The HP LaserJet 8100 and 8150 are monochromatic printers for work groups and has a 20,000 print head page per month duty cycle which is longer than similarly priced laser printers.  Each unit starts at around $400.00 for the base models.

The HP LaserJet 8100 and 8150 printers have a base media input capacity of 1,100 pages which allows for less refilling between prints and increases overall performance. The models differ slightly on processing speed; the 8100 has a 166 MHz processor while the 8150 has a 250MHz processor. Those whom require more intensive black and white printing should choose the 8150 laser printer. The base memory on the 8150 is twice the memory of the 8100 at 32 MB, but has a lower maximum memory of 160MB; the 8100 has 208 MB maximum memory which comes in handy for gray scale images.

Expanding the memory is made possible through 3 DIMM memory slots on all models of both the HP 8100 and 8150 series printers. Standard parallel connections are the only ports available on either series, however; higher end models, such as the 8100dn or 8150n, have print servers equipped. External print servers could be used to upgrade the base models or the option could be added at the time of purchase. A black toner cartridge is shipped with the units but is a low capacity or starter cartridge, and both the 8100 and 8150 have 150, 000 page monthly duty cycles perfect for high volume printing needs.

Media handling is a bit light in the 8100 printers as they only accept envelopes, plain paper and transparencies; the 8150 adds cards, labels, bond paper and recycled paper to the mix. Images are presented quite well on the 8150, slightly better than the 8100, but the 8150 can be found priced less than the 8100. Text is readable down to 4 point font sizes with little or no banding and the first printed page is out in less than 17 seconds. This may seem longer than other printers, but the end result will justify the wait. Compensating for slower speeds the units are compatible with Novell, IBM OS/2, and Windows systems for the 8100, but the 8150 includes UNIX, Linux, and Mac systems.

While the HP LaserJet 8100 and 8150 deliver quality prints and cross platform compatibility, the features come at a more expensive price than other printers delivering similar results.