Though the HP 5000gn and 5000n models are considerably slower than other laser printers in the same price range, the network ready monochrome laser devices still offer a decent amount of customization options including additional paper storage and memory, as well as a sturdy feature list across the board.
With a print speed of only 16 pages per minute for legal sized paper, and 17 pages per minute for letter sizes, the HP 5000gn and 5000n units fall short significantly in the speed category. That being said, the two HP models, while slow, were designed with the personal user in mind, and therefore come at a low cost with a small footprint while still offering many high end features.
Print resolution is selectable between 300 dot per inch and 600 dot per inch quality for high speed printing, as well as HP ProRes of 1200 x 1200 dots per inch for high quality. A 100 MHz RISC microprocessor helps to keep things moving in heavy output scenarios, but the HP 5000gn and 5000n’s first page out times still remain at a fairly sluggish 13 seconds.
A non network ready version of the model is available (the HP 5000) which comes at a slightly lower price tag due to the stripped down hardware, and also comes stock with only 4 MBs of standard memory. The HP 5000gn and 5000n come stock with 12 and 8 MBs of standard memory respectively. Via DIMM slots included in the hardware, all models can be upgraded with 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 MB DIMM chips for added performance when dealing with complicated tasks. A total of three 100 pin DIMM slots are available for memory upgrades, as well as two enhanced IEO slots, making the HP 5000 series one of the most versatile on the market in terms of memory expansion options.
The network ready HP 5000gn and 5000n come with a variety of network connectivity options including 10 Base T and 10 Base 2, as well as 10/100 Base – TX, Token ring, and Local Talk. Though standard paper handling is quite limited for the 5000 series models which sport only a 100 sheet single tray, expansion options include a 250 sheet optional tray, as well as a universal 500 sheet tray available for purchase separately.
Output capacity is locked at 250 sheets with an additional 50 sheet rear output bin for special media types that are incompatible with the HP 5000gn and 5000n’s standard paper paths. An optional duplexer is also compatible with a 250 and 500 sheet universal tray assembly. The maximum number of input bins is four, a very high number for a unit of this stature.
A width of 18.7 inches and a depth of 23 inches make the HP 5000gn and 5000n units slightly on the larger size for their performance category, and height depends entirely on the total number of input paper trays incorporated into the hardware. If you’re looking for machines that runs slightly too expensive as well as slightly too large for their output, look no further than the HP 5000gn and 5000n models.
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