New York, NY -- Reviewed by PC Magazine in April 2010, the LaserJet Pro P1606dn is one printer from a new line of monochrome lasers. It is the replacement for the LaserJet P1505 which was originally released back in 2008. It is fairly compact for a laser printer measuring just 9.7” x 15.2” x 11.2” (H x W x D) and it weighs less than 16 lbs. The Pro P1606dn can be connected to your computer via USB or Ethernet. It can run on both PC and Mac operating systems, up through 64-bit Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6. If you need Linux or Unix drivers, those are available for download from HP’s web site.
The Pro P1606dn is a reasonably fast printer, churning out a reported maximum of 26 pages per minute. In speed tests by the reviewer, the number was confirmed. Sometimes to print at a crisp pace, you have to accept slightly lower output quality. That is definitely not the case with this printer as it produced clear text down to the lowest font sizes for the font faces used. The printed graphic quality was not great, but that is no different than most monochrome lasers.
In terms of paper handling, the Pro P1606 comes out of the box with a 250-sheet tray and a 10-sheet multipurpose tray. While it is not expandable, 260 sheets is still decent. It also comes with a built-in automatic duplexer. As it is a monochrome laser, you only have to worry about one toner cartridge. The CE278A, or 78A, will run you $77.99 apiece and is rated for up to 2100 pages.
Overall, this is another decent effort on the part of HP. For offices look to “green” themselves, this printer is both RoHS and REACH compliant as well as a recipient of both Energy Saver and Blue Angel qualified. It is the first monochrome laser to be granted PC Mag’s GreenTech status. The toner it used is chemically grown which helps to reduce the energy used in production. Despite those qualifications, the not great graphic and photo printing quality left it short of becoming an Editor’s Choice winner.
