Add a Wi-Fi laser printer to your office for $99.99 shipped
(Credit:
Newegg)
As I've mentioned in the past, wireless printers rock. No, they rawk. For the last couple months I've been beaming documents through the Wi-Fi ether to a Brother HL-2170W, and let me tell you: I'm through with USB. It's just so liberating to stick a printer wherever the heck you want instead of having it tethered to your desk.
The HL-2170W lists for $150 and sells on the e-street for around $130, but you can snag one from Newegg for $99.99 shipped. CNET rated the printer 7.3 out of 10, but three users gave it an average score of 9 (I'm one of them).
Designed for homes and small offices, the HL-2170W offers Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, a rated print speed of 23 pages per minute, and an extremely small footprint. When I click print, it starts churning out pages in a matter of seconds. The paper tray holds 250 sheets (letter-size only; Newegg's product description mistakenly says it handles legal, too), and there's a bypass slot for feeding all kinds of other paper (including envelopes).
Note that the included toner cartridge is good for about 1,000 pages; a high-yield replacement cartridge (2,600 pages) will run you around $45.
If you're in the market for a new small-office laser, give this Brother a look. It's quick, compact, and gloriously wireless.
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog. 
What I wanted to comment on in this article is that the printer does handle legal size paper, and A4. To be honest, I haven't tried it yet, but as a matter of fact the paper tray size adjusts to legal/A4, and the manufacturer's spec backs that up. Probably not an issue for post people, just an FYI.
As per the 8/21 follow-up to this article, I bought one of these laser printers. Pretty wild, a laser with WLAN for $80, even if it is monochrome?! I remember when networked monochrome lasers were closer to $1000 than $100.... The only thing really missing is duplex printing, but for the price one can't complain. Thanks for the tip, Mr. Broida!
What I wanted to comment on in this article is that the printer does handle legal size paper, and A4. To be honest, I haven't tried it yet, but as a matter of fact the paper tray size adjusts to legal/A4, and the manufacturer's spec backs that up. Probably not an issue for post people, just an FYI.
http://www.brother-usa.com/Printer/modeldetail.aspx?PRODUCTID=hl2170W&tab=spec