HP LaserJet 4050N Network Printer
Part of the LaserJet 4050 line of quality laser printers, the network model 4050N offers 16 MB RAM, HP JetDirect 600N internal print server (a 10/100 Base-TX fast Ethernet card), and a fast infrared receiver.The LaserJet 4050's standard 500-sheet paper tray slides into the front of the printer; paper follows an S-path through the printer and ejects face-down into a generous 250-sheet output bin on the top of the unit. Alternately, you can flip down a tray in the rear of the printer that handles 50 sheets. The printer's front also hosts a flip-down, multipurpose feed tray that can handle 100 sheets of ordinary paper as well as media ranging from 3-by-5-inch cards to legal-sized paper. The tray's adjustable guides automatically center the paper.Toner cartridges slide effortlessly into a large opening on top of the unit. This opening, along with well-marked access levers, also lets you access the entire paper path. Hewlett-Packard's TonerGauge tracks the number of printed toner dots and sends an accurate reading to the control panel and the management software.The menu structure is immediately understandable and the control panel easy to use. On the control panel, three LED indicators show the printer's online status, activity, and error conditions, while a series of buttons on the right allows you to maneuver through the printer's scrollable menus. The LaserJet 4050N's online help system allows you to scroll through troubleshooting solutions on the control panel.The LaserJet 4050N comes with interfaces for parallel, serial, and 10/100 Base TX as standard, but 10-T/10-2 LocalTalk interfacing is available as an option. The LaserJet 4050N's fast infrared receiver in the rear is handy if you have a compatible notebook and like the idea of printing wirelessly from across your office.In addition to font and macro storage, a hard disk enables the LaserJet 4050N to perform several types of jobs: Private Printing, Proof and Hold, Stored Jobs, and Quick Copies. Private Printing enables users to encode a print job with a PIN number and release the job at the printer by entering the code. Proof and Hold is a feature bound to save paper--it prints the first copy of a document and only prints the subsequent ones after you look at the proof and release the job at the printer. Quick Copying lets you print up to 999 additional copies of the last job without reloading the source application. Stored Jobs can live at the printer, and you can print them on demand from the control panel without any PC involvement.Given 4050N's impressive features, its fast 17-page-per-minute, jam-free printing, its network interfacing, and its strong manageability features, we think this is a fine business printer.Pros:Strong manageability featuresExcellent control panelPrints up to 17 pages per minuteInnovative workgroup optionsCons:Printer cable not included