If your quantity and quality needs are modest, the Brother HL-2040's sticker price will make it at home on your desk.

With fast printing, quality output, easy networking, and a built-in duplexer, the Brother HL-5250DN would be a great choice for a small office.

The HL-2070N is a well-built printer for small groups of low-volume users.

The focus of the Brother HL-2140 is clear, and as a good little text churner this laser packs the goods. Use it extensively and, in the long-term, you'll end up paying considerable amounts. But for the typical family, this is an excellent complement to a quality inkjet and thus an ideal way to arm your home with strong text to go along with great colour graphics.

The LBP 3100B’s low initial cost is well complemented by attractive design and decent printing speeds. Still, some odd design choices and slightly inaccurate printing mar this printer a little — it’s good but it doesn’t excel when compared to the competition.

Canon's LaserShot LBP-3000 runs quietly, quickly and offers acceptable print quality for work documents or assignments - provided you run Windows.

The 1720dn Laser Printer offers a lot of features and flexibility for an accessible price. A small office with big ambitions won't have to leave this printer behind.

A reasonably quick model which provides excellent print quality for text. As the name indicates however, stay away if you want a graphics printer.

Small size and a low price make the HP LaserJet 1020 a good fit for a home office in which space is at a premium and occasional printing jobs don't require the utmost in speed, quality and economy.

The LaserJet P1505 doesn't look like much, but it is a fast printer. We think HP cut a few too many corners in designing it, but those seeking a no-nonsense workhorse may be willing to put up with some of its shortcomings.

The P4515x is a great option for those who need good quality, fast. With automatic duplex, comprehensive security and remote administration capability, this unit performs admirably as a workgroup printer and has few drawbacks.

HP’s LaserJet P1005 puts its best foot forward. But it’s crippled with slower performance and a more expensive price point than the Brother HL-2140. It’s a good printer, but it simply isn’t competitive enough.