HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw

Hi! I'm Justin Yu for CNET.com and if you're shopping for a printer for a small business on a budget, HP has the work course for you. This is the HP LaserJet Pro N1217 NFW and for 250 bucks, you get a multifunction device that can copy, scan, and fax along with the standard print features. I say it's great for a small offices because it has a number of features that help with productivity including wireless networking, a top loading auto document feeder for scanning stocks of paper and HP's new Smart Install feature. Before setting up the printer menus in the installation CD and picking through which programs you wanted to install, you also have to keep the disc in a safe place in case you ever needed to install the drivers unto another machine. Well, HP streamlines that process by embedding the drivers directly on to the printer itself, so now what you'll have to do is connect a USB cable from the printer to your computer and the two machines will do the rest. Unfortunately for MAC users, those Smart Install only works with Windows which is why HP also includes a physical driver disc in a box. So, taking a quick tour at the physical layout, you get a small LCD status display along with a number pad for typing in fax numbers and a couple of Quick Start bonds to begin a copy or fax job. But unfortunately, HP omits an auto scan button, so at frequents scanners may find a little annoying to go back and forth between the computer to finish the job. On the other hand, the machine itself is pretty light and relatively portable with two handles on the bottom to help you transport it around the office. Now, the bottom of the printer has a 150 sheet paper tray which you can also hold 35 extra sheets of paper in a top loading auto document feeder up here. In terms of performance, the N1217 NFW performed really well on a consistent basis and while it wasn't the fastest machine in a compares and test, it did put up a good fight against similarly priced mono lasers. For more details including an in-depth quality assessment, photos, and more, head over to CNET.com for the full review but that's gonna do it for me. I'm Justin Yu and you just took a first look at the HP LaserJet N1217 NFW. Thanks for watching.