Product Reviews

HP kicked off its Business InkJet range at the beginning of last year with the Business InkJet 2250TN (see Reviews, issue 75, p169). This was a networkable A4 device that used individual print cartridges and print heads, making it a viable alternative to a colour laser printer. The new Business InkJet 2600 series builds on this by increasing the paper size to A3+ and incorporating HP's innovative embedded Web server, creating the first inkjets to offer e-services such as browser-based management.

We reviewed the Business InkJet 2600dn with a duplex unit and network card, which has been designed to fill a similar role to that of the 2250tn - a flexible networkable colour printer for a small workgroup. However, although the 2250tn was praised for its good network connectivity and the individual ink tank and print head assembly, its print speeds were disappointing - a key concern for a shared network printer.

In an effort to improve performance, the Business InkJet 2600dn features more memory - 48Mb as standard. HP has also boosted the processor specification, with one 160MHz MIPS and one 167MHz ColdFire 4 processor, improving on the 2250tn's dual 96MHz RISC CPUs. In addition, HP supplies ADI drivers for AutoCAD 13 and 14 on the CD, making the Business InkJet 2600dn CAD-ready straight out of the box.

Paper handling is also good for an inkjet, with 150 sheets available on the primary input tray and 250 sheets on the secondary tray. Both trays will accept oversized A3 paper, and you can also use the front and back manual input feeders if you need to quickly print on different media.

In contrast to many networkable printers, initial configuration was a dream, and installing the Business InkJet 2600dn on the network was child's play compared to some manufacturers. HP's Wizard-based software guides you smoothly through the process, taking only a few minutes to complete the installation. This has been a strong feature of HP printers for a while now, and we sincerely hope it continues.

Once installed, the Business InkJet 2600dn can be managed via its integrated Web server. Through this interface you can view status reports, usage figures and events logs. More useful, however, is the ability to set up email alerts for situations such as paper jams or low ink cartridges. The Business InkJet 2600dn can also re-order supplies over the Internet, like its laser cousins. This level of functionality is very welcome and helps blur the

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line between inkjet and laser, making the 2600dn's Business brand more credible.

The affordable running costs also help reinforce the similarities between the 2600dn and a conventional workgroup laser. HP states that each ink cartridge will last for 1,750 pages at 5 per cent coverage; the black print head 16,000 pages; and each colour print head 24,000 pages. This equates to A4 mono running costs of 1.6p per page at 5 per cent coverage, and A4 colour running costs of 6p per page at 20 per cent coverage - a reasonably affordable solution.

In terms of print speeds, though, the line between the Business InkJet 2600dn and a laser printer becomes more distinct. HP claims a maximum A4 mono print speed of 15ppm (pages per minute) dropping to 8ppm in Normal mode and just under 4ppm in Best mode. In colour, this falls to 11ppm, 6ppm and 1.5ppm in Fast, Normal and Best modes respectively.

However, in our 25-page black text test printed at the Normal settings on plain paper the Business Inkjet 2600dn managed just 6ppm. Text quality was also quite shaky and, although it was certainly clear and readable, we wouldn't call it presentation quality. Print speeds increased significantly at the Fast setting, reaching an impressive 11ppm, though the text quality was very rough.

The best text quality was obtained using HP's Premium InkJet paper and printing at the Best settings. This produced a much crisper document, with richer blacks, although it still wasn't laser quality and print speeds dropped to a crawl.

Similarly uninspiring performance was seen in our 12-page Excel spreadsheet test, which took just over five and a half minutes at the Normal settings. The print quality was reasonable, albeit with a lack of sharpness - many budget colour lasers, such as Epson's AcuLaser C1000 (see Reviews, issue 90, p129), produce a much crisper print.

Where inkjet technology really scores over laser, though, is in its ability to use a variety of different media, including glossy photo paper. And, although the 2600dn isn't designed as a photo printer, just less than three minutes to print an A4 photo at the Best setting is impressive, and the quality is good too.

Duplex printing is a bonus as well, and the Business InkJet 2600dn is capable of duplex printing on A4 and A3. Print performance remains reasonably sedate, although four minutes to duplex print a colour six-page graphics-heavy report isn't bad.

The HP Business InkJet 2600dn is a commendable attempt at producing an A3 workgroup colour inkjet printer. Installation is simple, running costs are good and the browser-based management system is excellent. However, print speeds and general print quality in Normal mode can't compete with budget workgroup lasers, and this is the principal weakness of the Business InkJet 2600dn. It's also much too expensive, despite street prices of less than £1,200. If HP could boost print speeds while bringing text quality closer to that of a laser, the Business InkJet 2600dn would be superb. As it stands, it's not quite there.