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become the vendor of choice. In printing, HP still reigns
supreme.
H
P sells a confusing variety of choices in the business-
class ink jet market, an area where it is now the only seri-
ous player. Some of the current models seem to have very
similar specifications, though they are based on some-
what different architectures. All of these printers have at
least PCL capability, something many competitors do not
offer. HP claims to own over 85 percent of the business
ink jet market.
HP’s Officejet Pro line is radically changing the color
printing market on the low end, even on the laser side.
The line is a superior buy, and the innovative technology
it uses is only in its infancy.
Product Profiles
Hewlett-Packard Business Inkjet 2800
Hewlett-Packard Business Inkjet 2800dt
Hewlett-Packard Business Inkjet 2800dtn
Up to 5ppm full color (600dpi, normal mode)
Up to 5ppm black & white (600dpi, normal mode)
Sum-up: High-end business ledger-size printer with
PostScript and other pr
oductivity f
eatures.
This family of ledger-size printers has the most expensive
models in the Business Inkjet line. The Business Inkjet
2800dt costs $749, while the dtn model costs $999.
HP
does not list a price for the base-level 2800 version.
The
big selling point is PostScript and PCL. Networking,
duple
xing, and 400-sheet total capacity are available as
well, all standard on the dtn model. There’s lots of mem-
or
y available (up to 544MB). The monthly duty cycle is
rated at 12,000 pages, very good for an ink jet.
Pros: PostScript, Ethernet, duplexing, ledger-size print-
ing, 400-sheet capacity.
Cons: Mor
e e
xpensive than many faster color laser
printers.
Hewlett-Packard Officejet Pro K850
Hewlett-Packard Officejet Pro K850dn
Up to 6ppm full color (“laser quality” mode)
Up to 7ppm black & white (“laser quality” mode)
Sum-up:
A ledg
er
-siz
e printer with a r
e
v
olutionary technolo-
g
y
.
The Officejet Pro K850 family is slower and more expen-
si
v
e than the K550 model,
b
ut has one k
ey advantage, the
a
bility to print ledger-size pages. Otherwise, these print-
ers use the same innovative technology involving large
integrated arrays of color printheads built into a single
chip that allow them to print with minimum side-to-side
movement.
The “laser quality” speeds that HP gives are 7ppm in
black and 6ppm in color. Resolution appears to be the
equivalent of 1,200dpi printing. Speeds are not as fast as
the Officejet Pro K550, but they’re not bad.
There are two models in this family:
● The Officejet Pro K850 ($399) comes with a USB
port, and has optional duplexing and Ethernet.
● The Officejet Pro K850dn ($499) adds standard
duplexing and Ethernet.
Both models have a 256MHz processor and are rated
for a duty cycle of up to 6,250 pages per month. 32MB of
memory is included. PCL is supported as well as Mac OS
X and Linux host-based printing.
The design is quite simple and compact for a ledger-size
printer. A low profile makes them easy printers to use on
a desktop.
The paper supply is a simple 150-sheet input tray, with
10-sheet manual feed. This printer can handle up to 13" x
19" paper. These models have a photo mode for printing
color photos. There’s also a single-page feed for specialty
papers. (This feature is only available if you don’t have a
duplexing unit installed.) The output tray holds 100
sheets.
HP gi
ves you a choice of high- and low-capacity car-
tridges. The cost per page is estimated at a very
respectable 2.2¢ in black and a very good 8.4¢ in color.
The ink cartridges are easy to install, unlike most older
ink jet models.
These models are very good ledger-size printers.
They’re not quite as special as the models in the Officejet
Pro K550 series, but they are the best entry-level ledger-
siz
e printer
s ar
ound and ar
e surpassingly affordable both
to buy and to operate. At last, ink jet printers can really
compete with the laser models.
Pros: Ledger-size printing with a low cost per page.
Cons: Low paper capacity.
He
wlett-P
ackard Deskjet 9800
Hewlett-Packard Deskjet 9800d
Up to 6ppm full color (600dpi, normal mode)
Up to 8ppm black & white (600dpi, normal mode)
Sum-up:
Af
fordable ledger model with slow speeds and low
capacity.
If
y
ou need an ink jet capable of printing at ledger size,
these models offer an array of features. The Deskjet 9800
Better Buys for Business