How we Tested

This year, we focused on workgroup laser printers, and

received eight models ranging in speeds from 8 ppm to 40 ppm. Most of them were

network-ready, while two could only be shared through a PC. Out of these, we

ranked five that were network-ready, had speeds between 10 to 20 ppm, and were

suitable to serve workgroups of 30-50 people. The others were reviewed

separately. These included two entry-level desktop laser printers to serve 1-10

people, and a high-end 40-ppm workgroup laser printer designed to serve the

needs of 50-100 people.

The test setup

A separate 10 Mbps network was used for testing, to ensure

that the network was free from any undue traffic. We used a PIII/500 client with

64 MB SDRAM running Win 98 to fire the prints. All the printers had support for

TCP/IP and could receive an IP address either from a DHCP server or could be

assigned one manually. For each printer, a fresh install of Win 98 was done to

make sure that the drivers of different printers didn’t interfere with each

other. Every printer came bundled with some software through which we could

remotely configure it. Using this software, we assigned each printer a static IP

address and used it to print over the network.

The tests

The two most important things you look for in a printer are

its printing speed and print quality. Keeping this in mind, we’ve designed a

suite of 10 tests, which comprehensively cover both aspects. The tests were done

using Word 2000, CorelDraw 9, and Adobe PhotoShop 4. Each test was repeated

thrice and its average was considered. If the difference between any two

readings was more than 10 percent, the test was repeated.

Print speed

We measured how long each printer took to print the

following:

1. The first page of a multi-page file: This showed how

long a printer took to actually start printing.

2. A multi-page file: For this, we printed a 31-page Word

document containing plain text. This gave us the average print speed in ppm for

each printer. We didn’t consider the time taken to print the first page, but

started timing only after it was printed.

3. Multiple copies of the same page: We printed three

copies of the same single-page document and noted the time taken.

4. A single page with text and a small color graphics.

5. Full page graphics: Here, we printed a large 16 MB

image and recorded the time taken.

Print quality

We used the maximum resolution available in the printer, and

checked for the following:

1. Smallest readable font: We printed different font

sizes starting from size 2, and checked which was the smallest readable size

each printer could print.

2. Quality of full-page monochrome graphics: Here, we

looked for how well the printer could print different shades of gray.

3. Quality of line art and curves: A good printer should

be able to retain the smoothness and sharpness of lines and curves. That’s

what we looked for in this test.

4. Sharpness of wedge patch: A wedge patch is a circle

with many lines extending out from the center towards its periphery. A good

printer should be able to replicate this with all the lines clearly visible,

even at the center, and without any overlaps or patches.

5. Quality of fountain fills: This is a smooth gradient

of shades of gray. We checked how accurately each printer was able to replicate

this without any banding.

Upgradability

Here, we checked for the upgrade capability of the printer.

1. Memory: We looked at how much RAM a printer shipped

with and the maximum it could accommodate. We also considered the total number

of slots for these modules.

2. Network: What are the various protocols and platforms

that the printer supports? How many network cards can it take? All these aspects

were factored in our ratings.

3. Accessories: These include extra input trays, feeders,

output bins, duplexers, etc. These are all optional, and we checked whether a

printer supported them.

4. Ease of upgrade: We looked at how easy it was to

actually upgrade a printer, like adding a hard disk, more memory, or a network

card. We also checked whether a printer had its own proprietary memory modules

or regular SDRAM would fit.

Pricing

Here we considered the actual cost of each printer and the

cost of its toner cartridge per 1,000 pages. Warranty was also taken into

account.

Features

We looked for ease of setup and configuration on the network,

remote administration features, support for multiple protocols and platforms and

extra features, if any.

We used the Brown Gibson model to calculate the weights

assigned for each parameter used in the ranking.

Sachin Makhija and Sougata Das



at PCQ Labs