Editors' Top Printers
updated March 3, 2006
 
Elsa Wenzel, associate editor
  As laser printers have become smaller and cheaper, you can add one to your very own desk for as little as $150. For fast, sharp text, lasers are the way to go. For more details, find advice in our printer buying guide. -- Elsa Wenzel, associate editor
 
Small office/home office inkjets  |  Snapshot printers  |  Multifunction inkjets  |  Multifunction lasers  |  Personal lasers  |  Office lasers  |  Color lasers  |  Photo inkjets

Shopping by brand? According to CNET editors, here are this category's major players:
Brother  |  Canon  |  Dell  |  Epson  |  HP  |  Lexmark  |  Samsung
 
Personal lasers
Printers Editors' rating Price Summary
Oki B4250

7.1 out of 10 7.1
Very good
 
The Oki B4250 is an affordable home-office monochrome printer, but it won't work with Macs or hook up to a network.
Specs: Personal printer - LED - Monochrome , A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in) , Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) , Wired , 23 pages/min, PC , USB , Parallel
 

Brother HL-2040 Laser Printer

7.1 out of 10 7.1
Very good
 
The Brother HL-2040 makes a fine first laser printer. To serve a small workgroup, seek its sibling, the HL-2070N.
Specs: Workgroup printer - Laser - Monochrome , A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in) , Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) , Wired , 20 pages/min, Linux , PC , Mac , USB , Parallel
 

Samsung ML-2010
Released: 08/31/2005
7.0 out of 10 7.0
Very good
$46-$63
from 3 stores
Check latest prices
 
The Samsung ML-2010 markedly improves on its predecessor but remains a personal laser rather than a serious business printer.
Specs: Personal printer - Laser - Monochrome , A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in) , Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) , Wired , 20 pages/min, 22 pages/min, PC , Mac , USB
 

Samsung ML-1740
Released: 03/24/2004
7.0 out of 10 7.0
Very good
 
Samsung's affordable ML-1740 home-office laser printer is cheap enough for an impulse buy but too limited for serious office work.
Specs: Personal printer - Laser - Monochrome , A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in) , Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) , Wired , 17 pages/min, 16 pages/min, PC , Unix , USB , Parallel
 

Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W

7.0 out of 10 7.0
Very good
 
The Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W is a cheap and compact speed demon with good text quality, but don't expect it to print quality black-and-white photos.
Specs: Personal printer - Laser - Monochrome , A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in) , Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) , Wired , 21 pages/min, PC , USB , Parallel
 

Dell Laser Printer 1100
Released: 07/20/2005
6.5 out of 10 6.5
Good
$75
Check latest prices
 
This is a decent first laser printer for a student or a writer, and it would make a good companion to a photo inkjet or an all-in-one.
Specs: Personal printer - Laser - Monochrome , A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in) , Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) , Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in) , Wired , 14 pages/min, 15 pages/min, PC , USB
 

HP LaserJet 1022

6.3 out of 10 6.3
Good
$219-$799
from 3 stores
Check latest prices
 
Need a reliable, bare-bones laser printer with a sense of style? The HP LaserJet 1022 deserves a look.
Specs: Personal printer - Laser - Monochrome , Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) , Wired , 19 pages/min, PC , Mac , USB
 

 
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