Even in an era of ever-increasing digitization, your printer is in many ways the core of your office. Among other things, you need it for physical recordkeeping, to print and scan contracts with vendors and clients, and to prepare documents for presentations. The right printer will allow you to achieve all this with ease, slotting seamlessly into your workplace and workflows.
The wrong printer will end up being a drain on both time and resources, with issues ranging from ridiculously-priced toner to terrible print quality. As with any business purchase, it's therefore important that you spend your money intelligently. That's where HP comes in.
Overview
Retailing at $330, the recently-released HP Neverstop Laser Tank 1202w multi-function printer is a standout option. As the first laser printer released in North America to use a toner tank instead of cartridges, it's among the most efficient and cost-effective printers on the market. It's also packed with productivity enhancements, meaning it doesn't just save you money, but also saves you time.
Technical Specs
The Neverstop's drum unit - the component of the printer that transfers toner to the page - has a yield of up to 20,000 pages, and the Neverstop is capable of pumping out 21 pages per minute at a resolution of 600 dpi. In this, it outperforms many other systems at its price point. Most non-commercial printers have a resolution between 320 and 400 dpi, with print speeds ranging from 4 to 50 pages per minute.
The Neverstop also wakes from sleep significantly faster than many other models, with its first print after wake taking approximately 7.6 seconds. Copying and scanning are quick and efficient as well, with a speed of up to 20 pages per minute and the ability to create up to 99 copies at a time. As far as controls go, the Neverstop is equipped with Wi-Fi Direct, Hi-speed USB, a 2-line LCD control panel, and supports multiple mobile printing services and network protocols.
As far as other specifications go, the Neverstop has 64 MB of onboard memory, WiFi 802.11 b/n/g, an input capacity of up to 150 sheets, and an output capacity of up to 100 sheets.
Cost and energy savings
Right out of the box, the Neverstop comes with 5,000 pages of preloaded toner included, about seven times what you'd find in a competing model. Once you've gotten through the initial toner, the Neverstop really starts to shine. HP's Toner Reload Kit costs only $16, while other in-class cartridges can cost upwards of $60.
The Toner Reload Kit is made from 75% recycled materials and contains enough toner for 2500 pages. That's about 2.5 times the capacity of any other HP cartridge and on-par with many of the leading commercial options. Ultimately, this means that printing with the Neverstop costs less than a penny a page, while other in-class models have a cost per page of 3 cents or more.
The Neverstop is also designed for sustainability, with incredible power efficiency. Most commercial printers use between 300 and 500 watts when actively printing; the Neverstop is at the low end of that scale, at 338. It also only uses 3.3 watts while in a ready state, and 0.95 watts while in sleep. HP's Auto-On/Auto-Off Technology automatically puts the printer in standby mode when it's not in use, saving you even further.
Productivity and efficiency
Another way in which the printer distinguishes itself is through the HP Smart App. Rather than requiring you to install multiple drivers or fiddle with installation discs and cables, you can simply install the app on your smartphone. From there, a guided, app-based setup process makes it a cinch to onboard new devices and users.
The app also includes several useful features for mobile printing, including automatic edge detection for scanning documents via your phone's camera and the capacity to send and share digital files via email. Smart Tasks is probably the standout here, though. If you have a particular printing job you need to do frequently - such as scanning and printing contracts - you can use Smart Tasks to automate it, paring the entire process down to a single tap.
A tank full of savings
Unique, efficient, and cost-effective, the HP Neverstop 1202w is a professional-grade printer that won't break the bank. It offers unmatched cost savings and excellent print speed without skimping on quality, while the HP Smart App makes it dead-simple to set up and use. In short, it's the perfect choice for any small business owner or entrepreneur.
