The HP LaserJet M102w Represents A Major Shift In HP Printer Design
HP LaserJet M102w Printer
HP just released the HP LaserJet M102w laser printer. From the outside it looks like it’s predecessor, the P1102W. Inside the M102w comes with a two cartridge (drum and toner cartridge) system. From HP’s very first LaserJet Plus released in 1985, every LaserJet printer has had a single cartridge system. The single cartridge system differentiated HP from it’s competitors. Most competitors had two to three cartridges – toner cartridge, drum/imaging cartridge and a developer cartridge.
Both designs have merit, on the one had a multi cartridge system means you are not changing key components that have yet to be worn out. So you could say the multi cartridge system is the “greener” option. But the multi cartridge system can be difficult and expensive to troubleshoot. Let’s say you get a line down the page, do you change the drum cartridge, the developer cartridge or the toner cartridge?
On the other hand the single cartridge system is simple. If a printer has a problem, change the cartridge and 99% of the time the problem is fixed. In the end the single cartridge system was easy to use and it also gave birth to the toner cartridge remanufacturing industry. There are many parts of a toner cartridge that are not worn out when you change it out. So the green option is still available by purchasing remanufactured toner cartridges.
With the single cartridge system you replace the entire imaging system each time you change your toner cartridge. This is a tried and true system and has been proven to be very successful. So it comes as quite a shock that HP would adopt a multi cartridge system after 31 years of success. Time will tell if HP will be successful with this multi cartridge system. Personally we think it’s not a great idea. Mostly we feel that troubleshooting problem will be more difficult and expensive. At the moment, only HP uses a single cartridge system. Recently Lexmark also moved to multi cartridge system with their premier printer lines. The Lexmark system is very complex and it is difficult to know what supplies are compatible and what supplies are not. Brother, Xerox and Okidata also use multi cartridge systems as well.
So while we are not wild about the idea of the multi cartridge system, we still think HP has the best product around. At the moment here are the products we have available for the M102w.
HP’s LaserJet M102w Supply List
CF217A Toner Cartridge Page Yield: 1,600 pages
CF219A Imaging Drum Cartridge – Page Yield: 12,000 pages
In addition the the LaserJet M102w, HP also released two MFP cartridges that use the same set of cartridges, the LaserJet M130fw MFP and the LaserJet M130fn MFP.
CF217A MICR Toner for LaserJet M102w
We have started development on the New CF217A MICR toner cartridge. This product has already passed QC with flying colors and we hope to have the M102w MICR toner cartridge on the shelves in early December 2016. In addition we will likely sell a M102w MICR laser printer once we exhaust our stock of M1102W MICR Laser Printers.
So if you are looking for a light duty MICR laser printer and you are not sold on the two cartridge system, you may want to consider our HP LaserJet P1102w MICR Laser Printer while they are still in stock.
2 Comments to The HP LaserJet M102w Represents A Major Shift In HP Printer Design
Why cant i get another toner cartridge to work in the M102W
Unfortunately we have been unable to get any MICR toner to perform well in the M102. I would consider buying another HP printer. The M402n is the best replacement available or if you can find the M1102W that would work as well.
June 18, 2019