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We liked
Which would you rather have: a device that does lots of things badly, or a device that only does the basics but does them well? The HL-2300D is in the latter category.
Sometimes simplicity is refreshing. With no overly complex Wi-Fi or cloud features to configure – something that's driven us to tears on rival products – installing the Brother is as simple as plugging a cable into it, and that means there's no danger that it'll go in a huff when you need to print something important.
It's compact, quiet and impressively fast, and it offers a lot of bang for your buck. Double-sided printing is particularly good to have in a printer that costs so little to buy and run.
We disliked
There's a typo on the sticker promising "optional high yeild toners" [sic], and if you don't shop around you may end up paying too much for replacement cartridges. That's about it. There's very little to criticise about the device.
Final verdict
The HL-2300D doesn't scan, can't print from a smartphone, doesn't have a touchscreen and won't print off something you email from the other side of the world, but that's no bad thing – why pay for bells and whistles you don't need and won't use?
The HL-2300D concentrates on the basics and does them very well. If you need a printer that's simple, reliable, produces good quality output and doesn't cost a fortune to run, then the HL-2300D comes highly recommended.
