The new LaserJet Pro M521dn and M521dw multifunction printers are 42-ppm devices, each with a monthly duty cycle of 75,000 pages. The new LaserJet Pro M521 units leverage the print engine from the LaserJet Enterprise MFP M525 series along with the dual-head scanning technology and user interface from HP’s LaserJet Pro M425 series MFPs. Both previously released machines hit the market last spring. The LaserJet Pro M521 series accommodates 600 sheets of paper, which is expandable to 1,100 sheets when configured with an optional 500-sheet tray. Both the M521dn and M521dw have a print resolution of 1,200-by-1,200 dpi and a 3.5-inch color touch screen, offer automatic duplex printing, and come standard with a 50-sheet duplex scanning automatic document feeder (ADF).
| Product Overview | ||
| Device type | A4 Monochrome MFP | |
| Functions | Print, copy, scan, fax | |
| Introductory list price (USD) | M521dn: $899 M521dw: $999 | |
| Release date | May 2013 | |
| Print speed (letter-size) | 42 ppm | |
| Monthly duty cycle | 75,000 pages | |
| Cost per page (b&w, toner only) | N/A | |
| Cost per page (b&w) | 2.47 cents with SY cartridge, 1.82 cents with HY cartridge | |
| Cost per page (color) | N/A | |
| Summary | ||
HP’s LaserJet Pro MFP M521dn and M521dw employ existing supplies. The replacement HP 255A all-in-one black toner cartridge prints 6,000 pages, while the high-yield HP 255X prints 12,500 pages. The best per-page cost is delivered with the high-yield tank, which prints a black-and-white page for 1.82 cents apiece. The M521dn is priced at $899, while the M521dw has a price tag of $999. The new models target small- to medium-sized businesses (SMB) and enterprises and are both available worldwide. Aimed squarely at the mid-tier of the workgroup monochrome MFP market, the M521 units will go toe-to-toe with machines from HP's rival Lexmark including the MX510 and MX511 units, which were launched last year. Other competitors will include the OKI MB491+LP and the Brother MFC-8950DW. Compared with other units on the market, HP's latest MFPs may be at a slight competitive disadvantage in terms of acquisition costs or operating costs, and sometimes both. Nonetheless, given HP's solid brand and the M521's feature set, we expect the new line will be popular. | ||
| Software Utilities | Standard | Optional |
| Windows: HP Installer/Uninstaller, HP PCL 6 print driver, HP WIA Scan Driver, HP TWAIN Scan Driver, HP Scan, HP Fax Setup Wizard, HP Send Fax, HP Fax Print Driver, Status Alerts, HP Update, DXP, ReadIris Software; Mac: HP Installer/Uninstaller, HP Postscript driver, HP Scan, HP Setup Assistant, HP Fax Print Driver, HP Utility, HP Alerts, HP Firmware Updater, ReadIris Software Auto-On/Auto-Off Technology, HP ePrint/HP Connected, AirPrint, DirectPrint, Mobile Apps, Scan- to-: Email, Network Folder, USB drive, Digital Send, HP Flow CM Professional | N/A | |
| Consumables | Standard Yield | High Yield |
| Black yield | 6,000 pages | 12,500 pages |
| Black cartridge price (USD) | $147.99 | $227.99 |
| Color yield (CMY, per unit) | N/A | N/A |
| Color cartridge price (USD, per unit) | N/A | N/A |
| Photoconductor unit yield | N/A | N/A |
| Photoconductor unit price | N/A | N/A |
| Waste toner container yield | N/A | N/A |
| Waste toner container price | N/A | N/A |
| Maintenance kit yield | N/A | N/A |
| Maintenance kit price (USD) | N/A | N/A |
| Additional Hardware Specifications | Standard | Optional |
| Print resolution | 1,200 x 1,200 dpi | N/A |
| Duplex | Yes | N/A |
| Scanner type | Dual-head contact image sensor (CIS) | N/A |
| Automatic document feeder | 50-sheet duplex scanning | N/A |
| Memory | 256 MB | Upgradable to 1 GB |
| Hard disk drive | N/A | N/A |
| Processor | 800 MHz | N/A |
| Connectivity | Both: Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (Device and host) and Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 Base-TX M521dw: 802.11b/g wireless interface | M521dw: HP Jetdirect ew2500 802.11b/g Wireless Print Server J8021A; HP Jetdirect 2700w USB Wireless Print Server J8026A |
| Network protocols | TCP/IP, IPv4, IPv6, LPD, Web Services Printing, IPP Print, FTP Print; Discovery: SLP, Bonjour, Web Services Discovery; IP Config: IPv4 (BootP, DHCP, AutoIP, Manual), IPv6, SNMPV1/V2/V3; Security: SSL Security and certificate management, 802.1x | N/A |
| Watts – maximum | 760 (Printing) 520 (Copying from ADF) | |
| Watts – operating | N/A | N/A |
| Watts – standby mode | 18.2 | N/A |
| Watts – sleep mode | 4.3 | |
| Paper capacity | 100 sheet multipurpose tray, 500-sheet input tray: 600 sheets standard | 500-sheet tray (add up to 1 tray) : 1,100 sheets maximum |
| Paper size (trays) | Tray 1: 3 × 5 to 8.5 × 14 inches; Tray 2: 4.1 × 5.8 to 8.5 × 14 inches | Optional 500-sheet tray: 4.1 × 5.8 to 8.5 × 14 inches |
| Paper weight | 52 to 199 g/m² | N/A |
| Emulations | HP PCL 6; HP PCL 5c; HP postscript level 3 emulation, PCLm | N/A |
| Operating systems | Windows 8 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows XP 32-bit (SP2 or higher) Driver only installs supported on: Windows 2012 Windows Server 2008 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows Server 2003 32-bit (SP3 or higher) Mac OS X v 10.6.8 and later Linpus Linux (9.4, 9.5), Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 (supported with a pre-built package) SUSE Linux (10.3, 11.0, 11, 11.1, 11.2), Fedora (9, 9.0, 10, 10.0, 11.0, 11, 12, 12.0), Ubuntu (8.04, 8.04.1, 8.04.2, 8.10, 9.04, 9.10, 10.04), Debian (5.0, 5.0.1, 5.0.2, 5.0.3) (supported by the automatic installer) HPUX 11 and Solaris 8/9 | N/A |
| Size (width x depth x height) | 18.3×18.3×20 inches | Maximum: 18.3×35.4×29.5 in |
| Finishing | N/A | N/A |
| Warranty | ||
| One-year limited warranty, Onsite; Various 1- and 3-year care packs | ||
In May, HP released two new A4 monochrome four-function (print, copy, scan and fax) laser MFPs. The new LaserJet Pro M521dn and M521dw multifunction printers are 42-ppm devices, each with a monthly duty cycle of 75,000 pages. The new LaserJet Pro M521 units leverage the print engine from the LaserJet Enterprise MFP M525 series along with the dual-head scanning technology and user interface from HP’s LaserJet Pro M425 series MFPs. Both previously released machines hit the market last spring. The LaserJet Pro M521 series accommodates 600 sheets of paper, which is expandable to 1,100 when configured with an optional 500-sheet tray. Both the M521dn and M521dw have a print resolution of 1,200 × 1,200 dpi, a 3.5-inch color touch screen, offer automatic duplex printing, and come standard with a 50-sheet duplex scanning automatic document feeder (ADF). The new devices feature Auto-On/Auto-Off Technology and are capable of mobile and cloud printing. Both models come standard with USB 2.0, host USB, and Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 Base-TX, while the M521dw adds 802.11b/g wireless connectivity.
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