The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M148fdw ($199.99) is an entry-level monochrome all-in-one (AIO) laser printer designed for home-based or small offices and workgroups. It lists for $100 less than the Editors' Choice Canon imageClass MF249dw and prints a bit faster. However, overall output quality isn't quite as good as the Canon AIO, especially when printing graphics and photos. Also, like most entry-level laser machines, the M148fdw's running costs are high, which, when combined with its print quality, relegates it to a low-volume text and/or in-house monochrome AIO.
At 12.3 by 15.9 by 16 inches (HWD) and weighing just shy of 21 pounds, the M148fdw is comparable in size and weight to its main competitors, including the Canon MF249dw ($499.99 at Amazon Canada)(Opens in a new window) and the Brother MFC-L2710DW. They all have relatively small footprints and are easy to lift out of the box. HP's own LaserJet Pro MFP M130fw ($499.99 at Amazon Canada)(Opens in a new window) is, on the other hand, several inches smaller and a few pounds lighter than its M148fdw sibling.
The M148fdw can hold 260 sheets, split between a 250-sheet main tray and 10-sheet multipurpose tray that pulls out from the back. That paper capacity is higher than all of its competition mentioned here.
The M148fdw's engine prints two-sided pages automatically, which isn't a given in this price range. The M130fw, for example, requires you to flip your pages manually to print the other side. The M148fdw's 35-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF), on the other hand, supports only manual two-sided multipage scanning.
The maximum monthly duty cycle is 20,000 pages, but the M148fdw's recommended monthly print volume is just 10 percent of that, reinforcing that this is a light-volume printer. Of this bunch, the M148fdw has the highest maximum duty cycle, but the MF249dw has the highest recommended duty cycle.
You can check usage and other stats, as well as configure the printer, from the M148fdw's built-in web site, as shown below.
Connectivity, Security, and Software
The M148fdw's standard connectivity includes Ethernet, connecting to a single PC via USB, and Wi-Fi Direct for connecting your mobile devices to the printer without either it or them being connected to a network or router. Aside from Wi-Fi Direct, other mobile options are Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, HP ePrint, and HP Smart App.
Smart App is also available for your PC or Mac, and, as shown in the image below, it's a prime example of how sophisticated printer drivers have become. You can, for example, print documents (such as .doc, .xdoc, xls, or PDF files) without opening them in their native programs.
Compared with some of its competitors, the M148fdw is short on security features. Essentially, you get the password-protected embedded web server mentioned earlier, the ability to disable and enable network ports, and standard SNMP monitoring. Missing are the abilities to protect documents with PINs and secure access based on user authentication, among other notable security features.
Aside from HP Smart App and standard drivers, the software bundle is sparse. You get HP PCL5 and PCL6, as well as Adobe PostScript, page description language (PDL) emulation and HP Printer Assistant. No frills here; you don't even get a CD or DVD with the installation software on it. Windows 10 installs Smart App automatically; with earlier versions of Windows and other operating systems, you'll have to go online and download it.
HP rates the M148fdw at 30 pages per minute (ppm). I tested it over Ethernet from our standard Intel Core i5 testbed PC running Windows 10 Professional, and the M148fdw churned our 12-page Word text document at the rate of 29.9ppm. That's 2.5ppm faster than the Canon MF249dw, 5.2ppm slower than the Brother MFC-L2710DW, and a whopping 14ppm quicker than HP's M130fw.
Post a Comment
Don't share any link