
Samsung ML-2251N

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- Spec Navigator
- Core Components
- Media Handling
- Network
- Connectivity
- Platform Support
- Dimensions
- General Features
- Green
- Resolutions
- Scanning
Media Handling
| Manual Feed Slot | Yes |
| Maximum Number of Input Trays | 1 |
| Maximum paper size, height | 14.0 inches |
| Maximum Sheets With All Paper Trays | 550 |
| Output Tray Capacity | 150 |
| Standard Number of Input Trays | 1 |
| Maximum paper size, width | 8.5 inches |
| Standard input sheet capacity | 300 |
| Duplex printing | No |
Platform Support
| Operating System Support |
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- Lab Tested
- How We Test Printers »
Pros
Outputs near-flawless text
Built-in ethernet network adapter
Cons
Network installation was tricky
Merely adequate print speeds
Bottom Line
Compact model yielded excellent prints, but its pace was slow and its setup docs were unhelpful.
Samsung ML-2251N
ML-2251N Review, by Melissa Riofrio June 23, 2005
If you're trying to equip a small office on a budget, Samsung's ML-2251N offers a tempting combination of low price, good print quality, and standard ethernet. But prepare for a rocky start due to inadequate documentation.
Dismayingly, the installation routine failed to recognize (and barely documented) the ML-2251's standard ethernet connection. After troubleshooting in vain, I finally resorted to the sole alternative, which was to continue installing without specifying a connection; luckily, that approach worked. Samsung acknowledges that the documentation applies to a broad product line and largely omits coverage of this model's standard ethernet interface. That's one big corner the company shouldn't have cut.
Other aspects of the documentation and drivers were similarly disappointing. The brevity of the setup poster's multilingual instructions bordered on obscurity, and some illustrations were unclear. The CD-based manual, however, was thorough and detailed.
The ML-2251N's compact size (just 14.1 inches wide by 17.8 inches deep by 10.9 inches high) may fit well into cramped office spaces, but it offers little room for expansion to keep up with a growing business. A 250-sheet letter/legal tray comes standard, and an identical second tray is optional. The toner cartridge's 5000-page capacity and the printer's 30,000-page monthly duty cycle restrict the ML-2251N to moderate levels of use. A duplexer is neither standard nor optional.
The design had a few problems, as well. The control panel's single button, marked 'Cancel', can perform six functions beyond the obvious one--including printing a configuration sheet and selecting manual feed--but without consulting the user's guide, you'll never figure out (or remember) the intricate press/hold combinations required for each. Another beef: The printer's front cover and the multipurpose tray's cover open from the same place, and it's impossible to tell from the outside which is which.
In our PC World Test Center evaluations, the ML-2251N turned in merely adequate speeds but produced prints of surprisingly pleasing quality. Plain-text documents printed at 17.1 ppm--a slower rate than most other workgroup printers we've tested achieved, but pretty close to the Samsung's maximum spec of 22 ppm. (Its tested speed is average for a nonnetworked, small-office printer.) Text output looked better than most we've seen lately, even from pricier workgroup printers: It remained crisp all the way down to the smallest font sizes, and even italic and cursive fonts looked clean. Line art and photos exited at decent rates of 9.6 ppm and 4.7 ppm, respectively. Graphics output quality was merely fair: Printouts looked washed-out and grainy, with limited grayscale range and some banding. But you can have fun with the poster feature, which lets you print at sizes up to four sheets wide by four tall.
Upshot: The compact Samsung ML-2251N prints near-flawless text, but network installation is difficult, and the unit's leisurely printing speed means you'll get printouts on the Samsung's schedule--not yours.
Melissa Riofrio
0 Comments | 0 Topics | Print Only This Review
- Rating Breakdown
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76
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83
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65
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar Printers
76
74
82
82
Performance
| Color Photo (secs) | 12.71 |
| Color Photo, Normal Settings | 12.71 |
| Grayscale Output Quality | Fair |
| Line Art Output Quality | Fair |
| One-Page Grayscale Graphic | 12.87 |
| One-Page Grayscale Graphic (secs) | 12.87 |
| Output Score, Grayscale Graphics, Best Quality Settings (formerly pf-Output-Print-Grayscale-Best) | Fair |
| Output Score, Line Art, Default Settings (formerly pf-Output-Print-LineArt-Default) | Fair |
| Output Score, Text, Default Settings (formerly pf-Output-Print-Text-Default) | Superior |
| Ten-Page Word Document | 35.08 |
| Ten-Page Word Document (secs) | 35.08 |
| Tested Color Graphics Speed (formerly pf-PCWColorSpeed) | 8 |
| Tested Color Speed (ppm) | 8 |
| Tested Text Speed (formerly pf-PCWBWSpeed) | 17.1 |
| Tested Text Speed (ppm) | 17.1 |
| Text Output Quality | Superior |
| Three-Page PowerPoint Document | 18.01 |
| Three-Page PowerPoint Document (secs) | 18.01 |
| Three-Page Word Document | 16.91 |
| Three-Page Word Document (secs) | 16.91 |
| Two-Page Excel Document | 14.55 |
| Two-Page Excel Document (secs) | 14.55 |
Text Printing
| Text output quality | Superior |
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
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Reviewed by: zj_james
Strengths: nice look, network, fast, toner save mode
Weaknesses: not found yet
Overall: It is a very good network printer even below $200. Somebody thinks it is difficult to install the network, but it only took me 15 mins to set up a home network. I like it very much. Potentially, I will buy one more for my office.
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