The HP LaserJet Pro P1102w Printer opens the world of laser printing to anyone on your home or small office network at a size that is small enough to fit anywhere.
One thing of the places that is feeling early impact of the wireless networking revolution has to be in reasonable cost,
networkable printers that allow anyone in your family, as long as they have access to the Internet or in your office for users with the same type of access to print documents.
Hewlett-Packard's LaserJet Pro P1102w is the printer that brings the Internet to your network world. It is a network-aware printer, offering WiFi 802.11b/g capability. This means simply that it automatically recognizes any of the older WiFi sites that may support the older b/g standards. Many of the routers, such as the Linksys powering the network that supports the laptop on which this review is written, still only support the b/g standards and, like the router sitting 15 feet from here, offer a WiFi b/g hotspot so he P1102w is easily interfaced with our network.
It also offers USB compatibility with either PCs or Macs so it offers you the ability, if you have only one PC to use the P1102w in a single-user role, as well. Or, if you have an office switch/router that does not recognize WiFi, but which will allow multiple PCs or laptops to log in (older technology), you can still use the P1102w as the network printer for your home or office network by running it with a standard "printserver."
The key to this and other new printers, though, aside from their very reasonable prices and striking printing results, is the fact that you don't really have to have a network installed to have all of your PCs, laptops, desktops, tablets or even smartphones with the proper app installed in a network and still use the same printer. As long as your devices which are network-aware and as long as you can create a hotspot, you have yourself the potential for printing.
HP's cartridges cost a bit more than others - they always seem to - and they only offer 1.600 pages versus the more than 2,000 for Brother. Further, they have a smaller paper holder at 150 pages and do not seem to offer dual-sides printing (duplex) at this price level.
Still, the price is right and the fact that set up is easy under Windows as it will also pickup and install the correct security package your router uses, makes this a good offer.
Finally, like others they are small and will fit where other printers won't and they also offer you the chance to clean up and cut down on the number of wires hanging off your PC (right now we have six) make this an attractive change.
One thing to note is that your printing speed and ability is limited by your distance from your hotspot and the printer, plus any furniture, TVs or walls that might be in the way.