The 2130cn utilizes a 400MHz processor and 256MB memory to print at speeds of 20 ppm for mono printing and 16 ppm for color printing (manufacturer's statistical claim) and these certainly appear to be accurate figures, as extensive tests and ‘live’ use in several locations I have seen have yielded print speeds up and around these marks. These are not consistent figures however, but that is largely due to network traffic as opposed to printer processing power and job handling. When printing full A4 color photographs, you can expect the Dell 2130cn to output copies at around 3.4 ppm.
The Dell 2130cn has a front loading paper tray which has a 250 sheet capacity, and there is an option to add a further tray to expand capacity to 500 sheets. The tray/feed mechanism is reliable and efficient, speed of paper throughput is consistently quick, and the unit is one of the quieter models I have seen in recent times while processing jobs.
Printed output is consistently high in quality (at 600dpi), and it can print at lower dpi settings for draft and low cost output modes. Image transition onto stationery (paper, envelopes, thin cards) is clear and with minimal haze or distortion. Text prints are exceptional, flawlessly crisp and the most complex of photographs print well. There is some fade on the darkest of colors, but as skin tones appear perfectly and as this is not a pure photo printer, it will certainly please most, including the photography enthusiast, if not the expert.
The Dell 2130cn uses four standard cartridges which fit neatly inside the side panel of the unit and are no trouble to remove and replace. The standard black, cyan, magenta and yellow cartridges provide approximately 1,000 pages of print and while the cost of replacing these consumables is not the cheapest, at $55 and $70 for large capacity black and color toners respectively, you can actually get approximately 2,500 pages of output per toner, which is good value when you also factor in how good the quality of print is.
