HP 2500 Toner
LaserJet 2500 Toner Cartridges

The HP LaserJet 2500 color laser printer is for budget-conscious buyers who want to move from inkjet to laser at a low price and is targeted for the same buyers as the HP 1600 toner printer. With its monthly duty cycle of 30,000 pages, it is capable of fairly high volume printing; though offices that truly need to do high-volume printing may find the speed too slow for multiple users, though it is fast for the price. The unit includes a 250-sheet input tray which is more than enough for a small office. The unit comes in multiple configurations. The 2500 is the base model, the 2500N adds networking, the 2500L adds paper capacity, and the 2500TN and 2500LSE add extra memory and finishing options.

Speaking of print speeds, the HP 2500 color laser printer comes in at around 16 pages per minute for black and 4 pages per minute for color. This is actually quite impressive for a budget-priced laser of this class, and should be more than adequate for small offices. Print quality is excellent, with sharper text than would be expected for the price, and decent graphics printing.

The HP LaserJet 2500 toner cartridges have a fairly good page yield of 4,000 pages per color laser toner cartridge and 5,000 pages per black printer toner cartridge. On the control panel, four lights--one for each LaserJet toner color--indicate when toner cartridge levels run low. To change HP 2500 toner cartridges, open the front panel, press a button on the side control panel to rotate the carousel, and then lift out the expired cartridge

Sharing the machine over a network can be accomplished in a few ways. First, it can be connected by USB to a PC that can then share the printer across the network. Second, an expansion card with a built-in ethernet port can be purchased and installed, allowing the unit to be connected directly to the network without the need for a PC. And lastly, the 2500n model has the ethernet port included, so buyers who need that option may consider that when purchasing.

Overall, the HP LaserJet 2500 is a solid choice for a budget laser toner printer that will save money both upfront and in the long run with its economical ink usage. For small offices that need good quality and speed, especially those looking to move up from an inkjet model, it makes a great choice and will fit their needs quite nicely.