HP LaserJet 3700: Looks Good, Feels Clunky

HP is almost synonymous with laser printing, and the new LaserJet 3700 series color printers carry this imprimatur further. There were some things that I liked about the printer, including a simplified setup with an obvious front-panel display that could quickly set up the printer's IP address on my network, and an installation CD that created the network ports easily on even Windows 98 systems.

Prints were beautiful, with solid colors and deep blacks. The drivers for Macintosh and Windows allowed lots of customization for output quality and the usual print features.

But there were some mechanical issues I didn't care for. First was the paper tray, which had a very odd feel when I pulled it out to load paper.

Second was the fuser and toner-loading bay, which acted like the trunk of a battered '67 Chevy. The four toner cartridges slid in easily to their respective spots inside the printer, and the huge fuser unit also fit in quite comfortably. But when I closed the lid, it should have just eased into place, like those automatic-closing Cadillac trunk lids that you don't ever need to slam shut. Unfortunately, the lid on the 3700 doesn't close automatically, and sometimes I had to really give it a shove. Not good. While I can't claim that I stress-tested this feature, it did seem to me that a great deal of parts were moving to get the lid closed. And, in general, where there is movement, there is the potential for eventual wear out and breakage. VARs, you are hereby warned.

Still, the LaserJet 3700 is a nice compromise between some of HP's larger models and its desktop models. It delivers up to 16 pages per minute for full color documents with 600-x- 600 dpi resolution, and the first page comes out within 20 seconds. It comes with 64 MB of RAM, and can handle up to 448 MB if needed for larger graphics jobs.

In addition, the printer can be configured via its front-panel menus or via an embedded Web server that follows along the same format and is much more usable. The nested menu choices for networking options are a bit tedious, however, but that is because the printer handles all the standard protocols such as TCP/IP, AppleTalk, IPX and DLC. To support networking, the printer comes with a Jetdirect Ethernet module, along with parallel and USB ports on the back as well.

The 3700 comes in several versions: the $1,599 3700n, which includes the Jetdirect card for Ethernet attachment and was the model I tested; the $1,999 3700dn, with 128 MB of RAM and automatic duplex printing; and the $2,249 3700dtn, which includes an additional 250-sheet tray on the bottom of the unit to supplement the 100-sheet tray. A $1,299 model without a network connection is also available.

At a Glance:
Product: HP LaserJet 3700
Price: Ranges from $1,299 to $2,249
Contact: www.hp.com