Before we get into the review, here is a brief overview of the specifications:

Print Quality: Black, up to 1200 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi)
Resolution: HP FastRes 1200
Toner Cartridges: 1 (black) – 51A or 51X
Print Speed: Up to 35 pages per minute with the first page out in under 10 seconds.
Monthly Duty Cycle: Up to 100,000 pages
Recommended Monthly Print Volume: 1500 to 5000 pages
Paper Trays: 2-3
Input Capacity: 600 sheets (standard) to 1100 sheets (maximum)
Paper Sizes: Letter, Legal, Executive, 8.5 x 13 in, and envelopes – plus a custom multipurpose tray for anything between 3 x 5 to 8.5 x 14 in.
Memory: 48 MB (standard) to 320 MB (maximum)
Processor Speed: 400 MHz

First Impressions: Out of the box, the P3005 is a simple, square, two-tone grey design. It looks functional and professional and blends nicely into an office environment. Although it may be a little large for some home offices (16.7 x 16.1 x 12.2 inches), it is smaller than many business printers. Setup is quick and easy, although you will need a USB printer cable or network cable, depending on the method of connection you choose (this is a standard requirement for most printers available today). The accompanying documentation helps you set it up within a few minutes.

Features: A monochrome printer is created with simplicity in mind and the P3005 is no exception. It offers a comparable selection, without any extraneous bells and whistles. It ships with a standard 500-sheet letter-sized paper tray, more than adequate for most jobs; however, the tray will also accommodate legal sheet via an ingenious flap that opens out the back of the printer. In addition to this primary feed, a 100-sheet multi-purpose tray on the front allows you to feed envelopes, labels, transparencies or even just colour paper through without having to reload the primary tray.

The print speed is faster than most comparable printers, pushing 33ppm at maximum. For optimal performance, HP suggests an average monthly load of 1500-5000 pages (with a maximum load of 100,000 pages). The quality is good for a printer in this price range, with clear, sharp printing for font sizes down to 3 points.

Variations: Although the standard model should be great for most purposes, HP offers a few useful options.

P3500D – includes automatic duplexing, a handy feature for reducing paper usage and certain print jobs.

P3500N – includes an HP Jetdirect fast Ethernet integrated print server for easy setup on a network, as well as extra ram.

P3500X – the luxury model; includes duplexing and network capabilities, extra ram, and an extra 500-sheet paper tray.

Beyond the 80MB of ram in the network models (48MB standard), all models are upgradeable to a maximum of 300MB for especially large and complex print jobs.

Final Assessment: The HP LaserJet P3005 is a great monochrome printer, offering a great set of features and options for a reasonable price. HP’s reputation and 1-yr warrant ensures you’ll be getting a dependable printer. Although some printers are initially cheaper, the P3005 shines with an especially low cost-per-page of 1.65-1.9 cents, depending on whether or not you use a high capacity toner cartridge. Of course, this cost can by as much as half, by using remanufactured cartridges available from Digitech. Overall, this printer is a great choice for low- to mid-use environments such as small businesses, schools, or even home offices. In a pinch it could be a great option for even some larger organizations.

Need a cartridge for your HP LaserJet P3005? If you are located in or near Vancouver or Kelowna then Digitech would be happy to serve you! We offer the highest quality remanufactured printer cartridges available – including the 51A and 51X for the Hewlett Packard LaserJet P3005 series. Click here to contact us today.