Product Reviews

Hewlett-Packard has an established track record in the mono laser printer market, and also a reputation for constantly updating and improving its designs. The HP LaserJet 4050TN is the latest to receive the upgrade treatment, culminating in the 4100N, which boasts a much improved core specification without inflating the price. The 4100N is also one of HP's first lasers to feature an Embedded Web Server with the ability to run Java programs.

Despite the raft of internal changes, little has changed externally, with only the numerical designation distinguishing the 4100N from the older LaserJet 4050TN (reviewed issue 58, p160). However, inside the case the difference is clear. The 4100N features an improved print engine, featuring a 250MHz processor as opposed to the 4050TN's 133MHz part. The 4100N now also comes with 32Mb of memory as standard (twice that of the 4050TN), which can be expanded to 348Mb. The end result is an improved print speed of 24ppm (pages per minute), compared to the 4050TN's already impressive 17ppm capability. HP has also introduced a new JetDirect 610N print server card, which features 2Mbits/sec transfers.

This makes the 4100N a serious proposition for medium-sized workgroups, and with the two additional paper trays, at £272 each, providing a maximum of 1,500 sheets (plus 100 from the multipurpose tray) it could even cope with larger workgroups.

As part of its revamp, the 4100N now features HP's EWS (Embedded Web Server) and EVM (Embedded Virtual Machine) technology. The EWS makes the printer accessible via a Web browser for remote configuration and maintenance. It can also be used to program the 4100N to alert specific users, via email, of toner status, paper jams or trays low on paper.

The EVM, however, provides basic e-services that can be expanded upon in the future. It uses a Java engine called ChaiVM, which is able to send and receive emails and Java apps, and report back to the user remotely to give, for example, diagnostic reports. However, on a broader scale, ChaiVM is open to third-party development, which could enable wider apps, such as the ability to communicate to external organisations and print unique, securely coded documents via the Internet - for instance, a passport form.

However,

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all this is in vain if the 4100N isn't up to scratch in the printing department, but like the 4050TN it most certainly is. Our 50-page plain text document was returned in two minutes, three seconds for a fantastic 24.3ppm. Text quality was also excellent, with uniform characters in a crisp, deep black.

Our heavily formatted 24-page DTP document was next, and this was also handled well, with the test being completed in one minute, eight seconds for a quick 21ppm. The large number of photographic images and varying typefaces is no doubt responsible for the drop in speed, but this performance is still excellent. Graphics were reproduced well too, with good detail and smooth shades and little stepping. Only a slight grain tarnished the overall look.

Excel spreadsheets were also handled competently, with our 12-page test rattled off at a tidy 24.1ppm. Oddly, though, the 4100N decided to print some of the block-shaded backgrounds as tightly packed shaded stripes. However, this meant that every page was printed crisply, with all the text easily visible, even on the smallest font sizes - an area where some lasers, such as the Brother HL-1650 (reviewed opposite), falter, blurring text into the backgrounds.

The quality test was also handled well, with good detail and minimal banding at the maximum quality setting. The slightly grainy texture was still evident though. However, this isn't unusual, and even large workgroup lasers, such as the Lexmark Optra W810n (see Labs, issue 70, 110), exhibit this effect.

Network services and remote administration are now provided exclusively by Web JetAdmin, which requires Windows NT or 2000 to run. HP no longer provides JetAdmin as an option, although it will continue to be supported on existing platforms.

Running costs are also good, and the 4100N can accept the same toner cartridges as the 4050TN. The unit is supplied with a 10,000-page toner cartridge, which costs £130. This works out at a reasonable 1.3p per page at five per cent coverage, which is more than acceptable. The 4100N also supports HP's latest smart toner cartridges, which provide constant information on the amount of remaining toner and an estimate of the number of pages it will print. It's also possible to automatically re-order supplies and send customisable alerts to personnel, offering greater print management flexibility than the 4050TN.

The HP LaserJet 4100N is an excellent laser, and a worthy successor to the 4050TN. Print speeds and quality are superb, as are running costs and network capabilities. Plus, with the EWS and EVM facilities in place, the 4100N has the potential to do much more in the future. Looking back though, the 4050TN wasn't particularly cheap, and neither is the 4100N, but you get what you pay for - in this case a superb workgroup laser printer.