As one of the most energy efficient multifunctional devices on the market, the HP LaserJet 1217nfw includes energy saving features such as automatic shut off and standby modes, and is the big brother to what HP claims to be the worlds most energy efficient laser printer, the Laserjet 1100. With the same basic print hardware spruced up with an entire line of copy, fax, and scan features, the 1217nfw stands out as an extremely affordable, smart buy.
Pulling off print speeds of up to 19 pages per minute for letter sized paper and up to 18 pages per minute for legal sized in black and white, the HP LaserJet 1217nfw offers outstanding performance for the price range, which is usually somewhere around two hundred dollars. A first page out time of only 8.5 seconds is also incredibly fast for the device’s product category, and this is due to HP’s unique Instant On technology which completely eliminates warm up time.
The HP LaserJet 1217nfw’s maximum monthly duty cycle of only 8,000 pages and recommended monthly usage of 250 to 2,000 pages alerts buyers that the device is exclusively designed for the light duty user, such as those working from a home business, or very small office. Other cost effective restrictions include the complete lack of memory expansion from the unit’s base RAM of 8 MBs, and the inability to expand paper storage.
While these limitations may seem unacceptable for some applications, for the home user who operates their MFC only sporadically, the reduction in hardware, and therefore price, is ideal. Connectivity is particularly outstanding with the HP LaserJet 1217nfw which, unlike the other models in the line, comes with wireless connectivity. When utilizing wireless technology, setting up a network is much faster than usual, and, without the need for Ethernet cables, household applications can be taken advantage of without the need to hardwire separate rooms.
Other connectivity options include a high speed USB 2.0 port for a single host PC setup, and a regular Ethernet port. An RJ-11 telephone port is also included for faxing and phone calls, though the HP LaserJet 1217nfw does not come with a handset included like some of the other models in the HP LaserJet 1210 series do.
Paper handling abilities consist of a very limited 150 sheet standard paper tray, and a 100 sheet multipurpose tray that is useful when using heavy weight media such as transparencies, envelopes, index cards, and card stock. Neither trays are expandable but, with such low total output restrictions, the volume of paper moving through the device should be limited to begin with. An included output tray with a 100 sheet capacity is more than enough.
User friendly features such as a 2 line LCD display and HP Smart Install make setting up and using the HP LaserJet 1217nfw simple and straightforward enough for any novice. With HP Smart Install, users don’t even need to load a CD, they simply plug in, and start printing, furthering the unit’s standing as one of the best MFC values on the market.
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