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The HP LaserJet MFP M234sdw provides a powerful mixture of options, efficiency, and output high quality for its $229 listing value. If it had a decrease working price, it will even be in rivalry for an Editors’ Alternative nod for a cheap mono laser all-in-one (AIO) printer. As it’s, relying on how a lot you print, you could possibly be higher off with a higher-priced printer that has a decrease price per web page—the HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw being an excessive instance, due to its bulk toner. For sufficiently light-duty printing, nevertheless, the M234sdw can simply be a good selection. If you happen to do not want colour output, it will probably even be a more sensible choice than a less-expensive inkjet, which may waste lots of your time and ink cleansing clogged nozzles when you depart it sitting unused for too lengthy.Design and Software program: A Good Mono LaserLike different cheap HP mono laser printers we have reviewed lately, together with the 2604sdw, the M234sdw is notably straightforward to arrange. And at simply 21 kilos and 11.6 by 16.5 by 21.1 inches (HWD) it will probably match even in places of work the place house is tight. Setup requires little past loading paper, plugging within the energy twine, and optionally plugging in a USB cable or an Ethernet cable, which I used for testing. You can too join by Wi-Fi. The toner cartridge is already contained in the printer as shipped, without having to organize it.
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Software program set up requires going to HP’s web site and following just a few on-screen directions to obtain and set up the printer driver and utilities. Along with a normal print driver and the HP Scan app, which allow you to print and scan with out being related to the web, the software program additionally contains HP Good, which serves as a cloud-based print and scan app.
(Credit score: M. David Stone)
If you happen to select to make use of HP Good, you should set it up individually on-line by making a free account that connects to the printer. You can too set up the app on some other Home windows, macOS, Android, or iOS system after which connect with the printer by way of the HP Good cloud-based element.
Though the printer itself is restricted to printing, scanning, and copying, HP Good provides HP’s Cell Faxing, which helps outgoing faxes solely. Cell Faxing does not depend on the printer in any manner, however you should have purchased a printer that helps HP Good to make use of it. Notice additionally that the fax characteristic, together with all the opposite HP Good options, is a free service. HP was contemplating turning it right into a paid subscription at one level however has dropped these plans.
(Credit score: M. David Stone)
Paper dealing with for printing is appropriate for light-to-moderate-duty use in a micro or dwelling workplace. The 150-sheet tray can deal with as much as legal-size paper, and the printer helps automated duplexing (two-sided printing). The tray additionally provides each entrance and prime covers that flip open, making it straightforward to refill, insert just a few sheets of a special kind or dimension paper on prime of the stack, or swap out paper fully when wanted.
(Credit score: M. David Stone)
HP provides the really helpful month-to-month most as as much as 2,000 pages. If you happen to choose retaining paper refills all the way down to as soon as per week, nevertheless, 600 sheets per thirty days can be the correct ceiling, or rather less than 1,200 pages for duplex printing, to account for some pages printing on just one facet of the sheet.Paper dealing with for scanning may very well be a deal killer if you should scan duplex pages. The letter-size flatbed is supplemented by a 40-page automated doc feeder (ADF) for as much as legal-size paper. Nonetheless, duplexing is restricted to scanning one facet of every web page at a time. HP Scan will information you thru scanning one facet of a stack of pages utilizing the ADF and flipping it to scan the opposite, however then you must rearrange the pages within the scanned file your self.
(Credit score: M. David Stone)
One other potential situation is working price, which is a bit greater than for many of its competitors at 3.7 cents per web page for the high-capacity cartridge (and lots greater than the fee for the tank-based 2604sdw, however extra on that later). The drum is a part of the toner cartridge, so when evaluating with printers that provide decrease per-page toner prices however separate imaging models, as with the Canon imageClass MF264dw II, for instance, remember to add the per-page price for the imaging models as effectively. As we focus on intimately in How you can Save Cash on Your Subsequent Printer, the quantity to concentrate on is the full price of possession—not the preliminary value or working price alone.Testing the LaserJet MFP M234sdw: Difficult ComparisonsTo decide the M234dw’s efficiency in context, I in contrast it with the HP 2604sdw, the Canon MF264dw II, and the Brother MFC-L2820DW XL, three rivals that every provide totally different strengths.For simplex printing of our 12-page Phrase file, all 4 fashions carefully matched their rated speeds for pages 2 to 12, which places the Brother printer in first place. The M234sdw and MF264dw II tied for second, with the 2604sdw in a definitive final place. For first web page out (FPO) time, nevertheless, the MF264dw II was quickest, with the opposite three tied for second, taking 3 seconds longer.
For real-world use, that interprets to the Canon printer being noticeably quicker than the opposite three printers for one- and two-page recordsdata, however not by a lot, with the others basically tied. On the full 12-page size of our Phrase check file, the Canon printer’s quick FPO time let it tie the Brother printer for first place, with the M234sdw coming in slower sufficient to note, however not sufficient to matter, and the 2604sdw slower nonetheless. If you happen to print paperwork within the vary of 40 pages or extra, nevertheless, the Brother printer’s benefit over the remaining will probably be way more important, whereas the M234sdw and MF264dw II ought to be basically tied for second place.When printing the Phrase file in duplex, the relative speeds modified considerably, aside from the 2604sdw nonetheless being the slowest. For pages 1 and a couple of (the primary sheet out), the MF264dw II was sufficient quicker than the others, at 12 seconds, to make it noticeably quickest for brief paperwork. The MFC-L2820DW got here second at 16 seconds, and the 2 HP printers basically tied for final place at about 20 seconds. For pages after the primary sheet, the M234sdw and MF264dw II basically tied for quickest, with the Brother printer in third place. The longer the doc, the extra benefit the M234sdw and the Canon printer can have.
The relative speeds additionally modified considerably when printing the remainder of our enterprise purposes suite. The MF264dw II’s first place on your complete suite, which incorporates the Phrase file, is primarily attributable to its quick FPO time. Nonetheless, the opposite three printers all match for FPO time. Amongst these three, the M234sdw was quickest or tied for quickest for each Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF file, whereas the MFC-L2820DW got here in final or tied for final on most. If it weren’t for its quick pace for the Phrase file, it will have are available in final on the enterprise purposes suite total as an alternative of third.
For picture printing, the M234sdw averaged 14 seconds for a 4-by-6-inch picture.Textual content high quality for the M234sdw is simply wanting prime tier for a mono laser. Except an italic font, which was simply readable at 5 factors, all of the fonts we check that might possible be utilized in enterprise paperwork have been simply readable at 4 factors, and it took a glance by way of loupe to see some minor flaws in kind in some fonts at that dimension. One of many extremely stylized fonts in our checks with heavy strokes was simply readable at 8 factors. The opposite handed that bar at 10 factors.
(Credit score: M. David Stone)
Graphics are a bit decrease high quality for a mono laser than textual content total, however nonetheless ok for many functions. Some gradients confirmed slight posterization (shading altering all of the sudden the place it ought to change regularly), and a few strong fills and gradients confirmed what seemed like a classy type of dithering that may produce a marbled impact at some grey ranges. Some graphs have been additionally darker total than they need to be and confirmed some refined banding. Nonetheless, skinny traces held effectively, together with in our graph with a black background, and not one of the graphs misplaced any data.Images have been additionally a contact darker than they need to be and confirmed some minor dithering. Nonetheless, they held shadow element effectively and have been at the least appropriate to be used in a trifold brochure or the like.Verdict: A Good Alternative for a Mild-Obligation NicheThe key query to ask when you’re contemplating the M234sdw is whether or not you print sufficient that it may cost much less to purchase a dearer printer with a decrease working price. In that case, take into account any of the opposite fashions talked about right here. Along with a decrease price per web page, all three provide greater paper capability, with a 250-sheet major tray in every case, and when you discover them at a reduction, they could even price much less to purchase. Between them, the MF264dw II comes closest to matching the M234sdw for options, and it delivers the quickest pace for duplex printing, nevertheless it additionally has the best working price of the three. The MFC-L2820DW has the subsequent highest working price and is the one printer talked about right here that features faxing. The 2604sdw is the slowest within the group however provides an astoundingly low 0.6-cent price per web page.That stated, if working price isn’t a difficulty, the M234sdw is simple to advocate for a micro or dwelling workplace, thanks largely to scoring higher for textual content high quality than the Canon and Brother printers and higher than the 2604sdw for efficiency. It is also a bit smaller than the opposite three, making it a contact much less imposing sitting in your desk. The mixture could make it a good selection for light-duty printing in a micro or dwelling workplace.
Professionals
Prints, scans, and copies
150-sheet paper tray
Switching paper sorts is simple
40-sheet ADF for scanning at as much as authorized dimension
Automated duplex (two-sided) printing
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The Backside Line
The HP LaserJet MFP M234sdw laser printer provides strong efficiency and output high quality, however its excessive working price makes it finest suited to light-duty use even by dwelling workplace requirements.
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