Lexmark T652n Mono Laser Printer

The boxy unit's other features are appealing, too. It connects via USB or ethernet; a front USB port accommodates direct input from a key drive. The intuitively designed control panel includes a four-line, backlit monochrome LCD that shows simple graphics as well as clearly written text messages and context-sensitive help.

Toner costs for the T652n show some compassion for high-volume offices. It ships with a 10,000-page starter cartridge; returnable replacement cartridges are available in a 7000-page standard size for $153.84 (or 2.2 cents per page) and a 25,000-page high-yield size for $430.50 (or 1.7 cents per page); these are average price-per-page figures for high-volume monochrome laser printers.

In contrast to Lexmark's usually excellent documentation, the T652n's poster-size setup guide employs a largely a wordless format with illustrations that sometimes are too small to understand clearly, or lack key details. The PDF-based user guide is up to Lexmark's usual high standard. In our most recent survey of vendor Reliability and Service, readers judged Lexmark significantly below average.

Lexmark's T652n has almost everything you'd want in a high-volume printer. Its few omissions however (especially the absence of a duplexer), make its price seem excessive.