The Dell Laser Printer 1710n is a network-ready monochrome laser printer that's easy on the budget, but like many products with a pleasing price tag, it does require you to accept some compromises.

The 1710n is quick to set up, as its software takes care of the installation and configuration process for you. The printer includes built-in support for USB 2.0, parallel port, and 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet network connectivity, so it will fit right in with almost any Windows system. A wireless network adapter is also available for $99.

Per-page printing costs of well under a penny and a half per page are at the low end of the scale for monochrome laser printers. The 1710n supports print resolutions of up to 1,200X1,200 dpi, but the print quality is disappointing. Text isn't always as sharp as it should be, especially at smaller sizes or with certain fonts. Line art is also less than stellar, and grayscale images are subject to banding and general muddiness. Nevertheless, this printer isn't a bad choice if you're on a tight budget, as long as output quality isn't high on your list.

Five LED lights (readiness, ink status, paper tray status, paper jams and error) on the top of the printer keep you informed of the standing of current print jobs, as well as the overall status of the printer. The built-in Dell Toner Management system monitors the toner level and lets you know when it is low, so you won't run out in the middle of printing a large job.

The 1710n ships with 32MB RAM, which is expandable up to 160MB. The printer has a 250-sheet capacity out of the box. You can add a 550-sheet paper tray (around $100) to boost it to an 800-sheet total capacity. The output tray can hold up to 150 sheets of plain paper.

The Dell Laser Printer 1710n is an affordable choice if you need a network-ready monochrome laser printer, as long as print quality is not a top priority.

Pro:  Inexpensive, built-in networking capability, very low per-page printing costs, expandable paper capacity and memory
Con:  Output quality of text and graphics is only fair, no LCD display, manual feed slot accepts only one sheet of paper or envelope at a time

Warranty
1 year, limited