Why You Can Trust CNET Dell Wireless Laser Printer B1160w review: Dell Wireless Laser Printer B1160w
The Dell B1160w monochrome laser printer is an efficient, dependable workhorse for individual use at home or on your work desk. The ability to add users over a wireless network is useful as well, but keep in mind that the low price means that you won't get fancy features like an auto-document feeder, manual bypass feed tray, or an Ethernet port. If you're comfortable with those omissions, you'll be satisfied with your purchase.
Like most of the budget monochrome printers in Dell's product lineup, the B1160w wireless laser printer is a mediocre performer for the price, capable of serving up a limited amount of prints in a personal-use environment, like a dorm room or a home office.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Its 150-sheet paper input capacity and lack of Ethernet connectivity certainly aren't ideal for medium and large work groups, but the company builds in 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Dell's mobile printing apps for Android smartphones. If you don't have a lot of money to spend on a printer but still need a wireless device for use around the home, you won't regret investing in the $120 Dell B1160w.
Design and features
The B1160w is easy to set up thanks to an intuitive software guide and the printer's compact dimensions. The printer measures 13.03 inches wide, 8.46 inches deep, and 7 inches tall, so you should still have plenty of room on your desk to work on after setting it up next to a computer. Like many laser printers, Dell uses a conservative black design with a curved paper path that places the output tray on top of the small, rectangular unit.
Conversely, the input tray pulls down from the lower half of the front and can only hold 150 sheets of standard 8.5-inch-by-11-inch paper, so don't expect to print out multiple articles from Wikipedia without refilling the drawer at least once. Dell also claims it can handle approximately 10,000 pages a month (also called the "duty cycle"), which should be more than enough for individual use. Unlike its pricier linemate, the Dell 1130n, this printer lacks the ability to print on cardstock and envelopes without an included single-sheet manual feed slot.
According to Dell, the B1160 is compatible with a variety of Windows versions including 32- and 64-bit Vista and 7, 2000, XP, and Server, as well as Linux and Mac OS 10.4 through 10.7. The onscreen instructions guide you through the 2-minute unboxing, physical setup, and software installation process using the included USB cable.
Unfortunately, the printer's modest price tag means you also don't get the benefit of connecting multiple users to the device on an Ethernet network. The good news is that you can still cut the cord, at least for personal use. The integrated 802.11 b/g/n wireless print server is easy to get going thanks to the detailed instructional booklet that comes in the package and the simplified wireless setup on the driver.
I hesitate to call the top portion of the printer a "control panel," since you only get two buttons for power and alert. Considering the simple features of a monolaser, you won't likely need more. On the other hand, the fixed 90-degree angle of the button layout means that depending on how high you have the printer on your desk, you may need to stand up to see them. Overall, the controls are intuitive to navigate, so even the most amateur users won't likely run into snags during operation.
Folding down the front-panel drawer uncovers two separate paper bays: one to hold 150 sheets of plain white paper, and a detachable plastic lip on top that corrals outgoing sheets. The tray also features slides on the sides that allow the user to adjust for standard legal paper as well as alternative media sources like coated paper, envelopes, and labels.
The monochrome toner cartridge is easy to pull out after you disengage the plastic front panel, and Dell includes a standard-capacity toner cartridge with the unit. You can pick up a refill that will supposedly print 1,500 sheets for $59.99 on the Dell Web site . Doing the math, that comes out to about 3.9 cents per page, just under the average cost for a plain sheet of black ink on both laser and inkjet printers. Unfortunately you're out of luck if you find yourself printing more than average, since the site makes no mention of an extra-large-capacity toner cartridge that works with the B1160w.
Performance
The B1160w trails behind the competition in our monochrome text and graphics throughput tests, but the difference between the scores is so slight that you won't likely notice a speed difference unless you're consistently printing multipage (20+) documents at a time. While Dell can't match the Oki B431DN's impressive 33.86-page-per-minute (PPM) text speed scores, it was still able to beat the Lexmark E460dw while printing out a 10-page slideshow presentation.
The Dell B1160w performed well in the output quality tests as well, but the graphics quality needs improvement. As expected, it printed a beautiful page of black text with solid lines and clean edges with uniform character spacing and full-formed figures, but the printer failed to deliver similar results with a page of graphics.
While I still don't doubt its ability in the boardroom for handouts and presentation documents, I did notice malformed gradations and inconsistency in the finer lines. The same story goes for snapshot photos, although we'll assume you aren't buying a monolaser to support your photography career.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 | Presentation (PPM) | | Black Graphics (PPM) | | Black Text (PPM) |
Service and support
The standard warranty for the Dell B1160w lasts one year, but you can upgrade it to up to four additional years. Dell provides free, toll-free phone support 24-7, but recommends trying the live online chat option first. For less urgent inquiries, you can also contact Dell's e-mail support team or check out its user forums. Dell's Web site also has product-specific support in the form of online user guides, drivers and software downloads, and a troubleshooting tool.
Conclusion
The Dell B1160w monochrome laser printer is an efficient, dependable workhorse for individual use at home or on your work desk. The ability to add users over a wireless network is useful as well, but keep in mind that the low price means that you won't get fancy features like an auto-document feeder, manual bypass feed tray, or an Ethernet port. If you're comfortable with those omissions, you'll be satisfied with your purchase.