The cost of laser printers is falling very quickly, and this is reflected in the emergence of multifunction devices equipped with such printing technology. The Samsung SCX-4100 is not much bigger than an inkjet-based multifunction device, but it offers faster printing and lower running costs.

This is a mono laser, so if you want to print, scan or copy in colour, look elsewhere. But, given the cost of using an inkjet printer (as we reported in our feature The true cost of inkjet printers), a second printer for text-only output may be far more affordable than you think.

The SCX-4100 connects to your computer by either USB or parallel. The latter is slower, but useful if you have an older computer. The paper tray, which can hold up to 250 pages, slides into the front of the unit. A separate manual feed allows you to print on envelopes, transparencies or card.

The SCX-4100 can be used as a standalone photocopier. There are plenty of options in the control panel, including fitting several pages onto one page and making one page into a nine-page poster. The menu is easy to use but the display is small enough to be frustrating if you want to use it often.

We were very impressed with the speed of the printer. The SCX-4100 can print 14 pages of text per minute and documents with pictures were no slower. The 600dpi printing resolution means text is super sharp too.

Samsung says the £76 toner cartridge will print 3,000 sheets before it needs replacing, giving a very reasonable cost per sheet of 0.3 pence. The supplied cartridge holds about a third of the normal amount.

Although the printing is quick, the scanning is quite slow, taking 80 seconds to scan an A4 page at 300dpi. However, the scanner is colour, so you can produce image files up to 600 x 600dpi in resolution.

All in all, the Samsung SCX-4100 is very impressive in print speed and is much cheaper than running an inkjet. The price isn't bad either.

Contact: Samsung 01932 455000
www.samsung.com

Also consider:
HP psc1215. £70. Slower and more expensive to print, but the psc1215 can print in colour.