Minolta-QMS magicolor 2300 DeskLaser

Mono running costs are 2.1p per page for the 2500n and 1.48p per page for the 2300. This rises to 10.6p and 6.34p per page (20 per cent coverage) in colour for the 2500n and 2300 respectively.

Deciding between the 2300 and the 2500n is tricky, as both have similar features. The HP offers better output quality and has twice the memory as standard, plus PCL language support. That said, the 2300 costs £400 less, is cheaper to run and can be upgraded with a duplex unit - the 2500n features manual duplex only.

Considering the software tools, print quality and features, HP's 2500n wins out. For those on a tighter budget, the 2300 is the obvious choice, but the 2500n is better overall.

Author: Gareth Ogden