The Printer Gods are laughing at me. I know it. When will the printers in my life stop dying?! The first printer to go is the one I use at my home office. After much research, I replaced it with a HP LaserJet 2200dse printer. (I love the HP 2200dse. Excellent printer.) The second printer to die is the one I use at work, and unfortunately, I didn’t have any say as to which model printer I received as a replacement. I like HP laser printers ... and that’s the brand the purchasing department buys. However, I did not want an HP LaserJet 1000. I’ve read that the HP LaserJet 1000 series printers are known to have problems.


How this all began ...

I had been using an HP LaserJet 1100 printer, which after two years of moderate use developed paper feeding problems, which resulted in horrific paper jams. The purchasing department told me they did not send printers out for repair. They had to order a new one.


The First Installation of the Printer

The new printer arrived. Installing the HP LaserJet 1000 printer is simple ... getting it to work was a bit trickier. First, it is easy to install the printer software from the CD. Just follow the instructions on the screen. Next insert the toner cartridge into the printer. The paper tray with cover (called the Input Tray) has to be snapped onto the front of the printer. It’s a quick process: slide the tray into position, insert the paper, and place the cover on the tray. Next, connect the USB cable and then connect the power cord. You are ready to print ... well, you should be ready to print ... if it works.

This is where I ran into difficulties. The printer printed text without problem. It printed quickly, producing sharp looking text. However, when I tried to print graphics, the printer refused to print them. The printer even considered lines in spreadsheets as graphics and would not print the lines. I tried every troubleshooting technique available. For instance, I updated the print driver from the internet. I reinstalled the software. I checked all the plugs and connections. I made sure the software programs I use were enabled to print graphics. Nothing worked.

In an ironic twist of fate, I learned that the paper-jamming HP 1100 that I had previously used had been sent out for repair. I was able to reclaim it. The HP 1000 printer went onto a shelf in the purchasing department.


Take Two -- Another Printer Bites the Dust

A few months later, the HP 1100 printer developed even worse paper-jamming problems. It died with no hope of it being sent out for repair. With no other printers available, and the purchasing department reluctant to purchase another printer, I had no choice but to reinstall the HP 1000 printer. When the printer wouldn’t work properly, I visited the internet and obtained the latest printer driver. The Printer Gods smiled on me. The printer decided to work. It prints beautiful text, and also prints graphics ... even the lines in my spreadsheets.

However, when the purchasing department wanted to see inside the printer to note the toner cartridge number, the door where the toner cartridge is housed would not open. I tried to open it – no luck. Another woman tried opening it – no luck. A man tried opening it, and continued to pry at it with his fingers when the door refused to budge. Finally, after numerous tries, the door opened. We opened and shut the door many times, each time with the door reluctant to open again. The door opened easiest when equal pressure was applied to both the right and left sides of the door. I was concerned that this would be an ongoing problem, and it is, but the purchasing department told me to keep the printer and be careful when opening the door.


Paper Feed Options

The paper tray holds up to 250 sheets of 20 pound paper. Paper guides that slide back and forth in the tray fit against the paper to guide it into the paper intake slot. The paper tray will accommodate up to 8 1/2" x 14" paper. It will also hold envelopes. Note that when 8 1/2" x 11" paper (or envelopes or smaller size paper) is in the tray, the green tinted plastic cover will sit protectively over the paper. However, when the tray is holding paper larger than 8 1/2" x 11", the cover does not protect all of the paper. For example, when the tray is loaded with 8 1/2" x 14" paper, two inches of paper is left uncovered.

When printing, the paper is pulled from the paper tray, fed through the printer, and is ejected into a holding bin on top of the printer. The bin is not big enough to hold the entire length of 8 1/2" x 11" paper, so two inches of paper drapes over the edge. If the paper is left in this position for any length of time, the paper tends to curl. Also interesting to note is that the bin holds less paper than the Paper Tray (the bin only holds 125 sheets). Since I rarely print documents over 125 pages in length, this isn’t a problem for me.

A door at the back of the printer opens, providing a straight printing path. There is no bin for the printed sheets to slide into using this method, and the door is not wide enough to hold the sheets (the door measures 3 1/4" deep when opened) . As a result, the paper feeds through the printer and slides out the back, landing on the desk or floor. The printing manual recommends using this straight path for printing envelopes, transparencies, when using heavier paper, or any material that tends to curl when printed. (I print on business envelopes made of quality paper. I print them one at a time placing them in the paper tray -- I don’t produce mass mailings; just single letters to individuals. The envelopes print fine when I place them in the paper tray, not using the straight through paper path.)


The Paper Tray -- Only One Way to Feed Paper

If I had to choose one thing to complain about, it would be that the only way to feed paper into the printer is to load the printer tray. There is no manual feed slot. I print on a variety of media, and this limitation is inconvenient. For instance, I usually keep the tray loaded with 8 1/2" x 11" white paper. When I need to print on different paper, I have to unload the paper tray and insert the new paper. Even when I just want to print one letter on a piece of letterhead, I have to open the paper tray and insert the letterhead. When printing an envelope, I have to unload the paper tray, insert the envelope, print the envelope, then reinsert the paper into the tray. There is no way to insert a single piece of paper without using the paper tray. Granted, it is easy to open the paper tray and swap papers in and out of it. But during a busy work day, it is time-consuming having to fuss with the paper tray. (The HP 1100 had a manual paper feed slot allowing the user to insert different types of paper so that the printer tray didn’t have to be unloaded.)


Print Quality & Special Features

The HP 1000 prints exceptional text at 600 dots per inch. HP states that their 600 dpi is equivalent to the appearance of 1200 dpi. To save toner, the printer can be set to 300 dpi. Even though this is a black and white printer, even the graphics look nice when printed at 600 dpi. The machine prints a pleasing range of gray tones. I’ve printed from color photographs on this printer, and they look good in black and white. I wouldn’t want to frame them, but the printed photos show detail and are clear.

It is easy to print watermarks using this printer. The feature is a bit buried, and even the manual doesn’t explain it well. For example, say you want to print the word “draft” in a watermark on a document. When you are ready to print the document, click on File and Print (in your software program). Then click on the tab marked Printer. Another screen opens. Click on Properties. Then at the bottom of this screen, click on Printing Preferences. Click on the Effects tab. This is where the watermark option is located.

It is also possible to print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper (called N-up Printing). To find this feature, follow the above steps. Instead of clicking on the Effects tab, though, click on the Finishing tab. This option allows 1, 2, 4, 6 or 9 pages printed on a single sheet of paper.


Printer Manual

The machine comes with a brief "Getting Started Guide". There is an electronic manual on the CD. However, the purchasing department took the CD so that I don’t have access to that manual. There is extensive printer documentation available on the HP website. I printed the HP LaserJet 1000 User Manual, which is 99 pages and includes a Table of Contents as well as an Index. The manual comes in PDF file format (Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view the file). It’s a good idea to have this manual as it includes the setup of the printer, details the various printer features, gives instructions on how to change the toner cartridge, how to clean the printer and clear paper jams. There is a section devoted to troubleshooting the printer as well as contact information should you need HP customer service assistance. Here are directions for locating the printer manual on the HP website.

Go to http://www.hp.com then in the search box at the bottom of the screen type: laserjet 1000 printer manual -- another screen appears, and one of the first options is: manuals for hp laserjet 1000 printer. Click on this link. Links to the manual appear.


What I Like

* Prints fast (even the first page)
* Print is always sharp and looks great
* Prints on a variety of media
* Paper tray is horizontal so paper stays flat
* Power Save Mode


What I Dislike

* No ON/OFF Button
* Printer tray juts out into my work area
* Paper Tray Cover does not enclose the paper tray (the end is open to dust and humidity)
* Paper Tray Cover sometimes not easy to fit into place
* Paper bin is too small to hold the full length of an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper
* No manual feed paper slot
* Toner Cartridge door tricky to open
* A bit noisy (in open area not as noticeable)


What Comes in the Box

* HP 1000 Printer
* Toner Cartridge
* Getting Started Guide
* Software & Electronic User Guide (on CD)
* Power Cord
* USB Cable with Pod
* Input Tray


USING THIS PRINTER WITH VISTA
Update - June 20, 2009

I never would have thought this printer would last this long!  It's been working great, and I've switched it between three computers ... working well with all of them.

I was using this printer with my desktop computer, but then I switched to an all-in-one printer for the desktop machine.  My previous laptop ran Windows XP, and I had it connected to this HP  printer.  I really wanted to connect this printer to my new laptop with the Vista operating system.

Surprise!  The HP website informed me that they had no compatible print drivers for Vista.  However, some moments spent with Google doing research on my dilemma, I found my solution. 

From the HP website, I went to the "Software & Driver Downloads" link at the bottom of the page.  On the next page, I typed "laserjet 1000" in the search box.  On the HP LaserJet 1000 Printer page, I scrolled down and selected "Microsoft Windows XP" - even though there are Vista links, they just say no drivers are currently available.  I then downloaded the "HP LaserJet 1000 Host Based Driver".  Vista told me the driver did not download, but it did!  In the download area on the computer, I clicked the executable driver to install it.  The HP LaserJet 1000 now appeared in the Add Printer area.  I set the printer as my default printer and have been using it ever since.

Disclaimer -- This solution worked for me.  I am not endorsing this method as able to work for anyone else.


Update -- March 2, 2013

This printer is still going strong.  When the company who bought the printer went out of business, they generously gave me the machine.  Considering the difficulties I first encountered, this HP printer proved durable.  I just bought some more HP C7115A Toner for it.

I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy your day!
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com

Printer Specifications

Printer size: 16.3" Wide x 10" High x 19.1" Deep
Weight: 16 pounds
Print Speed: 10 pages per minute (ppm)
Print Resolution: 600 dots per inch (dpi)
First Page Out: in less than 15 seconds
Paper Trays: 1
Paper Tray Capacity: 250 sheets of 20 pound paper
Output Bin Capacity: 125 sheets of 20 pound paper
Duty Cycle: 7,000 single-sided pages per month
Memory: 32 KB ROM / 1 MB RAM (cannot upgrade)
Port: USB (no parallel port support)
Platforms Supported: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP (no other operating systems)
Windows 98 requirements: Pentium 90 MHz processor / 32 MB RAM
Windows ME requirements: Pentium 150 MHz processor / 32 MB RAM
Windows 2000 requirements: Pentium 233 MHz processor / 128 MB RAM
Windows XP (Home Edition 32 bit) requirements: Pentium 233 MHz processor / 128 MB RAM
Above systems: Need 15 MB free hard disk space
Energy Star Compliant: Yes
Warranty: One Year Limited Warranty

Printable Media:

envelopes, labels, transparencies, cards, custom-sized media
letterhead and preprinted forms
will print on paper with 100% recycled fiber content

Minimum size: 3" x 5"
Maximum size: 8 1/2" x 14"

Media Weight:

Output Bin 16 to 28 pounds
Straight Through Media Path 16 to 43 pounds

Please read my other reviews:

Samsung All-in-One printer, scanner, copier, fax

HP Multi-Purpose Paper (for printers, copiers, fax machines)

Toshiba Satellite Notebook Computer

Gateway Desktop PC Computer

Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 Webcam

Philips Portable DVD Player with Screen

Copyright Dawn L. Stewart



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 200.00
Operating System: Windows