One of the most impressive printers we received, it features plenty of well-thought out and logical technical features. One of only a handful of printers we tested that had an LCD for displaying print information and settings, the B4300 has eight single press buttons allowing you to view menu options, change values and cancel print jobs.
The low profile chassis of the B4300 makes for easy placement, even in small confined spaces. The easy access housing allows for a single button press to open the unit and remove the toner without hassle, a big plus in our book. This further allows for easy diagnosis and removal of paper jams and obstructions in the printer.
Falling only fractionally short of average for print quality, we noticed minor blemishing and slight over exposure, leaving images a little washed out. Smooth progressive gradients and solid black text made for easy reading if you’re after a basic mono text printer. Despite these minor shortcomings, the unit boasts exceptional speed, easily breaking the ten second barrier for spool and print time -- it hovers around the seven second mark.
Although it was the single most expensive monochrome printer to be submitted, TCO values are nothing short of spectacular. At 1,200 pages per month over two years, the printer retains an excellent position and is only narrowly pipped by the Minolta 1200W. At the heavier 3,600 pages monthly, the OKI storms ahead, leaving everything else in its dust. Long term this is a superb printer for small businesses and home offices willing to spend a bit more at time of purchase in order to maintain low print overheads. Savings of almost two and a half thousand dollars over the two years at heavy volumes is achievable when matched up against the most expensive TCO printer, the Labs Winning HP LaserJet 1300.
Slightly more expensive now, heavy print users should definitely check this one out, as there’s plenty to be saved long term, with speedy average quality results achievable now.