Labs

Sitting squat next to the taller Xerox, HP, Epson and Dell, the Brother oozes build quality. Its horizontal format accommodates a solid built-in paper tray. Changing toner cartridges is also exceptionally easy with this model: once you've lifted the lid, cartridges simply drop in, in much the same way as hanging files in a filing cabinet.

Like the HP, the Brother is simple to set up and install. A sticker over the USB2 port at the rear reminds you to install the supplied driver software first. This in turn provides an excellent visual setup

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guide for novices, and offers the option of installing Brother's BRAdmin program - print management software that lets tech support people in an office check toner levels and job progress over a network. It could also be handy if you're printing from elsewhere in your home.

At closer quarters, the brightly illuminated three-line LCD display provides more than enough information about printer status, and flips up for easier reading. Beside it is another USB port, allowing you to print a range of basic document types directly from a USB Flash memory drive. It's a bit of a gimmick, but it could save you time if you happen to have a document or some pictures on a USB stick.

The fly in the ointment here was the output. While mono text was commendably crisp, and our 50-page document was delivered in a reasonable two minutes and 48 seconds, the quality of photo output was washed-out, grainy and generally poor. Business documents fared slightly better, but unless you plan to print predominantly black-and-white text, and are attracted by the exceptionally low running costs, the Brother won't be your favourite colour laser.