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Using the normal forget the first and the last page test always used with inkjet printers I am somewhat puzzled by the 16PPM claim for this unit. I got over 19PPM for the nonsensical 200 word test document used.

The first thing you have to allow for is time to first page out and this – even when warm – is close to 15 seconds. This means that although the time for multiple copies of a single page are very good a single copy is less than 4PPM. Mind you I also printed single full page graphics at the 600x600 normal resolution and these came in at less than 20 seconds. The same at high quality 2400DPI took just four seconds longer to print through.

The text output is normal (not draft as with inkjet) and perfectly acceptable for a letter with clear crisp sharp letters.

I find my four page (1500 word) document a bit of a misnomer as this only managed 8PPM simply because (I think) of pauses between pages. No doubt if you set it up to print 16 copies of each page and then collated them the timing would be closer of that claimed.

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After the weight problems with the previous Brother unit this seemed almost light at just less than 24 kilos in the box. It is 41x47x25cm out of the box and the initial weight without toners installed is around 18 kilos so easy to move into position.

It can be used with USB, Ethernet or Wireless so if the lounge police object to the grey/cream colour then it can live in a cupboard assuming you have wireless connection.

There are seven buttons on the shaved front edge of the unit a large LED that flashes when data is being received and a 5x1cm single line display. However providing you keep its bottom tray supplied with paper you really only need to go to it to collect what’s printed that arrives face up on the top of the unit.

The input tray is larger than a lot of similar units at 250 sheets and this is useful if the unit is not located next to the PC. I found that the top would store around 80 pages (stated at 100) before the paper started getting pushed over the sides.

You can turn the unit off with a switch located towards the back of the left side of the unit, the stated power consumed in sleep mode is less than 10 watts, in standby mode less than 70 watts and while printing less than 480 watts.

I positioned it beside me in a quiet room and while I was aware of it while printing I could still carry on a conversation without raising my voice. The stated noise level is 53 dB but it seemed less much lessthan that to me.

The four toner cartridges supplied are 1000 pages each. The software provided on CD supports Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7 and should you use Linux you can download software from Brother for it.

The quality of the text (even in 600 mode) was fine; the colour quality was excellent on plain paper. If however you want to print a lot of photographs on special paper then you really need an inkjet and not a laser printer.

Doing my Internet searches found the Brother Colour Laser HL-3070CW at a best price of £232 including free delivery - important when most couriers base delivery charges by weight - from the first link below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002TVZZ6C?ie=UTF8&tag=gadge0a-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634

I found the Brother Colour Laser HL-3070CW available for $299.99 including free delivery - important when most couriers base delivery charges by weight - from the first link below.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ONCDH4?ie=UTF8&tag=gadge0a5-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789

I found the Brother Colour Laser HL-3070CW available for €311,64 including free delivery - important when most couriers base delivery charges by weight - from the first link below.

http://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B002TVZZ6C?ie=UTF8&tag=gadge04-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1642

http://www.brother.co.uk/g3.cfm/s_page/166900/s_level/38080/s_product/HL3070CWZU1