Konica Minolta 2300W

UPDATE: This group test has been updated. See Budget colour laser printers

Editor's Choice - Personal Computer World.

Housed in a rather unattractive grey case, it has to be said that the Magicolour 2300W looks a little dated. Indeed, it still sports the old Minolta QMS logo - Konica Minolta Printing Solutions is the new name for QMS after the two imaging giants merged last year.

With average colour toner replacement costs and both minimal and inexpensive waste toner maintenance, the colour running costs for the Magicolour 2300W are fairly reasonable.

When you look at our cost of ownership graphs, you'll see that it's one of the cheaper printers in terms of mono output thanks to its low initial cost. Running costs only start to become relatively expensive after 25,000 pages, as the cost of replacing toner cartridges (£55) after every 4,500 pages starts to add up.

Also in its favour is the fact that the fuser unit lasts the life of the printer, which Konica Minolta estimates to be 200,000 pages. This, combined with no fuser oil requirement, helps bring the running costs of the 2300W down somewhat.

While it certainly didn't excel in our print speed tests, no major concerns were raised either - it's very much a middle of the road printer in terms of speed for both colour and mono printing.

However, the quality of the colour outputs was impressive and put this printer near the top of group. Text, for the most part, is equally good, although some jagged edges were noticeable in extra large text.

One obvious drawback with this printer is the fact that it doesn't come with network capabilities. What's more, there isn't an upgrade option either, so if you're shopping for a printer to use as part of a network, you'll have to look elsewhere.

The low RRP, affordable colour printing and great quality make the Magicolour 2300W a serious contender, and it wins the Editor's Choice award.

Contact: Konica Minolta Printing Solutions
01784 442 255
www.konicaminoltaprinters.co.uk

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