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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 4521F compatible toner.

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.

This unit has an average scanning capability. It has an enhanced resolution of 4,800 x 4,800 dpi. For optical resolution, it can manage 600 x 600 dpi. The model can only scan a printing area of 8.2 x 11.7 inches. This signifies that a legal-sized document will not fit into the scanner. The machine uses a standard 24 bit color depth and 8 bit monochrome.

When it comes to this machine's faxing capability, it performs significantly better than most. It can transmit a maximum of 20 pages per minute with the use of 2 MB memory. The maximum scanning resolution is 300 x 300 dpi, which is comparable to a stand-alone 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 printer toner 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 Microsoft Windows 98, ME, and XP. It is even compatible with Mac OS X 10.3 and Linux operating systems. There is only one way to connect this device and that is through USB. This could be a problem for people who have a limited number of USB slots. The printer does not have any Ethernet or wireless adapter, which makes networking impossible without a computer dedicated to it.

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 choice for basic documents and for average users. If individuals want to use this model for sending and for scanning photos, this model is not the right device for them. The faxing capacity is considered to be better than most devices, but this device doesn't have the capability to depict colors well. It also lacks connectivity that is much expected from a multi-functional device that costs $200.