New Printer: Samsung ML-2010

I just installed my Samsung ML-2010 yesterday, which I purchased about 1.5 years ago. My trusty Minolta PagePro 1250W has been running low on toner for the past month and shaking the toner cartridge no longer worked. I guess it’s about time. I mean I have been using it for about 4 years already, since junior year of college, and that was just the starter toner (no refills, no new toner cartridge).

After college, I realized I don’t print much anymore. With PDF printers, I hardly ever need hard copies of anything. I think the majority of things my printer has printed over the last 2 years has been stuff related to rebates.

The Samsung ML-2010 is actually rather nice. It has a 1200 x 600 dpi resolution and can print up to 22ppm (page per minute). It was extremely easy to setup. Just plugged in the existing USB and power cables (didn’t even have to open the new power cable) and my file server detected a new printer. Unfortunately, it didn’t have the drivers available, so I had to download them off Samsung’s site. But after that, sharing it, test print, and printing over network all worked flawlessly.

Speaking of USB cable, it didn’t actually come with one, which I always find very stupid, considering the cost of a USB cable is probably less than $1. Ungsunghero says that retail stores probably pressure the manufacturers into not including the cable or else they won’t sell it or recommend it to potential buyers, since they probably sell USB cables at a 500% markup, maybe even more. But that makes you wonder how DVD players or speaker systems are allowed to come with cables. I mean they don’t come with the best cable available (*cough* PS3 *cough* HDMI *cough*), but they do come with a cable that can at least prove it works. When I buy a printer and take it home, there’s nothing I can do to even test it if I don’t have the cable to connect it to my computer. I mean, if I bought an OEM printer, I can understand it’s just the printer itself and no cables will be provided, but this is a RETAIL printer… Sigh…

Back to the printer. Ungsunghero claims that it’s also very easy to refill toner cartridge. However, I do remember him telling a story about how he was coughing out black smoke.

I would include a picture, but I’m too lazy tonight. That was referring to a picture the printer and not Ungsunghero coughing black smoke. But if you do have a picture of Ungsunghero coughing out black smoke, do send it this way.

I’ve decided to list my old laser printer for sale:
Windows Live Expo
Craigslist

and see if anyone bites.