Samsung ML-1450 Personal Laser Printer ~Price paid- $299 with a $50 mail in rebate and a $50 instant rebate at MicroCenter (so $199 is how much it cost me but I paid $249). Similar prices are available online, however, I would assume that shipping the unit could cost a lot since it weighs over 27lbs. 9/10
~Features- 15ppm (papers per minute)
166mhz RISC processor
Instant on Fuser prints first page in about 15 seconds
8mb of DRAM, expandable to 64mb
1200DPI print resolution with SRT and SGT
Toner Save Button
One piece toner and OPC imager (image drum)
USB or Parallel connectivity
550 sheet standard cassette
550 sheet added capacity through an optional cassette
100 sheet multi purpose tray (great for leaving envelopes loaded)
362x409x294mm (14.3x16.1x9.8") dimensions
~25lb weight
Manual duplexing
300W power consumption while printing
30W while sleeping
10W with the Energy Star feature enabled
48DB print noise/35DB standby noise
12,000 sheets per month duty cycle
Lifespan of 150,000 pages @ 5% toner coverage
Media types supported – Cards, Envelopes, Labels, Plain paper, Transparencies
Paper level indicators
Supported paper sizes Letter, A4, Executive, Legal, B5, Folio
9/10
~Compatible Operating Systems- Apple MacOS 8.0 or later
Microsoft Windows 2000 / NT4.0
Microsoft Windows 95/98
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Windows XP
Red Hat Linux 6.0
9/10
~Personal vs. Workgroup- The only difference the workgroup printer has compared to the personal printer is a built-in 10/100 Ethernet card. However, the personal printer has an expansion slot to add one later if necessary. Paying the extra price for the workgroup printer isn't worth it unless your network doesn't have a server or a computer that always stays on. Using the Ethernet card will require assigning the printer an IP address and finding it a place on your switch to plug it in. Sharing the printer through windows or having your system administrator add it to your server is much more practical since both methods allow you to easily restrict access to the printer. 9/10
~Software and driver installation- Insert the included CD into your computer. If you are running Windows an autorun application will run with several options—one of which is 'install drivers'—choose that one. Some versions of Windows will automatically install the printer once you plug in the USB cable. Mac installation is similar, Linux installation may require an above average knowledge of driver installations—instructions are included 9/10
~Printing- The printer sits there quietly until a print job is sent to it. Then the printer starts humming, nearby lights slightly dim for a second and the rollers start to turn. It takes about 20 seconds for the first page to print—following pages print in about 4 seconds each. Print quality is excellent, even in toner save mode the jobs are crisp and clear. Print jobs can be picked up on top of the printer. 8/10
~Toner cost and life- 6,000 pages per toner. If you use the toner save option it will extend the toner life by 40% giving you approximately 8,400 pages per toner. The toner and the drum are one unit—this increases the price of a new toner slightly, however, a new drum insures excellent print quality and eliminates scratches and black marks on printed pages. A new toner will cost you from $69-89 depending on where you buy it. 8/10
~Noise and heat- Fairly quiet while printing, extremely quiet while idle. The printer is slightly warm when running but never hot. 9/10
~Size- BIG! The dimensions are 14.3x16.1x9.8. Quite large but not humongous. I have the printer sitting on top of a two drawer filing cabinet and it covers the entire top. This printer is a little large to be a desktop printer so do yourself a favor and buy it a stand.
~Warranty- 1 year on parts and labor. If you don't have a Samsung service center in your area you'll have to pay shipping to have it fixed.
~Support- Call 1-800-SAMSUNG or visit http://www.samsung.com for the location of the nearest service center.
~Advice to small business owners- I bought this computer to help me with my small business. In the month I have been using this printer it has worked great and the paper-jam free technology keeps hassles to a minimum. However reliable this printer may be NEVER rely on just one printer to run your business. Printers are machines and machines break down occasionally and need certain parts replaced—just like cars. I suggest keeping a backup printer that is never used, a printer like the ML-1210 (see my review at the bottom of the page). I can't tell you how many times I've seen small business owners come into my former place of work (a computer store) and be in a panic due to the fact that their only computer equipment, which runs their entire business, has broken down. This printer is reliable but be safe and always have a backup.
~Conclusion- Low cost, fast, upgradeable, Energy Star compliant, and a high duty cycle. This printer is perfect for the small business owner or a home user that needs to print more than the average user. The only feature, or lack of, that I can dock points for is duplexing. The printer requires you to manually turn the papers over and feed them back in for duplexing. I can do this on any other printer so I do not consider this a feature. A printer like this should have automatic duplexing (printing on both sides). I give this printer a 9/10 rating.
~Author's Credibility- For two years I worked in the service center of a national chain computer store. I have my A , Apple, HP Pavillion, HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet, Compaq Presario, Okidata Dot Matrix, Okidata LED, and Network computer certifications. While working in the service center I fixed over 5,000 computers (PC, Mac, and laptop), monitors, and printers. I also have a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems.
? 2003 WVaBackpacker
Written for
http://www.epinions.com 26 Mar 2003
~Other Computer related reviews by WVaBackpacker- -Computers- HP Pavillion XF335 Laptop -Computer Components- Western Digital Caviar 80GB ATA 100 IDE Hard Drive -Printers- Samsung ML-1210 Laser Printer -Monitors- MAG InnoVision XJ 700 17" Color VGA Monitor -Online Services- E *Trade Mortgage and Lending
