| Sub-£100 laser printers are nothing | | | | As this cartridge can cost almost as |
| new, but for that money you'd expect a | | | | much as the printer it is essential to |
| fairly basic personal laser. Samsung's | | | | shop around for the best value, try |
| ML-3050 certainly covers the basics, but | | | | comparing prices from Samsung with local |
| also offers a couple of extras you might | | | | retailers and an online discounter like |
| not expect. | | | | Cartcon. |
| At first sight the ML-3050 is nothing | | | | The ML-3050 is a quick machine for the |
| special: a squashed cube in two tones of | | | | money and we saw 16ppm for text and just |
| grey with a 250-sheet paper tray sliding | | | | over 4ppm for photographic prints. While |
| out from the bottom and a multi-purpose | | | | neither of these speeds comes close to |
| tray folding down from the front panel. | | | | Samsung's rating of 28ppm, real-world |
| This isn't a single-sheet tray, though, | | | | measurements rarely do. The text print |
| and can take up to 100 sheets of special | | | | speed in particular is very reasonable |
| media, such as letterheads or envelopes. | | | | for a printer in this price range. |
| Pages end up in an output tray set into | | | | The printer has a resolution of |
| the top of the machine. | | | | 1,200dpi, but this is an enhanced figure |
| Also at the top is the control panel, | | | | and the native resolution is half this. |
| though there's no LCD display here, just | | | | Even so, it gave better reproduction of |
| three buttons: one stops a print job, | | | | our test photo at 600dpi than with the |
| the second switches on toner saving and | | | | 1,200dpi enhancement turned on. In both |
| the last, a bit of a sales indulgence, | | | | modes it did well for a mono laser and |
| prints a demo page. At the back are both | | | | text print was particularly crisp and |
| USB 2 and parallel ports, again unusual | | | | precise. |
| in an entry-level printer but useful if | | | | In conclusion the ML-3050 is a great |
| all your USB ports are in use. | | | | little laser printer, giving quality |
| The printer is supplied with a low | | | | print at low price. It's easy to set up |
| capacity toner cartridge which is | | | | and use and is quick enough for most |
| capable of producing 4,000 pages at 5% | | | | personal print applications. Samsung |
| coverage, to reduce print costs to | | | | needs to look at the pricing of its |
| around 1.7p per page it would be | | | | print cartridges, though, if its |
| necessary to replace this cartridge when | | | | customers aren't to buy new printers |
| empty with the high capacity 8,000 page | | | | each time they need more toner. |
| ML-D3050b cartridge. | | | | |