63 out of 63 people found this review helpful.
A Great Multi-function Workgroup Printer; HP Still The Best
Date of Review: May 2, 2006
The Bottom Line: If your business are in need of a solid, large workgroup class printer with a lot of built-in flexibility, look no further then the HP LaserJet 4300dtn LaserJet printer.
There is nothing more comforting then the hum of a network-attached printer as it comes to life after I have clicked on the print icon. This confirms not only that your network is working as it should, but also that, well, the printer is doing its job. The printer in this case is an LaserJet 4300dtnthat sits snuggly against the support stanchion right next to my cubicle.
In the Box
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HP 4300dtn Laser Printer
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1x (18,000) page Black Toner Cartridge
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Software installation disc
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Quick Start Installation Guide
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Owners Manual
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1100 sheet paper tray(s); 1x 100 sheets – Letter /Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) autoload &
2 x 500 sheets – Letter /Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) autoload
The HP LaserJet 4300dtn was designed as a large workgroup printer capable of handling 1,100 sheet of paper in three paper trays (1x 100 sheets & 2x 500 sheets). Shipped with an 18,000-page printer cartridge, the LaserJet 4300dtn is designed to increase the productivity of a typical medium to large sized workgroup with its built-in networking and duplexing capability, large paper handling capacity, fast print speeds of up to 45 ppm, and heavy duty cycle.
Unlike laser printers that passed before it the LaserJet 4300dtn features no warm-up time technology with an instant-on fuser that prints first page out in less than 9 seconds. With up to 1200 dpi print quality, the LaserJet 4300dtn prints sharp, clear and professionally looking documents.
Despite the three paper trays the LaserJet 4300dtn is not as large as laser printers of old that boasted the same capabilities; as a matter of fact the unit could fit comfortably in a nice size cube or office. Although the main selling point is network connectivity, the LaserJet 4300dtn also has a convenient IEEE 1284 parallel port on the back panel.
Speaking of back panels, the LaserJet 4300dtn is fitted with space for (2) HP Jet Direct cards, through it one ships with one. The slim-line duplex unit also sits on the back of the printer. The front of the unit is adorned with four-line backlit LCD display surrounded by various buttons. The fact that the display is backlit is a very important feature; there is nothing worse then having to squint to see and unlit gray LCD panel in limited lighting! Two of the three paper trays the LaserJet 4300dtn ships with are built into the unit; i.e. the 100-sheet and (1) 500-sheet. The printer sits on top of the third 500-sheet paper tray. All three trays can accept legal sized paper in addition to conventional letter size stock and European A4 sized paper. And tray No.1, which is fold down will accept envelopes as well. Once the duplex unit is installed you can choose double sided printing fro the print properties page.
Typically the printer will produce a printout in less then 5 seconds (pure text), or less than 5 seconds (mixed text and graphics), or a little over 6 seconds (graphics). The no warm-up feature really comes in handy when I am in a hurry and I need a printout fast. And at 45 pages per minute, I never have to wait long for a document to finish printing, no matter its length. And the LaserJet 4300dtn produces those documents flawlessly; this is one instance when I can report that laser out put is better then inkjet, but not by much. And I remain a dedicated inkjet fan.
The LaserJet 4300dtn ships with a large capacity 18,000-page black toner cartridge that retails for as much as 169.99, which is the price of a small multi-function inkjet printer plus two cartridges, and a ream or two of paper. The cost of supplies remains the number one detractor for laser printers. Over the life of the printer these costs can add up. A recycled cartridge will cost around $129.00, but I would not recommend it, and neither does HP. Some of the reasons (HP's bottom-line) are obvious, but it has been my experience that recycled tone cartridges never last as long as a brand new unit, the print quality is lacking, and the failure rate is unacceptably high for most units. My axiom: you buy it cheap, you buy it twice; I have found that this is true for most things in life. The print itself will cost between $1,900 and $2,400. Other cost examples:
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HP 1,500-Sheet Tray and Feeder Unit: $513.99
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HP 500 Sheet Stapler/Stacker: $101.99
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HP Jetdirect 680n 802.11b Wireless Print Server: $338.99
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HP 32 MB Memory: $181.99
Conclusion
If you or your business are in need of a solid, large workgroup class printer with a lot of built-in flexibility, look no further then the HP LaserJet 4300dtn LaserJet printer. For my money HP is still the best; something about raising the bar.
Product Specifications:
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Output: Up to 45 ppm Black & White
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Platform: PC, Mac, Unix
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Duplex Printout: Standard
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Media Type: Bond Paper
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Cards
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Envelopes
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Labels
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Plain Paper
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Recycled Paper
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Transparencies
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Maximum Media Size: A4 (210 x 297 mm)
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Legal (216 x 356 mm, 8.5 x 14")
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Compatibility: with Microsoft Windows (98, 2000, Me, NT 4.0, XP, Server 2003)
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Monthly Duty Cycle: 100,000
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Print Languages: HP GL/2, HP PJL, PCL 6, PCL 5e
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Processor Speed: 350MHz
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Standard Paper Input: 1100-sheet MPT (Multi-purpose Tray)
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Paper Handling Options: 250-sheet A4 drawer, 250-sheet legal drawer, duplex
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Ports: 1 x parallel - IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP) - 36 pin Centronics; 1x 10/100BaseT Ethernet
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Network / Transport Protocol: TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, AppleTalk, DLC/LLC
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Memory: 64MB Standard, expandable up to 352MB
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Size (W x D x H): 16.23" x 20.49" x 19.23"
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Weight: 66.15lbs.
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Operating Systems: Apple MacOS 8
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Apple MacOS 9
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Apple MacOS X
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Microsoft Windows 2000
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Microsoft Windows 3.x
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Microsoft Windows 95
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Microsoft Windows ME
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Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
