The LaserJet 4650dtn from HP is the newest addition to the 4600 range of printers, featuring an increase in engine speed to 22ppm and a faster processor. Designed for high volume business printing, it produces good quality mono and colour output.

The 4650 family range comprises five A4 printers, starting with the non-networked LaserJet 4650 (£1,049 ex VAT) , with parallel and USB 2.0 connectivity as standard.

The next model up is the 4650n (£1,149 ex VAT), which adds 10/100Base-TX Ethernet connectivity and a JetDirect 620n print server. This allows you to manage the printer through a browser. Its interface is well designed and can be accessed securely over HTTPS. Wireless options for connecting to the interface include 802.11b and Bluetooth.

Although the printer is neither small nor light, its size is typical of its class. The four toner cartridges are conveniently accessed from the front, which makes maintenance easier and provides more flexibility in terms of location. The front LCD panel menus and buttons are intuitively labelled, making it easy to navigate and obtain the relevant information. You can quickly print out the status page and obtain the IP address for the printer if you're on a DHCP-enabled network. It also provides a quick indication of the toner levels.

The base resolution of 600 by 600 dpi is enhanced using HP's ImageREt 3600, a proprietary printing technology that aims to improve the quality of printed output. The sample prints we tested were impressive, with no complaints on the mono printing. The throughput speeds on a range of text and mono PDF files came in at around 21 pages per minute.

Colour prints were also impressive, with a good level of detail retained within the image. It took just 55 seconds to print our 18.5MB A4 test photo. The faster processor and its large memory capacity help to process the file rapidly.

As an option you can add a 20GB hard drive to allow you to store print jobs - this drive comes as standard only on the 4650hdn (£2,084 ex VAT).

Automatic duplex printing comes with the 4650dn at £1,275 (ex VAT), while the 4650dtn (£1,753 ex VAT) has extra paper trays to provide a maximum capacity of 1,600 sheets.

Overall, this is a fast laser workgroup printer with strong management capabilities. The print qualities are good for both colour and mono, although it is a little expensive and has a slightly lower page per month duty cycle (85,000 sheets) than its competitors.

Contact: HP (0845) 270 4222
www.hp.com/uk

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