February 13, 2008

The Verdict on the Epson Stylus Photo 1400, Lexmark X502n, and Samsung CLX-3160FN

By Taeho Lim

Review Roundup: LePage Likes the Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Plus Reviews of the Lexmark X502n and Samsung CLX-3160FN

Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Delivers the Prosumer Goods

After previewing the Epson Stylus Photo 1400 last year, checking in on the subsequent reviews seems like reading your college alumni newsletter to see how your classmates turned out. In this case, the subtitle for Rick LePage's review in MacWorld says it all: High-Quality Prints Available at a Reasonable Price. In the review, the Stylus Photo 1400 receives high marks for its ink cartridge life, ability to print straight from a camera, and print quality for both photos and text. On the other hand, LePage observes that the print speed doesn't top the charts and the CD/DVD printing utility could use some improvement. Despite the minor shortcomings, it looks like this prosumer photo printer delivers just about everything Epson said it would.

Lexmark X502n MFP Nails the Big Picture, But Falters on the Little Things

After a few months on the market, the reviews have arrived for the Lexmark X502n Color Laser MFP: excellent in overall functionality but lacking when it comes to the little things. Printer Pundit M. David Stone of PC Magazine echoes Marlon Brando in saying that this MFP "coulda been a contender" for an Editor's Choice Award if not for the poor operating instructions and inability to fax from your PC. Overall, Stone concludes that if you can decipher the instructions (or lack thereof), the Lexmark X502n "may well be the sub-$1,000 color laser AIO of choice" for your business.

Samsung CLX-3160FN MFP Flies Under The Radar

Finally, we covered the Samsung CLX-3160FN Color Laser MFP back in May and highlighted its NO-NOIS technology that minimizes noise as it runs. Felisa Yang of CNET.com recently gave the CLX-3160FN a middling 6.7 out of 10, viewing it as a decent value for small businesses, but nothing remarkable. It doesn't feature duplex printing and takes a little longer than you would expect to print and scan. As a result, just as the Samsung CLX-3160FN won't make much noise in your office, it probably won't make too much noise in the color laser MFP market either.

About Review Roundup
Although we cannot review every printer and printer accessory, we can scour the Web for the most creative and helpful reviews. That's what we do for you in Review Roundup. In the process, we also interview the reviewers for updates and additional insights that you'll only find here.