The Konica Minolta PagePro 1400W monochrome laser printer has a compact design that fits easily into a limited space. It includes a high-speed USB 2.0 port but no parallel port, so it may not work with older systems.

The PagePro 1400W is quick and easy to set up, partly because of its auto-run installation software, and partly because the toner cartridge is preinstalled. There is no paper tray to install, as this unit employs a fold-down paper input tray. While we prefer standard paper trays, this design is a smart choice if desktop space is at a premium. The input tray can hold up to 150 sheets of plain paper. The output tray, which is retractable to save space, can hold up to 100 sheets of plain paper.

The PagePro 1400W ships with 8MB of RAM, which is not expandable, and it supports print resolutions of up to 1,200X600 dpi. A Status Display desktop utility keeps you up to date on the current level of the toner cartridge, and it can also be used to adjust printer settings.

Considering its low sticker price and general lack of features, the PagePro 1400W's output quality is better than we expected. It isn't as good as laser printers that cost just a bit more, but it is acceptable for personal use, as long as your documents are heavy on text and light on line art and photos. In our tests, grayscale images such as charts tended to display banding. Contrast and tonal range in photos was greatly reduced, in many cases washing out details, particularly in highlights and deep shadow areas. On the plus side, text was generally crisp and easily readable, even at small font sizes.

The Konica Minolta PagePro 1400W is short on features, but if money and available space are tight, it's not a bad choice for a monochrome laser printer.


Pros:  Budget-friendly price, compact design
Cons:  Slow print speeds, ships with a starter toner cartridge, limited paper capacity, standard toner cartridges can only print up to 2,000 pages, upfront price isn't low enough to cancel out the PagePro1400W's limited features and decidedly average print quality

Warranty
1 year