The all-in-one Samsung SCX 4521F printer is a great device for a small office or a small personal business. This device works as a fax machine, scanner, and copier, as well as a printer. This multi-functional device stands at 14.5 inches tall and has a footprint of 17.2 x 14.7 inches. It can be moved around easily since this unit only weighs 23 lbs. It uses Samsung SCX 4521F cartridges.

The printer can deliver up to 20 pages per minute, which makes it an average laser printer. Start up time is around 5-6 seconds. It can deliver up to 600 x 600 dpi. We expected it to have a higher resolution since other printers in its class can usually do 1,200 x 600 dpi.

The scanning capability of this Samsung model is pretty average for a multifunctional device. It has an enhanced resolution of 4,800 x 4,800 dpi. While for the optical it can handle 600 x 600 dpi. It can scan a printing area of 8.2 x 11.7 inches. This means, if you have a legal-size document it will not fit the scanner. The machine also uses the standard 24 bit color depth and 8 bit for monochrome.

For faxing capability, it works better than the other units. It can print up to twenty pages in a minute just with 2 MB memory usage. The scanning resolution of this unit is up to 300 x 300 dpi, which makes it comparable to a regular separate fax machine.

The device can speed dial to a maximum of 90 numbers. The phone and fax are compatible with that of a PABS or PSTN system. Users can also program 10 numbers to the one-dial feature of the unit.

The Samsung SCX cartridge can deliver 4,200 pages every month. It has a 16 MB memory. The noise of the printer is acceptable when it is just warming up, but when it prints, it is a bit on the noisy side.

Software and drivers can support ME, XP and Windows 98. It is also compatible with Linux and Mac OS X 10.3 operating systems. The device can only be connected through a USB, which makes it a problem for individuals who have limited USB slots. Networking is impossible for this device since it doesn't have any wireless adapter or Ethernet.

This all-in-one $200 device is really great since it has a two line LCD or liquid crystal display. This feature makes it easier for users to pinpoint any type of problems in the future. Also, you don't need to check the manual just to have an understanding about flash codes. It can handle several functions just by using 350W of power. This device is really power efficient. In addition to that, the printer has an Energy Star compliant sleep mode that just consumes up to 10W.

The Samsung SCX 4521F printer is a great all around device if you plan to use it for basic documents. If you plan to use this for sending and scanning photos, you might want to reconsider. The faxing capability is better than most, but it lacks the ability to depict color that well. It also lacks the connectivity that we expect from a $200 all-in-one device. This is a good choice for the average user.