Labs

The CP3505x made an appearance in our business section just last month (web ID: 145320), gaining a warm recommendation for its manageability, speed and quality. But does the HP look as good when pitched against five lower-priced competitors?

The short answer is: yes. Comparing the HP's output quality to its rivals' only makes its strengths more apparent. For photo-quality output, it's hands down the best printer in this group, with bright, life-like colours and very crisp detail.

Manageability remains good, too: the CP3505x's embedded

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web server is the most comprehensive here, offering not only information on toner and paper levels, but also capabilities for IT managers to control permissions for colour printing based on username and host application.

The CP3505x's Achilles' heel proved to be its speed. In our speed tests, it failed to keep up with the Oki C5900N or the Epson AcuLaser C4200DN. Yet most office print jobs are only a few pages long, and here the CP3505x does far better, turning out a page from cold in 13 seconds flat. Printing in colour also has a minimal impact on print times.

It's expensive, too, thanks in the main to the extra 500-sheet paper input tray. Then there's the built-in duplex unit, and on-going costs are high thanks to HP's pricey toner cartridges, which contain not only toner but a disposable drum unit. This keeps print quality as good as new, but pushes up the cost.

But you get what you pay for, and there's plenty here to justify the price premium. If a few hundred pounds a year is a big deal to your business then you may prefer to compromise on a more affordable option, such as the Epson or the Lexmark. But the CP3505x's unrivalled combination of quality and features makes it a worthy award winner.