HP products review


Samsung Ml-3050 Review and Cartridge Choice

Sub-£100 laser printers are nothing new,
but for that money you'd expect a fairlyAs this cartridge can cost almost as much as
basic personal laser. Samsung's ML-3050the printer it is essential to shop around
certainly covers the basics, but also offersfor the best value, try comparing prices from
a  couple  of  extras  you  might not expect.Samsung with local retailers and an online
discounter  like  Cartcon.
At first sight the ML-3050 is nothing
special: a squashed cube in two tones of greyThe ML-3050 is a quick machine for the money
with a 250-sheet paper tray sliding out fromand we saw 16ppm for text and just over 4ppm
the bottom and a multi-purpose tray foldingfor photographic prints. While neither of
down from the front panel. This isn't athese speeds comes close to Samsung's rating
single-sheet tray, though, and can take up toof 28ppm, real-world measurements rarely do.
100 sheets of special media, such asThe text print speed in particular is very
letterheads or envelopes. Pages end up in anreasonable for a printer in this price range.
output  tray set into the top of the machine.
The printer has a resolution of 1,200dpi, but
Also at the top is the control panel, thoughthis is an enhanced figure and the native
there's no LCD display here, just threeresolution is half this. Even so, it gave
buttons: one stops a print job, the secondbetter reproduction of our test photo at
switches on toner saving and the last, a bit600dpi than with the 1,200dpi enhancement
of a sales indulgence, prints a demo page. Atturned on. In both modes it did well for a
the back are both USB 2 and parallel ports,mono laser and text print was particularly
again unusual in an entry-level printer butcrisp  and  precise.
useful  if  all  your  USB  ports are in use.
In conclusion the ML-3050 is a great little
The printer is supplied with a low capacitylaser printer, giving quality print at low
toner cartridge which is capable of producingprice. It's easy to set up and use and is
4,000 pages at 5% coverage, to reduce printquick enough for most personal print
costs to around 1.7p per page it would beapplications. Samsung needs to look at the
necessary to replace this cartridge whenpricing of its print cartridges, though, if
empty with the high capacity 8,000 pageits customers aren't to buy new printers each
ML-D3050b  cartridge.time they need more toner.



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