In August 2003 HP released their replacement for the LaserJet 1000 series printers, the LaserJet 1010, 1012 and 1015, with OEM-stated print speeds of from 12 to 15 pages per minute (ppm). Targeted at small and medium size businesses, these three laser printers are just one-half the size of those they replaced.
The 1010, 1012 and 1015 are host-based printers, meaning the print job is rendered by the computer it is connected to rather than in the printer itself. This allows the printer to perform with less memory, which reduces the initial price of the machine. The trade-off is that print speed can vary with the content of the document and the processing speed of the host computer.
All three HP printers utilize the same toner cartridge SKU (Q2612A), with an OEM rated yield of 2,000. Canon versions are also available. There is no chip on any of the cartridges and no apparent toner sensing capability. The two halves are held together with pins, requiring no special tooling for separation.