Hewlett Packard’s LaserJet P2015 is an affordable solution for your home or small office printing needs. As one of the more basic LaserJet printers on the market, the P2015 is a quiet machine that offers high quality results.
First Impressions: The P2015 looks like HPs other contemporary printers with its square shape and two-tone charcoal-light grey colour scheme. However, it is a bit smaller than most, with a footprint of roughly 14 by 14 inches and only 10 inches tall.
The control panel for the LaserJet P2015 is very basic with only two buttons — go and cancel — and a few LED indicators. Configuration is handled through your computer, but this doesn’t mean it lacks onboard features. Setup is a snap for XP and while Vista users will have to visit the company’s website to download updated drivers, you won’t need any special expertise to install them. As usual, remember to pick up a USB printer cable to connect it to your computer.
Features: For such a small monochrome laser, the P2015 certainly holds its own. Of course, with a maximum monthly load of 15,000 pages, this printer won’t handle extensive office use, but it would be great for your desk or home office. Print speed is a speedy 25 ppm (pages-per-minute) with very sharp quality. Graphics are a little slower, but happily are without the white horizontal bands commonly seen in low-end lasers. The printing colour is nice and dark, almost reaching a true black that is rarely seen in such an affordable printer. However, if you plan to print high-res graphics at maximum print quality, you will want to upgrade the RAM (288MB max), but otherwise the 32MB onboard should handle any job.
The paper tray holds 250 sheets of either legal- or letter-sized paper, while the front-load tray adds another fifty, with print-through capabilities for envelopes or card stock. Options include duplexing, networking and an extra paper tray.
Variations:
P2015d – adds duplexing
P2015dn – adds duplexing and networking capabilities
P2015x – adds duplexing, networking and an extra 250-sheet paper tray
Final Assessment: While it won’t win any races, the HP P2015 is a handy little printer for your home office. Its footprint means it will easily fit in the place of your inkjet, while offering the higher quality of a laser printer. And it will certainly be quieter.
HPs standard one-year warranty should be more than adequate. The initial cost might be prohibitive, but remember you’re getting a laser, not an inkjet. Furthermore, with remanufactured toner cartridges, you’ll save a lot in the long run. Contact Digitech Laser for more information about service plans and replacement cartridges, especially if you live in the Okanagan or Greater Vancouver Regional District.
