Review: Dell 1133 Laser Printer

Printers are an often necessary but sometimes debilitating expense, and often you have to go the whole hog in order to get a quality machine. Dell has come to the aid of those who need performance in only a few key areas with its 1133 laser printer.

Let’s get out of the way from the get-go the fact that this printer is black and white only. If you have any requirement whatsoever – even if only occasionally – for colour prints, obviously you’re best to look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you know that you’ll only ever deal in black and white, or you’d simply just like a dedicated black and white printer, then the 1133 is definitely worth your consideration.

There are two main reasons for that. Firstly, at only $349, it’s rather affordable for a three-in-one printer (bearing in mind that the scanner/photocopier is limited to black and white as well). Secondly, this thing is fast. For instance, printing a 10-page document took less than a minute from the instant I clicked Print; in fact, once the cogs actually started turning it probably took more like 30 seconds to print the whole lot. Dell claims that the 1133 can actually print 22 pages per minute.

Like all Dell products, the cartridges must be ordered online, so you’ll have to ensure you have back-ups as you can’t just pop down to the store if your cartridge runs out. There are two options: a standard-yield cartridge for $121.50 that prints roughly 1500 pages, and a high-yield cartridge for $137.25 that prints 2500 pages.

PROS: Extremely fast. Efficient. Affordable. Includes a scanner/photocopier.

CONS: It’s black and white only, and only supports A4-size prints. Ad hoc printer-to-computer connection only (ie: no native network connectivity).

VERDICT: The Dell 1133 is an excellent printer, but it’s perhaps only truly useful for those with a need to print black-and-white documents only. If this sounds like you or your business, then the 1133 is an excellent option, as it’s both very fast and very affordable.