There's a lot to like about the sturdy Brother HL-5040, but its performance tops the list. The HL-5040 was the fastest on our performance tests using general-purpose settings when printing text documents—where most laser printers earn their keep. Output quality was only average, but this didn't stop us from awarding it our Editors' Choice.

The HL-5040 has both parallel and USB 2.0 interfaces and, at 20,000 pages per month, the second-highest rated duty cycle. Only the Panasonic KX-P7305 is rated higher, at 30,000 pages. Three other features that contribute to its overall value are the 250-sheet input tray, maximum memory capacity of 136MB, and Mac and PC compatibility. The HL-5040 has a relatively high cost per page, however, at 2.9 cents—a negative, in our book.

Conveniently, printer configuration information is readable via a browser, and the configuration utility includes a screen reader for the visually impaired. With its large-format quick-start booklet and comprehensive setup guide, the moderately priced HL-5040 is an excellent choice as a workhorse office printer.

A reasonable price, fast performance, high maximum memory, and a generous paper tray make the Brother HL-5040 a top-notch printer. At press time, we learned that Brother will soon release the HL-5140; it's designed for faster print times at the same cost.