HP leads the desktop printer market once again

Citation

Pitta, D.A. (2007), "HP leads the desktop printer market once again", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 24 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.2007.07724bag.001

HP leads the desktop printer market once again

When my company decided to replace a number of aging desktop printers, it opted for a few high end networkable black-and-white workhorses that could handle a growing printing load. We also replaced a number of originally expensive HP Laserjet 4 models to which we added accessories like extra paper tray units and network cards. By tradition or habit or lack of choice, my company could be called a Hewlett-Packard (HP) printer shop. All of our printers and none of our computers were HP products. In an age in which IBM sold its personal computer division and traditional computer manufacturers are bested by offshore and entrepreneurial companies like Dell, HP’s dominance in the printer sector is remarkable.

A recent survey of computer printer suppliers described HP’s supremacy in the business-class laser printer segment. HP knows what business users want. Paramount wants are great performance, easy manageability, simple design, and effective tech support. We were looking for those characteristics in our desktop units. Our company policy is to provide a networked, fast, high capacity, high quality printer for each workgroup. They handle large format paper like 11″×17″ and print sharp and high dpi images. Users tend to send their diagrams and workdrawings to the network units. They also send jobs like four of five copies of a 50-page document because it will print rather quickly, saving the extra minutes to create five copies on a standard copier. It also allows them to use their desktop printers for other jobs.

Our choice for a desktop model was – no surprise – an HP model, the HP LaserJet 1320. The LaserJet 1320 is a compact home and office monochrome printer that is priced at the higher end of small-office laser market. However, its performance makes it a good value. The LaserJet 1320 prints sharp, clean black letters and good graphics that are fine for professional manuscripts and over the top for office memos. It also supplies features that were once unavailable or costly add-ons. It has a built-in duplexer, high maximum resolution for grayscale graphics, and the option to buy one of a family of 1320 models to fit your users’ needs perfectly. For example, you can get a model with wired or wireless networking preinstalled. The choices include three networkable versions, including wired and wireless models. Given the performance and flexibility, the 1320 makes an excellent choice for small to large businesses.

HP LaserJet 1320 features and design

I have to marvel over one feature in particular that is rare in such a small package: the duplexer. The HP LaserJet 1320’s built-in duplexer prints on both sides of a page without the need for manually turning pages over and refeeding them one by one. My current duplexing printer is an older HP 1420 which has a much bigger footprint and whose duplexer projects out from the rear and further eats into deskspace. I have learned to love duplexing since it saves paper and costly weight when mailing a document. Moreover, the operations manuals I create are more easily stored on shelves when printed on both sides of the page. Finally, some of our company’s technical manuals are created specifically for clients unique installations and our professionally written duplexed manual also looks really professional.

My, now “middle aged,” 1420 provides good duplexing but at a cost. It is slower and a bit noisier compared to single sided printing. As the paper follows the feed trail to print the other side, it makes audible noise on the return trip. In contrast, the 1320 uses a different way to duplex. Once the machine finishes printing on one side, the printer slides the paper halfway out of the machine, and refeeds it to print the second side.

For our secretaries, printing individual letters is still an important task. Sometimes, they print 20 or more customized letters in a day. The 1320 comes standard with a single 250-sheet input tray. Printing a two-page letter on letterhead is easy if one uses the duplex option. For three pages or more, one needs an accessory. HP sells an extra 250-page paper tray that can be added to the 1320. It would allow, for example, the printer to print using a sheet from tray one, the letterhead, and one or more sheets from tray two containing second sheets.

As expected in laserjets, the printer handles letter and legal size as well as card stock, envelopes, and transparencies. The printer has a single-sheet multipurpose input tray, which can be used for several purposes. By opening the single-sheet feeder using a door on the front panel and opening a rear exit door on the back of the printer, one can print heavy card stock. The single-sheet feeder uses a straight paper path that avoids curling the media. We use this feature to make signs and covers for some of our documents. One can use the single-sheet feeder also print letterhead or envelopes one at a time.

The HP LaserJet 1320 includes 16 MB of RAM, which is usually plenty. However, if needed, it can be expanded to 144 MB.

Old HP LaserJet printers included a slow serial and faster parallel port. The HP LaserJet 1320 includes both a new fast standard USB 2.0 port as well as parallel port that is now, by comparison, slower. The cables do not come with the printer but have to be purchased separately.

Esthetics. The HP LaserJet 1320 is very attractive and seems to have been a candidate for some fine arts design award. The best part may be its very compact design. It occupies a 14″×14×10″ (WDH) volume and weighs 25 pounds. Compared to older printers, it almost seems to fade into the background. By that I mean that it is relatively small and non-intrusive on a desktop.

Installation. I must be getting old. I remember the difficulties in configuring printers before the Windows era. Even after Windows became a PC standard, installation was sometimes tricky. In contrast installing the 1320 on one computer is fast and straightforward. Networking is relatively simple also. In the past, one needed a downloadable utility that had to be installed on each computer. Over time, the utility got better and more user friendly and HP now supplies it on disk with the printer. Users can now create and access the custom-installation utility across the company network. The utility places the drivers on office net, allowing users to connect to the networked printer directly

HP supports installation by bundling its Toolbox software. The software helps troubleshoot problems and manage the printer’s status, configuration, and supplies. This program will even send you e-mail alerts if something goes wrong.

Performance of HP LaserJet 1320

Print quality. High quality print is arguably the most important output from an office printer and is probably more important than speed. The HP LaserJet 1320 prints sharp, black text. Typical office documents looked excellent. The printer has a default resolution of 600×600 dpi. Grayscale printing was acceptable, and even better with the higher resolution ProRes 1200 setting. Overall, we are very satisfied with the print resolution.

Speed. Speed may be second in importance but the printer does not fall down here. The HP LaserJet 1320 performs well at 17 pages per minute (ppm) for text and 13 ppm for graphics. The speed is lower than one would expect from high end printer servers but totally acceptable for a desktop unit.

Warranty. HP supplies a standard one-year warranty. In addition it provides 24/7, toll-free phone support for a year. Warranty upgrades are available at extra cost but they may be cost efficient for many businesses. Telephone support extends to access to a technician weekdays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET. One can use HP’s web site to post questions on an e-mail form.

The web site is almost a substitute for technical support handholding. It has a number of to aid troubleshooting or performing printer maintenance. Options include FAQs, manuals, and perhaps the most important feature: the ability to sign-up for driver-update alerts. The web site is extremely helpful.

Other models in the line

The HP LaserJet 1320 series of printers enables two-sided printing. You can buy this printer in its single-user version we just reviewed, or select one of three network-ready versions. The three choices include wired and wireless networked versions. Some companies occupy space in converted factories and other renovated space. For example, a local law office moved into several floors of a converted canning factory. The renovation was well done but the reinforced concrete construction prevented easy installation of network cable between floors. Wired networking offered faster and more secure throughput and was the preferred option. One solution was to look for a wireless network capable printer or at least an add-on wireless router system. Our search was easy since HP offers the LaserJet 1320nw. This model has a built in 802.11b/g wireless network card.

Other units offer wired network cards and one, the HP LaserJet 1320nw offers both wired and wireless networking. This one offers the highest degree of flexibility and was the choice of our local legal office. That choice would allow printers to follow users as they moved from floor to floor.

Suggested retail pricing

Retail pricing suggestions can be found in Table I.

Overall evaluation

For a few hundred dollars, business users can choose from among four HP LaserJet 1320 configured printers to get a capable, reliable and relatively fast desktop or networked printer. The ability to choose from four alternatives that all have the same technical core configuration eases training, maintenance and even ordering supplies.

Recommendation

If your firm needs a new desktop laserjet, this is one unit to look at.

Available from Hewlett-Packard, Inc. and numerous retailers.

Edited by Dennis A. PittaUniversity of Baltimore