Expert's Rating
Pros
- Rendezvous support
- PostScript 3 emulation
- USB 2 and Ethernet ports
- Crisp text
- Vivid colors
Cons
- No traditional paper tray
- Low standard paper capacity
Our Verdict
The prices of color laser printers just keep falling. A few months ago, each vendor started offering color lasers at the “unheard of” price of about $1,000. The HP LaserJet 2550Ln is one of the few new color laser printers to fall below that price. For just $599, this printer includes PostScript 3 emulation, USB 2.0 and Ethernet ports, and supports Rendezvous, Apple’s zero configuration network technology. If you don’t require the Ethernet connectivity, a USB 2.0-only version of the same printer (LaserJet 2550L) is available for $100 less. This printer compared very favorably with the color laser printers reviewed in the June 2004 issue. It features very crisp text, vivid color, and respectable print speeds. The only drawback to this inexpensive color laser printer is its paper handling. There is no traditional paper tray: paper is fed through an open tray from the front of the printer. A paper capacity of only 125 pages will have you constantly running back and forth to reload the tray. If you anticipate heavy use, you might consider paying an extra $100 for the 2550n, which ships with an additional 250-page paper tray.
Macworld’s Buying Advice
This HP2550Ln is a great little network color laser printer that supports Apple’s Rendezvous technology. But with a paper capacity of only 125 sheets, you should consider paying the extra $100 for the HP2550n, which has an additional 250 sheet paper tray for an overall paper capacity of 375 pages.