However you look it, the Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf MFP ($199 direct) offers a lot of capability for the price. The easiest way to make that point, however, is to compare it with HP’s ownLaserJet Pro P1102w printer that I reviewed just a few months ago. The M1212nf is the multi-function printer (MFP) version of the P1102w single-function printer. Built around the same monochrome laser engine, it adds a flatbed scanner, fax modem, automatic document feeder (ADF), and Ethernet connector, along with all of the extra capabilities that implies. Yet it costs just $50 more, making it a veritable bargain if you need the MFP features.

Even better, the M1212nf is also a bargain compared to other mono laser MFPs aimed at a micro or home office (or personal use in any size office), including the similarly priced Dell 1135n MFP that I recently reviewed. It’s not a match for the Editors’ Choice in this category, the Brother MFC-7840W , but it doesn’t cost as much either.

The M1212nf can print and fax from, as well as scan to, a PC even over a network, it works as a standalone copier and fax machine, and it can send e-mail by automatically launching an e-mail message on your PC and adding a scanned document as an attachment. Its 35-page ADF is a welcome touch for any office, making it easy to scan, fax, and copy multi-page documents as well as legal-size pages, which are too big to fit on the letter-size flatbed.

As you might expect from the low price, the printer leaves out some useful conveniences. In particular, it offers only a 150-sheet input tray and no automatic duplexer, even as an option, and there’s no way to scan by giving commands from the front panel. If the printer’s not sitting on or right next to your desk, you have to walk to it twice each time you scan—once to set the document in place, and once to retrieve it after you’ve given the scan command from your computer. This limitation, combined with relatively limited paper handling, effectively defines the M1212nf as fitting best into a micro or home office.

Setup

For my tests, I connected the M1212nf to a network and installed the drivers on a system running Windows Vista. According to HP, it also comes with a full set of print, scan, and fax drivers and a complete set of software for Windows 7 (both 32- and 64-bit versions), XP, Server 2008, and Server 2003 as well as Mac OS X v 10.4 through 10.6. In addition, HP says you can download print drivers for virtually any current Linux distribution from HP’s Web site.

Physical setup is typical for a low-end mono laser MFP. The M1212nf weighs only 18.3 pounds, and it measures just 12 by 17.1 by 10.4 inches (HWD), making it easy to find enough room for it. Simply set it in place, remove the packing materials, load paper, and plug in the power cord and cable.
For my tests, I installed the drivers and software using the standard Windows approach; namely, I plugged in the network cable and ran the automated installation program from disc. It’s worth mention, however, that the drivers for all of the Windows versions (but not the Mac) are also stored in the printer. This gives you the option for Windows of connecting by USB cable and installing the drivers from the printer itself, although you still need to install the OCR software from a disc.

The installation routine that runs from the printer asks if you want to set up the printer for a network connection. I’d argue that if you’re planning to connect to a network, however, it’s easier to just use the installation disc, rather than start out with a USB cable and then switch to a network cable later. In any case, I tested the installation from the printer separately, and can confirm that it installs printer, scanner, and fax drivers.
Speed and Output Quality

The M1212nf works as promised. When I reviewed the P1102w, I pointed out that even though it was built around a 19 page-per-minute (ppm) engine, it was a match for printers with faster rated speeds. Not surprisingly, the same comment holds true for the M1212nf.

On our business applications suite I timed the M1212nf at a total of 7 minutes 36 seconds (usingQualityLogic’s hardware and software for timing). That’s essentially tied with the P1102w, as you might expect, but it’s also tied with the more expensive 23-ppm Brother MFC-7840W at 7:51, and it’s faster than the 23-ppm Dell 1135n at 8:46, all of which makes it the fastest mono laser MFP in its price class.

The printer’s output quality is solidly on par for a mono laser across the board. Text was at the low end of the fairly tight range where most mono lasers fall. More than half of the fonts on our text tests were easily readable at 5 points, although some failed to qualify as well formed because of character spacing issues or barely noticeable breaks in some characters. On the other hand, more than half passed both tests at 8 points, and only one highly stylized font with thick strokes needed more than 10 points to pass both tests. Unless you have an unusual need for small fonts, you shouldn’t have any complaints about the text.

Graphics quality was dead on typical for a mono laser, making it good enough for any internal business need, but not suitable for handing out to clients or customers when you need to make the best possible impression. The most annoying issues I saw were visible dithering in the form of obvious graininess, and dark gray bands inside of what should have been solid, even fills. Photos were similarly typical for monochrome lasers. Depending on how demanding you are, you may consider them good enough for a client newsletter or the like.

Other Issues

The printer’s one-year warranty is a small plus. HP says that if there’s a problem it can’t fix by phone, it will ship a replacement printer to arrive within 10 business days, with a return shipping label included and HP picking up the shipping cost in both directions.

For the most part, the M1212nf is a strong contender, offering lots of MFP features for an attractively low price. However, the real price—and the level of attractiveness that goes with it—depends largely on how much you expect to print. HP claims a 4.2-cent-per-page running cost for the printer, which is 1.5 cents per page more than Brother claims for the MFC-7840W. Print just 6,667 pages over the life of the printer—fewer than 45 pages per week for three years—and you’ll save enough in print costs with the MFC-7840W to pay for the difference in initial cost between the two printers.

Print more than that, and the MFC-7840W will be the less expensive printer in the long run. On the other hand, if you print fewer than 6,667 pages, the M1212nf will be less expensive both initially and in the long run. So if—and only if—you don’t expect to print lots of pages, the M1212nf can be a low-cost option that combines laser speed and laser-quality text with all the MFP features a small office needs.

Source:http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2367511,00.asp