Samsung ML2851

by John - allprinterreview.com Expert Reviewer. .

For starters, Samsung ML2851 comes in a design that could hardly make itself more distinctive than the usual monolaser printers around. Measuring 8.3 inches tall, 14.5 inches deep, 14.3 inches wide, and weighs about 26.2 pounds. What you can see on top of the machine is a single power button with one LCD for power and another for print status.

Other than providing for a built-in duplexer that can print double-sided sheets of paper, nothing else enhances the design and features of this printer machine. You could probably consider the provision for an extra tray in front, used for single sheet feeds. Its input tray comes as an ordinary feeder, which can hold no more than the standard 250 sheets of paper. As far as design and features are concerned, the Samsung ML-2851ND is no less as basic as your ordinary monolaser printer is.

Ease of Installation and Start-up

You can be ambivalent in this aspect. If the user does not know too much about configuring home network, the first step in setting up would be to read its manuals. Unlike the plug and play networking system, you have to set the IP application first and make some configurations for the correct network settings before installing the drivers. Once done, the simplicity of its features makes the printer easy to use.

However, if you know how to get around it, you can configure the printer via local TCP/IP port and you can expect to have wireless printing right away, by using a wireless router. An expert can get the Samsung ML-2851ND printer and computer working together using an Ethernet cable in less than 10 minutes.

Performance: Quality of Prints

Now here is the catch. Despite its simplicity, Samsung ML-2851ND can generate text prints with quality results in a cut above the rest. Expect dark lines to be dark while bold fonts even in large letters are thicker and bolder. If you will explore the driver, you can find an option that says "Print all text to black" and "Print all text to darken" These printing options will now enhance bold and large letters as solidly as Samsung does.

Other printing options offered by the driver are layout, duplex, overlay, and watermark. Print resolution can be adjusted from 600 dpi to 1,200 dpi and you may use the ?toner save? mode to minimize your toner consumption by as much as 40%.
However, you need to watch out for some black-to-white gradations in printing a monographic page; the appearance of vertical and horizontal lines can mar the appearance of the outputs. If you are not too careful, printing the large blocks of black colors can result to occasional muddy blotches all across the page.

Do not count on the lasers for heavy graphics if you want to maintain the sharp vivid quality of your graphic prints. You might be in for some disappointments because Samsung ML-2851ND printer was not outfitted for this kind of heavy-duty function.

Performance: Speed in printing

The very simplicity of this machine enables it to produce text, graphics, and even PowerPoint presentations at an agreeable speed. At 20 pages per minute, Samsung ML-2851ND printer ranks second to the top performing Lexmark E350d, and surpassing the speed rate of its closest competitor Dell 1720dn. In fact, the quality of text prints produced at this speed can match that of Lexmark E350d.

Service and Support

The printer is ably supported by a toll-free tech hotline and its online center is a good resource for your how-to guide, software downloads including drivers, manuals, and firmware updates as well as reference for FAQs.

I find the staid laidback features of Samsung ML2851 printer a plus point for those who want to maintain their printers as uncomplicated as possible. What has greater value is performance in both quality and speed, which this machine meets with considerable competence.

A novice may have to wend his way going through the installation procedures but he is not without support since the online resource center can provide him with clear and direct how-to answers.

At a price of $183.26, Samsung ML-2851ND printer, the consumer is getting a good deal for the positive features of this printer. A lesser price will be a steal, while any higher than $200, will make the machine less appealing as a top choice for purchase. The buyer is liable to consider other machines that can produce the same speed and qualities and with additional features to boot, if the price of this machine goes above the $200 mark.