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

This model's outstanding speed--20.1 pages per minute on text, and 13.2 pages per minute on graphics--is another remarkable attribute. It also kicked out the first text page in a little under 8 seconds, faster than any other current small-office printer.

The B4350's main paper tray holds 250 sheets of paper. An optional 500-sheet drawer costs $190. You can feed special paper or thicker media such as envelopes via the fold-down auxiliary paper tray, one sheet at a time. For envelopes you must also open the rear paper exit to create a flat path through the printer.

A printed Setup Guide walks you through the process of unpacking the printer, installing the drum unit and toner cartridge, and loading the machine with paper. The guide doesn't discuss installing the print driver, but we found that process quite intuitive. The User's Guide, which comes as a PDF file on the software CD-ROM, is more complete.

An expensive ($231) internal ethernet adapter enables you to share the B4350 with colleagues; but given these print speeds, that's a reasonable proposition.

Upshot: For the money, Oki Data's Oki B4350 provides fast printing and excellent text, with an LCD navigation display that makes it particularly easy to use.

Paul Jasper