HP Color LaserJet 2600n review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Dan Littman

Reviewed on: 21 July 2005

Tags: HP, HP Color LaserJet 2600n, prints, paper, performance

We like:

Inexpensive; easy to use; great black-text quality

We don't like:

Prints text slowly; expensive toner; mediocre colour-graphics quality; USB cable not included

You might also need:

A USB cable or an Ethernet network

CNET UK judgement:

This HP is affordable if you want a simple colour laser printer with wired networking, but it's sluggish

Full review:

If you've decided you can't afford a colour laser printer, reconsider: the HP Color LaserJet 2600n costs only £250 with built-in Ethernet networkability. This model is simple to use, and the quality of most of its print samples impressed us. However, its slow performance on some tasks and its potentially high postpurchase costs mean the 2600n best fits small and patient workgroups and home offices. The comparable Konica Minolta Magicolor 2430DL is twice as fast and includes a PictBridge port for instant digital-camera prints, but it lacks built-in networking. For a small office, we recommend the Samsung CLP-510N, which works at more than double the HP 2600n's greyscale speeds and even makes two-sided prints. Continue Reading...