December 03, 2008

Reviews of the Samsung CLP-610ND

By Kara Hiltz

Review Roundup: Samsung CLP-610ND Ushers Samsung Beyond the Electronics Stereotype

Samsung makes printers? Even if you're a giant, it's always challenging to break into new markets. With its CLP-610ND color laser printer, Samsung seeks to break into the large and presumably lucrative workgroup printer market. Will it succeed? Product reviews often provide a good indication of success so let's take a look at two.

ChannelWeb Impressed With Print Quality Despite Unattractive, Boxy Design

Brian Sheinberg of ChennelWeb concludes that the Samsung CLP-610ND will work "fine for small businesses or workgroups" even though its design leaves something to be desired.

Sheinberg ran several tests on the printer, including print speeds, warm-up time, and print quality. While the printer takes a little longer to warm up than Samsung claims, Sheinberg says that the print speeds after warm-up remain consistently fast (21 pages per minute for black text and 20 pages per minute for color).

The Samsung CLP-610ND's print quality impresses Sheinberg as well. "Colors were deep and vibrant, with different shades of the same color easily distinguishable from one another. Lines were sharp too. In one close-up image of a bloodshot eye, the thin red lines are noticeably visible," raves Sheinberg.

All in all, Sheinberg recommends the printer as a good choice for small offices or workgroups in this price class.

Computer Shopper Grateful For Ethernet Connection and Built-In Duplexing

The Samsung CLP-610ND's good features, fast speeds and high print quality compensate for all the space you'll need on your desk concludes David English of Computer Shopper. His 8.2 out of 10 rating is "Excellent" by Computer Shopper standards.

English praises Samsung for including features knowledge workers need, citing the built-in duplexing and Ethernet connection as two highlights. He also praises the cost-per-page (about 2.4 cents for black text and 10.2 cents for color). Print quality proved above average and English found the text legible down to 3 points.

English is not as fond of the Samsung CLP-610ND's design. The printer weighs in at over 56 pounds and measures 16.8 x 16.7 x 17 inches — a large footprint in a world in which most gear seems to be shrinking. Also, English claims that one of the output trays, when extended, adds another 10 inches to the front of the printer.

Overall, English thinks the printer's pros outweigh its cons. "In short, if you're thinking about retiring your aging monochrome laser printer for a new color laser, the CLP-610ND is well worth considering," surmises English.

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.