TallyGenicom 8108N Colour Laser Printer review

TallyGenicom's 8108N is over £80 cheaper than any other printer in the group.

It also has the fastest mono print speeds, printing at 25.4ppm. It's not the bulkiest printer here, but at 29kg it's one of the heaviest. The USB driver installed without a hitch, but network installation was more problematic. The installer couldn't detect the printer across our network, so we had to use the Windows Add Printer Wizard.

Our mono text documents were clear and sharp, and colours were accurately rendered in our images and documents. However, colour printing was slow and noisy, and produced a distinct smell of ozone and melting toner. Print quality was good, with detail and colour generally accurate apart from some visible dithering and uneven colouration in places. Greyscale printing was smooth, although very pale shades of grey were rendered as white.

The 8108N's network port and quick mono print speeds make it an ideal budget choice for a small or home office. However, its non-replaceable photoconductor drum wears out after 48,000 pages, after which you'll have to replace the printer. This means it won't stand up to three years of heavy use (40,000 mono and 20,000 colour pages), but the printer's purchase price is so low that, even though you'll have to replace the printer, its overall three-year running costs are still reasonable. The supplied cartridges contain enough toner for a stingy 1,000 mono and 1,000 colour pages, but the 8108N is one of only two printers here with a two-year warranty.

The 8108N's mono print speed is astounding, and its general print quality is good enough for almost any task, but the most impressive thing about this printer is its price. It may not bear up to the heaviest of workloads, but it's a great choice for anyone who needs a laser printer for light to medium use and occasional colour printing. It's a Budget Buy.