Specifications

Use the following feature checklists to help you focus on the most important features. Three check-
lists are presented: one for SOHO users, one for network users, and one for mobile users.
SOHO Users
SOHO (small office, home office) users often must use a single printer as a jack of all trades. The fol-
lowing feature checklists will help you buy a printer that comes as close as possible to “mastering”
your small-office or home-office domain.
For inkjet printers, I recommend that you purchase a printer with the following features:
■ At least two ink cartridges (one for black and one for color). This enables you to print true black and
full-color without changing ink cartridges.
■ A print resolution of 600dpi or above. Look for “plain paper” output of 600dpi–720dpi and higher
resolutions when you use special paper.
■ A rated speed of at least 8ppm (pages per minute) for black and 5ppm for color text. Actual speeds will
be less.
■ A parallel or USB port. I prefer having both ports in case I want to use the printer with Windows
NT 4.0, older releases of Windows 95, or Linux distributions (all of which lack USB support).
■ Compatibility with your operating system.
Desirable options include
■ 1200dpi, 720×1440dpi, or higher print options.
■ Separate ink cartridges for each color.
■ Photo-realistic features, such as six-color output and color-layering. This can improve photo appear-
ance.
■ Flash memory slots. This is useful for digital photographers.
■ High-speed black ink cartridges (if it’s your only printer). These have more nozzles for faster print-
ing.
■ Duplexing capability. Printing on both sides of the paper makes creating double-sided originals
very simple and saves paper.
For laser printers, I recommend that you purchase a printer with the following features:
■ A true print resolution of 600dpi or above.
■ 8ppm or higher print speeds.
■ PCL 5 or above (true or a good emulation).
■ At least 4MB of RAM or above. This should be installed at the factory or field-upgradable.
■ A parallel or USB port. I prefer having both ports in case I want to use the printer with Windows
NT 4.0, older versions of Windows 95, or Linux distributions (all of which lack USB support).
Desirable options include
■ High-capacity paper trays. This enables you to print large jobs without constant reloading of
paper.
■ Optional straight-through paper path. Makes printing heavier paper stock, business cards, labels,
and envelopes more reliable.