Product Reviews

The introduction of the LaserJet 9000 series of departmental mono lasers represents a significant change in tactics for HP's printing division. Prior to this, it's always been content to follow rather than lead in the high-volume printing arena. While Xerox forged ahead with its storming 40ppm (pages per minute) DocuPrint N40 (reviewed issue 50, p169), HP was content with the 24ppm LaserJet 8000DN (reviewed issue 45, p156). Both Xerox and Lexmark then took print speeds up to an impressive 45ppm with the DocuPrint N4525 and W820 respectively, but all HP has offered since was the 32ppm LaserJet 8100DN (see Labs, issue 70, p110).

This time the company goes to the top of the class, as the LaserJet 9000 series offers an amazing 50ppm print speed and boasts a host of new and welcome features. Management facilities have always been a strong point of HP printers, but the new ChaiServer embedded Web server now allows the printer to be managed and monitored from anywhere over the Internet. It also features HP's embedded Chai Virtual Machine, allowing the printer to run Java applications developed by end users so companies can add their own features.

The mighty toner cartridge also has some interesting tricks up its sleeve, as it uses an embedded chip that allows the printer to gather precise details about toner usage. It also incorporates an internal stirrer, so the cartridge doesn't need to be shaken when first installed or to get the last dregs out of it. Two internal antennae sensors are used to monitor toner levels, and the smaller of the pair comes into play when toner levels drop below the final ten per cent. All this information is displayed in the Web interface, and the printer can send out an email alert when toner is getting low. The message includes directions to HP's Web ordering service that's currently undergoing beta testing and is expected to be available this autumn. Printing costs are reasonable, as the cartridge (£285) lasts for 30,000 pages at five per cent coverage, equating to 0.95p per page. There's a maintenance kit that needs to be accounted for as well, although HP was unable to provide pricing at the time of writing.

On review is the LaserJet 9000dn, which takes the base model and adds a JetDirect 10/100BaseTX print server card and a high-speed duplex unit. Weighing in at over 60kg, the large chassis sees a complete redesign,

ADVERTISEMENT

with the intuitive operator panel and backlit LCD located in the centre of the gently curved front panel.

Two main paper trays at the base each offer a 500-sheet capacity, and the 9000dn also comes with a 100-sheet flip-down multipurpose tray. Paper handling for all sources is up to 280 x 430mm, and capacity can be increased with an optional 2,000-sheet paper tray.

Network installation is a cinch, as HP's new routine automatically searches for HP printers, displays them ready for selection and then takes you swiftly though the process of assigning the print server an IP address and setting up NetWare properties. Driver installation adds a monitoring utility on each workstation to provide users with job status reports and information about toner and media supplies. Job retention features can also be accessed from the driver panel - 'Proof and Hold' prints one copy of a large print run so it can be checked before continuing, and 'Private Jobs' require a PIN number entered at the control panel before they'll be printed. The main browser interface provides full access to all printer settings, and you can view supply levels, access the control panel remotely, order supplies from HP and run diagnostics.

During performance testing, the 9000dn proved to be slightly shy of the quoted print speed, with a basic 50-page Word document completed in 64 seconds for an average of nearly 47ppm. I couldn't improve on this, even with resolution dropped to 300dpi and the EconoMode toner-saving option selected. Print speeds for A3 were impressive though, as the printer dispatched a 30-page text document in 59 seconds. The best results were achieved using the PCL6 driver, as a 23-page heavily formatted DTP-style document slowed the 9000dn to 33ppm using the PostScript 3 driver and the FastRes 1200 simulated 1,200dpi setting.

Time to first page was less than eight seconds, and the duplex unit efficiently dispatched the 50-page A4 and 30-page A3 documents at an average of 31ppm. Overall print quality was extremely good, with text crisp and sharp at all font sizes. Graphics quality was also impressive for such a fast printer and far superior to that produced by the DocuPrint N40. The level of detail in photographic images was quite remarkable, and reports will benefit from smooth graphs and bar charts. Unfortunately, although general banding was almost imperceptible, the cartridge appeared to have a minor fault, as it left three narrow smears down the test pictures.

There's little choice at this end of the market, with the main competition coming from Lexmark and Xerox, and although it didn't quite reach the quoted speeds during testing, the LaserJet 9000dn is still the fastest by a head. Lexmark's low printing costs can't be beaten, so you're paying a premium for HP's smart toner cartridge. But the print quality on offer is excellent, and there's nothing to touch the 9000dn for its Internet-based management and monitoring tools.