The LaserJet 3550 is surprisingly affordable for a color laser printer. The upfront cost is somewhat deceptive, though. When it's time to replace the toner, you may be shocked to discover that a full set of replacement cartridges costs more than the printer itself. On the bright side, per-page printing costs are far lower than with inkjet printer, and the quality is better, too.

Print speeds are reasonably good. The 3550 outputs the first page in as little as 22 seconds, even after a period of inactivity, and it can print the rest of a color or monochrome job at up to 16 pages per minute. The 3550 automatically detects the type of paper in use, and it optimizes printing accordingly. HP's SureSupply feature lets you know when toner is running low, so you won't get stuck in the middle of printing an important project.

Output quality is good, although not outstanding. Text is sharp, even at small font sizes, and grayscale and color images show little or no banding. Skin tones are generally true to life, although colors at the light and dark end of the scale tend to be a little muddy.

The 3550 ships with 64MB RAM, which is not expandable. It also comes with a 250-sheet paper tray, which is a little skimpy for business use, a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, and a 150-sheet output tray. You can add a 500-sheet paper tray, but at $299, it's an expensive option.

Finding room for this freakishly large printer may be a little tricky, but setting it up is easy. The package includes a power cord, USB cable, four ink cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), a quick-start guide, and a CD with software and an electronic user guide. If you want to add the 3550 to an existing network, the HP EW2400 802.11g Wireless Print Server is available for $199.

Pros: A good choice for general-purpose, low-volume use in a home office or small business. Ships with full-size toner cartridges.
Cons: Big, heavy, and bulky. Limited paper capacity out of the box. A second paper tray and network connectivity are expensive options. No option to expand memory.

Warranty
1 year limited, on-site