Brother HL 2040 Laser Printer Review

The Brother HL-2040 is an inexpensive, fast, noncolor laser printer for a home or sole-proprietor business. It's decent at printing text, so-so at graphics, and quick at both. As with the similarly priced Samsung ML-1740, what you see is what you get: a nonexpandable 250 sheets of paper capacity and 8MB of RAM. On the plus side, the HL-2040 works with operating systems from Windows 95 through XP and with Macintosh OS 9.1, 9.2, OS X 10.2.4, or higher. It also has a speedy 96MHz processor, plus both a parallel and a USB 2.0 port. By contrast, the Samsung ML-1740 snubs Macs, and it sports a slower USB 1.1 port with only a 66MHz processor.

One of the smallest laser printers we've seen, the Brother HL-2040 is lightweight, with two-tone dark and light gray plastic making it more attractive than the traditional putty color scheme. It stands just 6.5 inches tall, 14.6 inches wide, and 14.2 inches deep and weighs less than 17 pounds loaded with toner and paper. Its main paper tray holds letter- or legal-size paper. You feed envelopes, card stock, transparencies, and label sheets one by one into the manual feed slot in front. On top, you'll find a 100-sheet output tray, tilted to hold the pages on top, next to the control panel.

Controls are ultrasimple: just a round, blue Go button and four LEDs labeled Toner, Drum, Paper, and Ready. The lights flash or glow red, yellow, and green and convey quite a bit of information, such as low toner warnings and error messages. Luckily, setting up the HL-2040 is easy. In the printed quick-setup guide, instructions are well laid out and easy to follow; there's also a user manual and a flash movie guide on CD-ROM.

Unfortunately, the HL-2040 ships with a starter toner cartridge rated to last a mere 1,500 text pages. You'll get an estimated 2,500 pages out of a regular, $60 toner cartridge, which brings the cost per page of text to 2.4 cents, about average for a modest laser printer.

The Brother HL-2040 lacks built-in networking capabilities. To push the envelope, you can buy external networking add-ons such as the $180 NC-2100p print server, or the $250 NC-2200W wireless print server. But to network, you'll save money going with the $199 Brother HL-2070N, which has 8MB of RAM more and comes with a built-in Ethernet card.

In CNET Labs' speed tests, the HL-2040 nimbly printed 16.5ppm (pages per minute) of text and was almost as fast at graphics, a mite over 16ppm--impressive numbers for a $150 laser and faster than the Samsung ML-1740.

The HL-2040's text prints were good in our tests, although more charcoal than black. Still, the letters were legible and sharp enough for everyday business documents, forms, and letters. Graphics, however, looked only fair; the printer failed to differentiate between dark shades of gray, which blended into black. The output also suffered from vertical banding in horizontal gradients, and a blotchy sheen showed up where pure black should have been.

The Brother HL-2040 comes with a standard one-year limited warranty on parts and labor. If your HL-2040 proves to be defective within one year from the date of purchase, Brother will replace it and pay the shipping costs. Toll-free technical support is available for the life of the printer--an impressive amount of time--Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Laser Printer Search

Technology has yet to reach its full potential and still, there is a promising future in fighting against crimes with the use of printers alone. With the unlimited possibility of the capabilities of every technology available on earth, laser printers are not logging behind. The future promises that laser printers can fight crimes. And it is a big possibility with the on going research in Purdue University.

This is a very big development on the laser printing industry in relation to a more precise method of tracking every document printers produce. It is not surprising that with the speed by which printers are improving, you can imagine that in the future, you will be able to print a driver’s license at home. Although it immensely reduces the time you spend in line waiting for your license at the DMV, one might start questioning the validity of such documents. How would the research resolve this?

With on going research, I am still impressed to know that every printing technology has the capacity to give identification. Although it may not be obvious, as was said, laser printers leave specific markings on each document they print. This is what they call the bonding process. The article also states that Purdue's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering has pioneered a tracking system that uses banding to trace a document back to the printer from which it originated.

I look forward to this development and acclaim the people behind the research who will make this possible. I am also dreaming of having a faster acquisition of my documents but still I would not want to compromise my safety in exchange of it.

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Brother HL-5170 Printer Review

The Brother HL-5100 series of laser printers is designed for homes and small offices. We reviewed the single-user base model, the Brother HL-5140. If you need a duplexer, consider other models in this series, starting with the HL-5150D. The HL-5170DN includes networkability, while the HL-5150DLT adds an extra paper tray.
This printer uses the DR-510 Drum and TN-540/570 Laser Toner Cartridge.

General specs:

• Depth
• 15.8 in

• Height
• 9.9 in

• Weight
• 26.2 lbs

• Compatibility
• PC, Mac

• Technology
• Laser

• Packaged quantity
• 1

• Width
• 15 in

• Printer type
• Workgroup printer Laser

• Max media size
• Legal (8.5 in x 14 in)

• Printer output type
• Monochrome

Copier

• Copier Type
• None

• Copier Type:Type
• None

Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion slot(s) total (free)
• 1 1 for PC connection Memory DIMM 100-pin

• Slot provided total qty
• 1

• Total free slots
• 1

• Slot provided type
• Memory

• Slot provided form factor
• DIMM 100-pin

Printer

• Max resolution (b&w)
• 2400 dpi x 600 dpi

• Technology / Printer Speed:Printer Speed
• 21 pages/min

• Duplex printout
• Duplex

• Language simulation
• PCL 6, EPSON FX, PostScript 3, IBM ProPrinter

• PostScript support
• Standard

• Font(s) included
• 12 Bitmapped, 66 Scalable, 11 Barcode, 66 PostScript 3

• Printer output
• 21 pages/min B/W Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in)

• Font(s) included:Fonts Included Qty
• 12, 66, 11

• Font(s) included:Font Included Type
• Bitmapped, Scalable, Barcode, PostScript 3

• Printer Output:Output Quality
• B/W

• Printer Output:Media Size
• Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in)

• Max speed
• 21 pages/min

• Max Resolution ( B&W ):Max H-Resolution BW
• 2400 dpi

• Max Resolution ( B&W ):Max V-Resolution BW
• 600 dpi

• Connectivity technology
• Wired

Media Handling

• Media sizes
• A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), A5 (5.83 in x 8.25 in), A6 (4.13 in x 5.83 in), B5 (6.93 in x 9.83 in), B6 (4.92 in x 6.93 in), Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Executive (7.25 in x 10.5 in), Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in)

• Max document size
• 8.5 in (Legal) 16 in

• Envelope sizes
• Com-10 (4.13 in x 9.5 in), International C5 (6.38 in x 9 in), International B5 (6.93 in x 9.83 in), International DL (4.33 in x 8.66 in)

• Media Feeder(s)
• 1 50 sheets Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) Autoload, 1 250 sheets Autoload

• Total media capacity
• 300 sheets

• Media type
• Labels, Envelopes, Bond paper, Plain paper, Recycled paper, Transparencies

• Max media capacity
• 550 sheets

Duty Cycle

• Monthly Duty Cycle (Users Qty)
• 20,000 - 49,999 pages

• Monthly Duty Cycle
• 20000 pages

Expansion / Port(s) Required

• Port(s) / Connector(s) Required
• 1 Hi-Speed USB IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP):RJ-45, 1 Parallel Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX:, 1 Network

• Slot(s) Required
• None

Software / System Requirements

• Operating system
• SuSe Linux, Debian Linux, Red Hat Linux, Linux Mandrake, Apple MacOS 8.6 - 9.2, Apple MacOS X 10.1 or later, Microsoft Windows 95/98/ME/XP, Microsoft Windows 2000 / NT4.0

• Software type
• Drivers & Utilities

Memory / RAM

• Memory / RAM Installed ( Max )
• 32 MB : 160 MB

• Technology / Form Factor
• DIMM 100-pin

Networking

• Networking
• Print server

• Transport protocol
• TCP/IP, DLC/LLC, IPX/SPX, AppleTalk, NetBEUI/NetBIOS

• Remote management protocol
• SNMP, Telnet

• Connectivity technology
• Wired

• Data link protocol
• Ethernet, Fast Ethernet

Power

• Power Supply / Device
• Power supply Internal

• Operational power consumption
• 460 Watt

• Operational power consumption (standby)
• 75 Watt

Environmental Parameters

• Min operating temperature
• 50 °F

• Max operating temperature
• 90.5 °F

• Operating humidity range
• 20 - 80%

Miscellaneous

• Consumables Included
• 1 Drum Black Installed 20000 pages, 1 Toner cartridge 3500 pages

Warranty

• Service / Support Details
• Limited warranty Parts and labor 1 year

• Service & support type
• 1 year warranty

Overall its has excellent value and is worth the dollars to invest in this printer :-)

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Brother HL-5140 printer review

The award-winning HL-5140 is a high-performance, monochrome laser printer that is ideal for personal desktop or office use. With its durable “office class” design, this printer is built for reliable day-in and day-out printing. Among its many standard features, the HL-5140 delivers PCL®6 emulation for compatibility with legacy office applications as well as generous (and expandable) 250-sheet paper input capacity. For high-performance personal printing, the HL-5140 delivers an excellent balance of features, performance and value.

Features:
The Brother HL-5140 ships with 16MB of memory onboard and the ability to add more, up to 144MB maximum. While Brother doesn't sell memory, SD-RAM for the HL-5140 is available from third-party vendors in sizes ranging from 16MB to 128MB. A quick search revealed prices ranging from $21 to $43 for a 32MB module and from $51 to $86 for a 128MB module. Standalone users will not need to upgrade, but those running a small network will require the addition to handle larger print jobs.

Networking options for the Brother HL-5140 include the Brother NC-2100p 10/100 Base T external Ethernet print server or the NC-2200w 802.11b wireless print server, both available from Brother. The NC-2100p costs $179.99, but pricing has yet to be determined for the NC-2200w. Or you can forego the Brother HL-5140 options altogether and purchase the slightly bulked-up and already network-compatible Brother HL-5170N, which lists for $399 from Brother. Those running small networks may prefer the HL-5170N.

It's an easy process to set up the Brother HL-5140, from loading the software and drivers to installing the print drum and the toner. The printed quick-setup guide and additional software-based help options are available should you experience difficulties during the setup process or afterward while printing.

Performance:

The Brother HL-5140 proved itself a very fast laser printer with uneven print quality. At 16.5 pages per minute (ppm) monochrome, the Brother HL-5140 is faster than its predecessor, the Brother HL-5040, at 13.5ppm. It's also quicker than more-expensive laser printers, such as the Lexmark E321, which clocked in at 15.1ppm, and much faster than the Dell P1500 at 12.9ppm. The Brother HL-5140 also printed our mixed text and graphics document at 16ppm, twice the Dell P1500's rate of 8ppm.

However, the Brother HL-5140 displayed mixed results in quality tests. We saw flawless text, with easy-to-read and well-outlined characters even down into 2-point font sizes, in both plain text and italics. Had the text been a bit darker, it would have been rated excellent instead of very good.

In our graphics test, however, the Brother HL-5140 scored only fair. The printer introduced flaws such as horizontal and vertical banding in the gradients. It also wrongly reproduced deep shadows in the photographic part of our test document.


Download the Brother HL-5140 review brochure (PDF) HERE

Print Technology B/W Laser Technology
Max. Black Print Speed 21ppm Black
Print Resolution (maximum dpi) HQ1200 (up to 2400x600dpi)
Duplex Printing Standard No
Emulation(s) PCL6
Standard Memory (MB) 16MB Memory
Network-Ready No
LCD Display No
CPU (Processor) Type Fujitsu SPARClite
CPU (Processor) Speed 133 MHz
Toner Save Mode Yes
Unit Dimensions (W"xD"xH") 15.0"x15.1"x9.9"
Unit Weight (lbs) 23.1 lbs.
UPC Code - 12502600664
Warranty - 1 Year Limited Express Exchange

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DR400 Brother Drum unit

The Compatible Brother DR400 (DR-400) Laser Drum unit guaranteed to perform with Brother Laser Printers. It replaces the original Brother DR400 Laser Drum unit. The compatible replacement DR400 Laser Toner Cartridges and supplies (also known as generic) are specially engineered to meet the highest standards of quality, reliability and exceptional yields that meet or exceed OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) standards for the DR-400 and offer high-quality printing results. Containing up to 60% new parts including OPC drums, wiper blades, and other internal parts, they are an economical alternative to expensive OEM DR400 Brother Laser Drum units and supplies, and offer big savings over brand-name DR-400 Laser Drum unit and supplies. The use of compatible replacement Laser Toner Cartridges and supplies does not void Printer Warranty. Our Compatible DR400 Laser Toner Drum is a replacement for Brother DR400 / DR-400 Drum unit. The TN460 is the replacement laser toner cartridge that fits into the DR400 drum housing. You can replace the Brother TN460 without replacing the entire DR400 drum housing.
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TN460 Laser Toner HL1440 series

The Compatible Laser Toner Cartridges and supplies for Brother HL-1440 are specially engineered to meet the highest standards of quality, reliability and exceptional yields that meet or exceed Brother OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) standards for the Brother HL-1440 and offer high-quality printing results. Manufactured brand new, containing new components, they are an economical alternative to expensive OEM Brother Laser Toner Cartridges and supplies, and offer big savings over the brand-name TN460,DR400 Laser Toner Cartridges and supplies. The use of compatible replacement Laser Toner Cartridges and supplies for your Brother HL-1440 does not void the Printer Warranty. Brother Compatible DR400 Laser Toner Drum for your Brother HL-1440 is a replacement for the Brother OEM DR400 / DR-400. The TN460 are replacement laser toner cartridges that fit into the DR400 drum housing. You can replace the Brother TN460 without replacing the entire DR400 drum housing for your Brother HL-1440. You will need to replace the drum occasionally.
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Brother HL-1440 Review

There's no doubt about it: Laser printers keep getting better and better while prices keep getting cheaper and cheaper. Today, just $300 will buy you the top-performing Brother HL-1440 laser printer. For your money, you'll get a printer that ranks at the head of its class for both performance and output quality, with top-notch ease of use to boot.

You'll have the petite $299 HL-1440 churning out pages in no time. Setup is brainless, and a quick-start guide walks you through the simple process of installing the integrated 20,000-page drum and 3,000-page toner cartridge. The printer has both parallel and USB ports but unfortunately doesn't come with any cables. The HL-1440 works with PCs and Macs, supporting Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, and NT 4.0 and OS 8.5, 8.51, 8.6, and 9.0, respectively. The printer uses PCL 4 emulation and includes 24 resident bitmap fonts. Standard memory is only 2MB but is expandable to 36MB.

The full-featured software drivers are quite easy to use. We did notice a quirk with the supported media types. The HL-1440's drop-down menu offers a choice of plain, thin, thick, and thicker, among other options, but we would've preferred that the software offer more specific options or guidelines for paper types. There's also an easy-to-use manual duplex feature, which includes pop-up screens that walk you through instructions to print on both sides of the page. Should you run into any trouble, the printer offers interactive help in the form of step-by-step video clips that show you how to address problems such as a paper jam, an empty toner cartridge, or full memory.

The HL-1440 is currently the only 15ppm (pages per minute) printer in the sub-$300 price range. And as expected, it easily outperforms similarly priced 12ppm printers. In CNET Labs' tests, the HL-1440 clocked speeds of 11.4ppm for text speeds via the USB port. The closest competitors were the $399 15ppm HP LaserJet 1200 at 10.5ppm, and the 12ppm $349 NEC SuperScript 1400 at 10.1ppm. With combined text-and-graphics documents, the NEC actually outpaced the Brother, coming in at 9.7ppm compared to the Brother's 9.6ppm.

Fortunately, the HL-1440 also produced impressive output. While text looked excellent at the default 600dpi (dots per inch) resolution, it was a bit lighter than that of the LaserJet 1200. However, at tiny point sizes, this was a boon to the Brother--even at three-point font, the HL-1440 maintained its clarity. Graphics output also looked excellent, with especially smooth gradients. Upon close inspection, we could make out some dot patterns on a document at the default 600dpi resolution, but they weren't visible at a more customary distance. When we tested the printer at its highest 1,200x600dpi resolution, photographs appeared smoother than at lower resolutions.

The HL-1440 will be right at home in any small or home office. Measuring 14.2 by 16.9 by 9.3 inches and weighing just more than 20 pounds, its size won't overwhelm most desks, although its appearance is a bit boxy. The paper handling is fairly basic, with a 250-sheet input tray and a 150-sheet output capacity. The printer also has a single-sheet manual bypass tray. Supported media sizes include letter, legal executive, A4, A5, A6, B6, and envelopes. The HL-1440 takes plain paper, bond, transparencies, labels, and card stock up to 43 pounds in the bypass tray. Replacement toner cartridges run $60 for the 3,000-page capacity and $85 for the 6,000-page capacity. That works out to about 2 cents and 1.4 cents per page, respectively. If you want to reduce your costs even more, select the toner-saver mode in the print-driver settings. If you need to share the printer, Brother offers the $499 HL-1470N model, which includes an internal 10/100BaseT Ethernet card. Brother's support policy includes a one-year warranty on parts and labor and a year of the company's express exchange policy. The Brother Solutions Center Web site provides updated printer drivers in addition to more support information. The software driver also includes a Web Update button, which takes you directly to Brother's Web site for downloading the latest driver.

Good luck trying to find another $300 laser printer that delivers as much as the Brother HL-1440. You might find one used at EBAY.com for say, $100. Its speeds are quick, and its output is clean and crisp. It's also easy to set up and comes with handy features such as manual duplexing, a toner-saver mode, and interactive help videos.

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Article courtesy of CNET