Getting a handle on the HP LaserJet 1320n printer using HP LaserJet 1320n toner is easy enough once one spends a couple of minutes looking it over and giving it a few test runs. This monochrome printer works best for small businesses and small networked workgroups, and it is a direct improvement on the earlier Hewlett-Packard 1320 printer that it seems to have been manufactured to complement or replace.
As far as how fast this machine gets the job done, expect to see somewhere around 22 pages of print product in a minute kicked out of the printer. This is in the machine’s so-called “best quality” mode, which means that print speed can be increased slightly by selecting a lower-quality print mode. Regardless, all print jobs will come out looking very nice even in lower quality modes.
The Hewlett-Packard 1320n printer makes use of solid laser technology to power its cartridges (it doesn’t use toner cartridges, but rather the kind of cartridges that look similar to inkjet printer cartridges found in most home printers). In the main, this is a very fine way of getting a large number of print jobs out, each of which will look more than acceptable.
When it comes to the quality of the print job that emerges from the 1320n, most experts rate it as excellent in almost every respect. This may be due to the print resolution capability, which the 1320n delivers at 1,200 dots per inch (dpi). With that kind of resolution, just about any print task, even those heavy on graphics or pictures, will come out crisp, clear and sharp and in a short period of time.
The relative speed of the printer is due to the 16 MB of RAM that the 1320n comes with. It can be increased upwards with optional memory upgrades as well. For any small business or workgroup, it’s a fair bet that 16 MB will be more than enough to handle a large number of print jobs and near-simultaneous print tasks without needing an upgrade of memory.
Monthly duty cycle is relatively low at 10,000 pages per month, and this is perhaps to accommodate the high print resolutions that the 1320n delivers to each print job. It can be connected to a computer or a network through a variety of means, the most common of which is by making use of its included USB 2.0 input port. It also features a parallel port and a number of different optional connections.
As with just about any Hewlett-Packard printer, this particular model is designed to work best with Windows-based operating systems, and it is even Vista ready. There’s a nice one year warranty which can be supplemented by several more years for a fair price. It comes complete with CD-ROM software (drivers, installation etc.) as well as printer cartridges.
In all, after taking some time with the HP LaserJet 1320n printer, it’s easy to see why this particular model has become popular among the small business set. A good refurbished model can be found for somewhere around $250; expect to pay twice that for a new one, though. Given that it’s a very capable Hewlett-Packard, that seems to be a reasonable price to pay.
You’ll continue smiling when it comes time to replace the HP LaserJet 1320n laser toner.