Abstract
HP offers “Instant on” technology in most LaserJet printers. This document presents information on the benefits of this technology that is based on data from a survey of 1,305 office workers, testing conducted by QualityLogic that quantifies the benefits of “Instant on” enabled printers, and our review of the technology and its applicability. Also taken into account is testing conducted by HP regarding the power consumption of monochrome and color printers from a variety of manufacturers, as well as other relevant InfoTrends research.
Executive Summary
When purchasing monochrome or color printers, most buyers base their decision on two primary factors: speed—or the number of pages per minute (PPM) a device is rated for—and price. They balance these two factors to meet a specific set of needs. Rarely do buyers consider printer productivity on a per-job basis (i.e. for an average print job, how long does it take for the first page to print, and how long does it take for the entire job to print). As this research will show, the actual printer productivity can be a more telling measure of the cost-effectiveness of a printer than its rated PPM.
When office workers print a job, they usually send it to a device that is in sleep mode. The printer has to “wake up” before printing the job. The result, in many cases, is that it takes longer to complete the print job than one would expect based on the rated speed of the device.