LaserJet 1020

PC World

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Buy Online

If you don't print constantly and you're prepared to stash your paper supply in a drawer between uses, the $149 HP LaserJet 1020 can help you make the most of your precious home-office space. With its paper tray flipped up, it folds into a neat box with a small footprint, one of the smallest laser printer we've seen in a laser printer. And if it stays closed most of the time, you may not notice the high cost of printing each page. HP rates available toner cartridges (using the industry standard) to yield only 2000 pages of output, so this isn't a printer for heavy use.

Pros

  • Small, cheap

Cons

  • Poor print quality

Bottom Line

Small size and a low price make the HP LaserJet 1020 a good fit for a home office in which space is at a premium and occasional printing jobs don't require the utmost in speed, quality and economy.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 207.63 (AUD)

Special Offers

Like other budget lasers, the LaserJet 1020 keeps its price low by enlisting your PC's processing power to do the hard work. Windows renders the pages, allowing the printer to concentrate on feeding the raw data to its engine. In our speed tests, text pages printed at 12.3 pages per minute, a slightly slower rate than most small-office lasers we've tested managed. Graphics printed at a more reasonable 8.9ppm.

The LaserJet 1020's text quality failed to impress us. We noted fuzzy edges, particularly at the bottom of each character, and italics looked hazy. The line art sample seemed a bit shaky, though it showed almost no horizontal banding. Our greyscale photo acquired a gritty texture and lacked sufficient contrast.

The paper tray holds up to 150 sheets and can cope with legal-size paper. You'll have to feed envelopes one at a time through the manual slot just above the paper tray. With only two lights, the LaserJet 1020's control panel is about as simplest you can find, leaving almost everything to the Windows printer driver to handle. A hard-copy Getting Started Guide comes bundled with the printer, but the CD-ROM includes short animated sequences that are perfect for walking a beginner through setting up the printer and installing the software.

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the PC World newsletter.

Be the first to comment.

Post new comment

Users posting comments agree to the PC World comments policy.

Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.

Most Popular

What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
Samsung’s 2013 Smart TVs: everything you need to know
How do I connect my TV to the Internet?
Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?
Windows 7 Home Premium vs. Windows 7 Professional

Best Deals on PCWorld

Printers & ScannersView all »
NotebooksView all »
Desktop PCsView all »
TabletsView all »
Software and ServicesView all »

Compare & Save

« 1 of 14 »
Deals powered by WhistleOut
Use WhistleOut's technology to compare:
Mobile phone plans & deals
Mobile phone models
Mobile phone carriers
Broadband plans & deals
Broadband providers
Deals powered by WhistleOut
Guides and Articles
National Broadband Network NBN 100Mbps Plans
Visualising Mobile Phone Plans
SIM Only Mobile Phone Plans
National Broadband Network NBN 25Mbps Plans
iPhone 5, 4S & iPhone 4 Plans - Compare Deals &...
Deals powered by WhistleOut
WhistleOut

Resources

Printers & Scanners Product Finder
Find the product you're looking for with our Printers & Scanners search tool.