Review Roundup: Samsung CLP-500 Color Laser Printer

Designed to meet a variety of color imaging needs for small and medium-sized businesses, this model offers features such as built-in automatic duplex printing and optional wireless capabilities. Reviewers felt its speed was fine for small businesses and workgroups, but its print quality received a mixed reception.

Price: $450 (retail)
Type: Color laser printer
Print Speed: 5ppm (color), 21ppm (black)
Print Resolution: 1200dpi

What They Think: ZD Net

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Liked: Low priced; fast; expandable; includes built-in duplex unit.

Disliked: Color text quality is only so-so; add-ons make this printer expensive.

In Short: Home-based businesses and small offices looking for a sub-$1,000 color laser with a network printing option should consider the Samsung CLP-500.

What They Think: PC World

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Liked: "printed text at 15.3 pages per minute and graphics at 3.2 ppm--plenty fast for an individual user or very small workgroup" "250-page on-screen manual provides excellent information" "reproduced color and detail fairly well"

Disliked: "printed text with a slightly shadowy look that we didn't care for" "its mechanical design leaves room for improvement" "gray-scale photos looked unpleasantly dark and coarse, and line art showed very rough edges"

In Short: With the CLP-500 you get good paper handling and performance for a home-office printer price.