Samsung Color Laser Printer Hits The Mark

Samsung Electronics' new CLP-510N is a great option for solution providers looking to sell an inexpensive, high-performance color laser printer. The CLP-510N is a four-pass unit that prints up to 6 ppm in color and up to 25 ppm in monochrome. The network-ready CLP-510N costs only $499. A version without the networking feature, the CLP-510, is also available and priced at $399. The CLP-510N features Ethernet and USB 2.0 connectivity, while the CLP-510 offers only USB—otherwise, they're exactly the same. The 1,200 x 1,200-dpi printer comes standard with 64 Mbytes of memory, expandable to 192 Mbytes. Built-in duplexing is standard, and wireless connectivity is optional. The printer measures 20.1 x 15.9 x 18.5 inches and weighs about 70 pounds.

The CLP-510N has a 250-sheet input cassette and 100-sheet multipurpose tray for a combined paper capacity of 350 sheets. An additional 500-sheet input tray is optional. The printer can handle a maximum paper size of 8.5 x 14 inches. Standard-capacity toner cartridges are included with the printer and are good for up to 3,000 monochrome pages or 2,000 color pages. Optional high-yield cartridges will print up to 7,000 monochrome pages and 5,000 color pages. CRN Test Center engineers recommend high-yield cartridges, as they last longer, cost less per page and create less waste. The CLP-510N is rated for a monthly duty cycle of up to 35,000 pages.

Setup is simple and maintenance couldn't be easier. The printer's embedded Web server can send e-mail notifications to specific addresses to notify personnel when a toner cartridge is nearly empty. Samsung also includes plenty of documentation with the printer, both printed and on CD-ROM. All popular Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems are supported.

The CLP-510N is fast for a four-pass printer. It printed a 10-page monochrome Word document in 32 seconds and a 10-page Word document with color headings in 1 minute, 50 seconds. Color graphics files also printed quickly, but the printouts appeared darker and with less contrast than comparable printers in this class, in particular Minolta's new magicolor 2430 DL. The CLP-510N and the magicolor 2430 DL offer similar print capabilities, performance and price points, though the Minolta is a bit smaller and weighs 25 pounds less.

Samsung's Power Partner program was revamped in January 2002. The program offers three partner levels based on sales revenue and market potential. Members can receive up to 5 percent cash back, free demonstration units and exclusive promotion opportunities. Reseller margins average about 20 percent. Sales and marketing support including team selling, a marketing library, a toll-free reseller line, special government and education pricing, and joint call support. Training is available in person and via the Web. A special reseller-only support line is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., while basic toll-free technical support is available 24x7. Another program, called the Samsung President's Color Club, is also available for high-volume Samsung color laser printer resellers.