer heavily. Also, the auxiliary tray and rear-exit tray feel a little flimsy.

WHAT ELSE: Removing the toner cartridge requires the manual dexterity of a pickpocket: There's scant extra space inside the printer, and the cartridge's handle is recessed inside the case. The backlit LCD display changes color to indicate the printer's state--green for normal, orange for offline, and red to signal that it needs special attention.

BEST USE: This unit's performance, print quality, price, and limited options best suit it for a small workgroup.

SUMMARY

Brother HL-1670N Rated 16 ppm, standard 16MB of RAM, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, 350 sheets input, 250 sheets output. $750 800/276-7746 www.brother.com