The LaserJet 1022n compact laser printer can easily fit into a crowded home office. It's not the quietest printer on the block, but we've heard worse. Its main fault is limited paper capacity. The paper input tray can only hold up to 250 sheets of plain paper, with a ten-sheet priority input tray. There is no option to add another paper tray. The paper tray is actually a tray, not a cassette, which some individuals won't mind but others may consider a nuisance.

The 1022n is easy to set up, although as usual, you must supply your own USB cable (around $10 to $20). The installer automatically handles the process of connecting to your network, and the ink cartridge is easy to put in. A two-button panel on the front of the printer lets you control manual-feed print jobs or cancel jobs altogether. Three status lights (Attention, Ready, Go) keep you up to date on the current state of the printer.

Output quality is excellent. The 1022n supports print resolutions of up to 1,200X1,200 dpi. Text is crisp and black, even at small font sizes, and line art is generally sharp. Output quality of photos and other grayscale images is good but not outstanding. The 1022n is rated for output speeds of up to 19 pages per minute. Real-world output speeds are lower, but they are better than average for a laser printer in this price range.

The 1022n ships with 8MB RAM, which is not upgradeable. The package includes a power cord, 10/100 Fast Ethernet print server, user guide, CD with drivers, and an ink cartridge. An onscreen ink level indicator lets you know when the ink supply is getting low, so you won't run out in the middle of printing a document.

Two other versions of the LaserJet 1022n are also available. The LaserJet 1022 ($199.99) isn't network ready out of the box, although you can add this capability later. The LaserJet 1022nw ($399.99) offers wireless network connectivity.

Pro: Excellent output quality. Fast output. Lightweight, compact design. Network ready.
Con: Limited paper capacity, particularly for home office use. No option to upgrade memory.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Hewlett-Packard
3000 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1185
650-857-1501
http://www.hp.com

Warranty
1 year limited