Samsung ML-2165W – the World’s Smallest Laser Printer

When you hear the term “personal laser printer,” what comes to mind? We bet it’s not a device that’s smaller than a breadbox and lighter than some laptops. And what is a personal printer, anyway?

When we researched the term, as it’s used in relation to laser printers, we got everything from $120 single-function monochrome devices to full-blown multifunction color lasers around $500. But whatever it meant to you (and to us) until now, Samsung’s $129.99 ML-2165W [amazon_link asins=’B006TZGJGO’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’047c202a-c4a9-11e7-829f-dd02f3341fdf’], the smallest laser printer to pass through our labs, may have just redefined the term—or at least changed the conversation.

[amazon_link asins=’B006TZGJGO’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’f633346c-c4a8-11e7-9f56-57b5353d6c43′]Sure, we’ve seen relatively small, single-function monochrome laser printers before. (Take Brother’s $149.99 HL-L2279DW, the $179.99 Dell 1130n [amazon_link asins=’B003H770FQ’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’492bbe3a-c4a9-11e7-8929-a5c7e3bfc335′], or the $149.99 HP LaserJet Pro P1102w.[amazon_link asins=’B0036TGGVO’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7c7e52fc-c4a9-11e7-83ce-cf2f3ff76b7a’]) But at roughly 15 inches deep and wide, and weighing around 15 to 16 pounds, these models, compared to what came before them, just weren’t all that small. On the other hand, the ML-2165W, as you’ll see in the “Design & Features” section of this review, is much smaller and lighter than the norm—so much so, that when you close up the paper trays, it’s slim and slight enough to carry under one arm.

In addition to the ML-2165W taking up very little space on even the smallest of desks, we found some other advantages to owning a laser-fast, relatively high-volume printer this small. Its portability makes it ideal for road warriors—traveling accountants, salespeople, and other professionals—who might need the ability to print quick and easy laser-quality documents on the road, in a hotel room, a client’s office, or at the next trade show. We’re not sure you’d take it in your luggage on a flight, but it’s easy to carry in a vehicle or to ship ahead. (Also, it’s wireless.)

As with any budget-level device, of course, the ML-2165W has a few drawbacks. It is, after all, a monochrome printer. For its $129.99 suggested retail price, you can buy a relatively feature-rich multifunction color inkjet printer. However, as we wrote this in mid-April 2012, we found the ML-2165W at several outlets for as little as $79.99, making it a far more enticing deal at that price if you can find it close to that. In addition, as we discuss in the “Design & Features” section, its per-page cost of toner is a bit high, especially compared to similarly priced inkjet models. But its street price could change that equation.

We’d assume, though, that users who buy such a diminutive laser printer have reasons other than its cost per page for doing so. For these folks, putting aside the printer’s size, the speed and print quality would probably also rank high. Don’t let the ML-2165W’s petite body fool you—it prints monochrome text, business graphics, and gray-scale images with the high quality you’d expect from a laser printer, and it does so at respectable, laser-grade speeds.

See the full review at Computer Shopper.