WHAT'S HOT: For a low price of $199, the Samsung ML-1210 presents buyers with a bargain. It produces reasonably clean black text that looks better at larger sizes, and also does a very nice job on narrow parallel lines. The ML-1210 comes in a stylized, compact design, and Samsung equips the printer with a surprising 8MB of memory--helpful when you have multiple print jobs in a queue or large documents with detailed pagination and font requirements. And when the PC World Test Center retested the ML-1210 over USB, it clocked the text-printing speed at 9.4 ppm, plenty fast for any home office and a big jump past the 7.1-ppm text speed over a parallel connection.

WHAT'S NOT: The ML-1210 also has a limited paper capacity. The printer only holds 150 sheets per paper tray and has no paper-handling options, such as an extra paper tray or duplexer. Because it has no ethernet option, only one person can use it. Even though it's unlikely you'd buy a monochrome laser for printing gray-scale graphics, the ML-1210 is one to avoid for these tasks, because gray-scale images come out dark, with rough textures and little detail.

WHAT ELSE: The ML-1210 feeds paper from a vertical slot in the back, loops it around, and deposits the printed document in a vertical slot in the front. The advantage of this design is that it makes the printer small, only 13 inches wide by 14 deep. The disadvantage is that unused paper is exposed to dust and humidity.

UPSHOT: The ML-1210 has only one appropriate use: in a home office, where its low price and small footprint make it accessible and convenient.

SUMMARY

Samsung ML-1210 Rated 12 ppm, standard 8MB of RAM, 600-by-600-dpi maximum resolution, 150 sheets input, 100 sheets output. $199 888/887-8536 www.samsungusa.com