HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M553dn review

HP unveils a lean, mean printing machine ideally suited to busy workgroups

IT Pro Verdict

HP changes the landscape for workgroup colour printing as the M553dn delivers a superb range of features and rock-bottom running costs. It’s fast as well and the new toner provides quality output whilst keeping power consumption to an all-time low

Pros

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    Compact design; High print speeds; Good output quality; Low running costs and power consumption; Fast duplexing

Cons

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    No integral wireless

Workgroups with a real hunger for printing and a keen eye on costs should pay attention as HP claims to have reinvented the laser printer. Redesigned from the inside out, the new Color LaserJet Enterprise M553 series promises to be smaller, faster and cheaper to run than any other laser in this market sector.

Size-wise it's a winner as the M553dn on review weighs in at only 27.5kgs. This bright white cuboid looks more modern that previous LaserJets and, for a 38ppm printer, is noticeably smaller than the competition so requires less desktop real estate.

There's a lot more going on inside with HP's new cartridges incorporating its JetIntelligence technology and ColorSphere 3 toner. These are designed to drop running costs and produce superior output quality while the smaller moving parts in the cartridges make way for more toner.

The printer's control panel may be small but it's very easy to use

Dave Mitchell

Dave is an IT consultant and freelance journalist specialising in hands-on reviews of computer networking products covering all market sectors from small businesses to enterprises. Founder of Binary Testing Ltd – the UK’s premier independent network testing laboratory - Dave has over 45 years of experience in the IT industry.

Dave has produced many thousands of in-depth business networking product reviews from his lab which have been reproduced globally. Writing for ITPro and its sister title, PC Pro, he covers all areas of business IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, network security, data protection, cloud, infrastructure and services.