HP Inkjet Printer Review - Find The Right HP Printer For Your Needs Without The Marketing Hype

HP has really become of the leaders in home based technology from their personal computers and laptops to being the folks that brought all-in-one printing into the home. Back when the internet first began gaining popularity and Microsoft Works was still the word processor of choice I owned a Hewlett Packard and swore them off ever since. However, that changes a couple of years ago when I purchased my first all-in-one printer which did photos. I fell in love with the crisp quality of the printing, the ability to use the machine without needing to hook it up to a computer but I hated the bulkiness of the required software, especially on my Macintosh. If I would have taken a minute to look at the hp inkjet printer reviews out there instead of making an impulse buy, I probably would have chosen a different model. We live and learn right?

In earlier days one would have to spend time searching Google and other sites to find reviews for hp printers, but it seems now the major manufacturers have caught on. Upon reviewing HP's website I noticed they provide their own customer review capabilities as well as giving potential buyers the ability to check out other review sites, like Cnet, and showing what rating those sites have given the product. All in all it's a pretty handy feature for the hp inkjet printer reviews to be right there on the manufacturer's page.

However, just in case there are several other sites still accessible with product reviews. Not to insinuate that HP is being Machiavellian but no company wants to display reviews and ratings that paint not so beautiful pictures of their products. So just be sure to check around and don't be suckered into buying an hp printer based solely on the reviews. Also be sure to read the hp inkjet printer reviews thoroughly and decide if the pros or cons the other consumers listed fit your specifications. While a Macintosh user may have problems with the software, like I did when I bought my HP printer, if you use Windows as an operating system then in all likelihood that won't be something that affects you. If a user gives the printer a low rating because it's slow to print black and white, but you want the printer for photos then that review isn't necessarily relevant and their recommendation shouldn't be held as highly in your mind.

While consumer ratings or hp inkjet printer reviews can be helpful to see how the population responded, it's always a good idea to get reviews from experts who have more understanding of what a printer should be capable of and what they're dealing with. Sometimes the population feels like a piece of technology should be able to perform a task much better than we are actually capable of making, or their "forever" is actually a fairly standard time period.

Canon i-SENSYS LBP3250 Toner Review

Canon's i-SENSYS LBP3250 mono laser printer is a small and thoughtfully made machine. Its specification is humble - an individual USB port, diminished noise levels in addition to 8,000 page maximum monthly duty cycle turn it into a fine personal laser printer designed for house or office use. We were pleased by small details like a flap to supply less difficult access to the printer's recessed USB port, that spared us the usual procedure for fumbling blindly to try to get the cable in to place. We likewise enjoyed its smooth design and style, which has a hinged dust cover to keep the end result clean whenever not being used. In case you commence printing with the cover shut, pages can still appear via a narrow slit within the cover. The input tray folds right out of the front of the device.

It's not hard to setup and install, having a basic driver and merely one consumable - a black toner cartridge which has an integrated photoconductor drum. We were likewise happy to discover that the LBP3250 has a 1,000 page starter cartridge. Replacement 2,000 page 1871B002AA cartridges will cost you £49 each. This makes a page cost of 2.5p. Whilst this is not substantially over the normal price of a mono page from the majority of similarly priced laser as well as inkjet printers, it does not stand out in comparison to the the print costs of other, cheaper, mono lasers.

The printer's Total Cost of Ownership likewise does not impress. If you are a small user, printing 100 pages a month for a total of 3,600 over three years, you can expect to pay out £198 through that period of time. This goes up to £590 with regards to medium users printing 21,000 pages over the identical three-year period.

Print rates of speed happen to be some of the fastest we have observed out of a lightweight mono laser machine, at 21.7ppm in the mono text examination along with 20.6ppm for our heavily illustrated greyscale business documents. Standard quality text along with business illustrations were found to be sharp, dark and also solid.

While the printer includes a fixed native resolution of 600x600dpi, there are actually three different quality options: Standard, Text/Lines as well as Web Pages, which use resolution enhancement to produce a powerful resolution up to 2,400x600dpi. Text/Lines mode is intended to smooth out jagged edges whenever generating mono prints of coloured text and line drawings.

The Web Pages setting helps to make sure best quality while printing graphics-heavy content like web pages, pictures or perhaps illustrated documents. We employed the latter together with the Canon i-SENSYS LBP3250 toner cartridge for the purpose of our picture printing tests. This created simply no change to the pace at which our photographic images printed - 16 seconds for six pictures upon three sheets of A4 - yet made some noticeable enhancements to their quality through smoothing out regions which appeared grainy with Standard quality setting.

The LBP3250 is very well designed, with great print quality, as well as remarkably fast print rates with regards to this type of compact device. Nevertheless, unless its smooth style and fast printing specifically grab you, its running expenses are not sufficiently good to overcome the competitors. If you're a small user with a modest initial budget, Epson's Aculaser M1200 costs a bit less than half the cost to purchase, whilst customers with large printing demands should look at possibly Samsung's SCX-4600 mono laser MFP or perhaps ML-2525 single-function model.

Canon Printer PIXMA MX340

I have been looking for a printer for about a month and came across a wireless printer. It's the Canon printer PIXMA MX340. I wasn't even looking to get a wireless printer, but there are advantages. I do have 3 children ranging from 14 to 22 years of age and having the printer in a more centralized location works the best for all. What I thought was real neat was that you could print the pictures directly from your cell phone. With this workhorse of a printer the price was less than $80.00.

Design

The design to this printer is very sleek. The LCD display and the rest of the controls are on the top front of the unit and is easily read. The output tray can be closed when not in use. When it begins to print it can automatically open up so the paper can come out. The rear tray can have different paper sizes including 4x6 photo, 8x10 photo, letter, legal and envelopes.

Set up

After the printer out of the box it probably took me about 30 minutes get the printer running. Word of caution, do not read the user manual. I am one of those guys that actually love reading manuals. But this manual does get a bit confusing. After reading it about 3 times you will get the hang of it. Best bet is throw in the DVD and go with that. DVD is a step by step guide which is a snap to go through.

Print speed

I like the print speed. The first page always takes the longest. I'm not sure why this is the case. After the first page the rest of the printed pages are of normal speed. What I like about the printing, it has a draft print selection which I think doesn't change the printing speed but uses less ink. For the first page, the print speed is about 14 seconds for black and white and 16 seconds for color. After the first page, it goes into a fast print speed, printing 8 ppm, and 5 ppm for color.

Fax

Faxing was easy, just plug the telephone cord to the back of the printer. You have a way to switch it to fax only or to use it as a phone only.

Energy test

This Canon printer PIXMA MX340 is also Energy Star qualified. It uses anywhere from 10 to 15 watts of power comparing to around 30 watts from a non energy efficient printer. In sleep mode it uses only 3 watts.

Brother LC61 Printer Cartridges Review

The Brother LC61 cartridges have a unique design, come along with three other color sets namely magenta, yellow and cyan and boast high quality prints. An economical choice, these sets of cartridges represent value for money.

Unique design

As part of our Brother cartridge review we found that these LC61 cartridges come with a unique design element. There is a spring catch located on the front part of these cartridges.

Features and specifications

The Brother LC61 cartridges come with approximately 14.6 ml comprising ink. This dye based ink yields around 450 pages at around 5% of coverage.

Price

The brother LC61 cartridges have a market value of around 27 dollars but you can easily get the compatible cartridges for around 6 to 7 dollars. The compatible cartridges work just as fine if not better than the Brother LC61 cartridges available in retail stores.

Other features

As part of our definitive Brother ink cartridge review we found that these cartridges produce very vivid prints and high quality print output. The specially developed formula for the ink helps create graphics and prints, which are ozone resistant as well as resistant to light fading action. All of these Brother LC61 cartridges have undergone rigorous testing in the Brother laboratories and the presence of a high viscosity and consistent printer ink produces ink flow without any clogs and which is easily regulated in flow. When it comes to the multifunction peripherals of Brother, the ink is anti-smearing in nature.

Specifications

The Brother LC61 variety of cartridges comes with three color sets namely cyan, yellow and magenta. The average page yield is approximately 500 pages along with a coverage spanning 5%. The recyclables nature of these cartridges is not seen as both pre-consumer as well as post-consumer recycling is not available from the manufacturer. Each pack of these Brother ink cartridges comes in three colors. The approximate weight of these cartridges is around 0.600 pounds and the unit of measuring is in PK. The standard black ink version of the Brother LC61 is perfect for Brother printer models such as DCP-585CW, DCP-165, MFC-250C, DCP-385C, MFC-290C, MFC-5490CN, MFC-490CW, MFC-6490CW, MFC-5890CN as well as MFC-990CW model versions. The respective model numbers such as LC61C, LC61Y and LC61M are for the cyan, yellow and magenta versions of the colored Brother printer cartridges.

Our verdict

Overall, the Brother LC61 version of cartridges is superior and provides solid performance. The specially developed ink formula guarantees exceptional print quality and graphics, which do not fade in the presence of light or ozone exposure. In addition, the average pricing of the cartridge per ml is around 46 or 47 cents, which is not much. Thus, these Brother LC61 cartridges are cost effective and produce high quality of graphics as well as prints. The cartridges also guarantee a long shelf life because of the even ink flow and distribution of ink across the page, which lends a uniform print quality.

A Review of the HP CM1415fn

The HP CM1415fn is an attractive printer. The colour scheme is good and the design is contemporary and compact. The sharp angles of past printers have gone away, offering a softer more curved alternative. So let's take a look at what lies beneath the surface of the HP CM1415fn and see how it weighs up against competitors.

The printer has a 35 sheet automatic document feeder and a touch screen with an 89mm display. There are buttons on both sides for individual control of the four functions. They include print, scan, copy and fax.

The handy function of being able to email a document straight to the printer is a definite plus. This is only if it is linked to a router. This function also allows you to list the users so as to cut down on spam. The printer does not have an option to purchase an extra paper tray and the one that comes with the printer only holds 150 sheets.

This is a bit of a disadvantage as the tray will need to be loaded every day or every other day depending on the usage. So in terms of heavy usage in a busy office environment, this might not be the best option.

The sockets for the Ethernet and the USB are on the back of the printer and there are CDs for Windows and the OS X and drivers to download for different versions of Linux. HP says the printer will print 8 ppm in colour and 12 ppm in black, however testing did showed black text printing at about 6 ppm. Colour came in at 4.9 ppm. The print quality was good. The colour graphics are also quite bright and they are not muddled. The print even has a bit of a sheen which is desired by some people.

One thing about the photo colour is it is not an exact match to the photo being copied and it was also somewhat vibrant. The darker areas of some of the images had a loss of detail and this makes this printer not the best choice for photos.

It is quiet running and has a 600 x 600 dpi resolution. The memory is 160MB. The all in one has proven to be a popular printer and the drum and cartridge slot are in a rack in the front which pulls out. This makes them easier to pull out and replace. The The main focus of the HP CM1415fn is how easy it is to use. The consensus is that the print speed is more of a focus as well as the need for a larger capacity paper feed.

The running costs are along the same lines as what is considered average for this type of printer. It does have the option of wireless networking though, which will make it attractive for home and small business networks. The ePrint function is not unlike that of other HP printers and is becoming a feature of most of HP's inkjet and laser printers.

Overall for the price, the HP CM1415fn is a decent printer with the capabilities of most printers today. There are only a couple of aspects that could be improved, but at the price and with the features it does have it still comes highly recommended.

Where To Find Unbiased Inkjet Printer Comparisons

So you have finally decided to join the 21st century and buy an inkjet printer? Or maybe you're updating from one printer to another. There are a lot of options out there and many specifications to consider.

Are you looking for an all-in-one machine? Do you know how many pages per minute (PPM) the printer should output? Do you want just blank printing or color as well? What about photos? The amount of information available and the questions you'll be asked are numerous. It's a daunting task but finding the right product to spend your hard earned cash on is always that. Thankfully there are inkjet printer comparisons available on numerous websites and magazines. Even some businesses, like Office Depot, Staples, and Office Max, provide charts and cards which contain the printer's information which allows you to compare to others.

Personally I like doing my research on the web at places like eOpinion, Cnet, or Consumer Report. These provide me with opinions from people who already own the printer I'm looking at and lets me wade through the various reviews and see what people said. With sites like Cnet I can read about the group of editor's actual experience. They go out and buy, or have donated a printer and then perform all the functions the printer states it has and reports back in it. If the printer claims to print 16 pages per minute, then the Cnet editors will attempt to print 16 pages and time the action. I like it because the reports are usually pretty objective and provide "just the facts ma'am".

If you are considering buying a printer from on source, like HP, Canon, or Brother, then you can go to the manufacture's webpage and narrow down your search results. Then they allow you to click on one, two, or even five printers and get a side-by-side inkjet printer comparisons. Remember these comparisons are only going to be for the printers that these companies actually sell, so you won't be able to compare a Brother printer with a HP in this way. Before setting your heart on a printer, remember to check it's required specifications. Some printers may only work on Windows Vista, or nothing older than Windows XP, and some printers may only be Macintosh specific. Also be sure to get yourself a USB cable. Most printer require this cable to hook up to your computer, but they rarely provide them when you go to purchase.

Portable Photo Printer: A Review of the HP Photosmart A646 Compact Photo Printer

Printing is very easy nowadays, but wouldn't you just love to have a portable photo printer? I would, and so I got the HP Photosmart A646 Compact Photo printer. It's one very useful device and I'm quite satisfied with it. To learn more about it, read on with this review.

Design

As a portable photo printer, this model is a perfectly handy device. Its design is completely unique - the device is a small box with an LCD that you can prop up if in use and push down if not. The printer output feeder also has a removable cover which you can use to seal the face of the printer when you're not using it. If you're printing, you simply have to remove the lid from the front face of the printer and voila! Imagine how easy it would be to store with its foldable parts. The dimensions of the printer are 9.92'' x 4.61'' x 5.28'' and it weighs a mere 2.3 pounds. If that's not compact enough for you, then you might not be able to find any printer suitable for your taste.

The printer has a 3.45'' CGD display with TouchSmart control panel, which makes navigating through the device very easy to do. You can print directly from various sizes and types of memory cards, USB devices, PictBridge cameras, and Bluetooth-enabled devices. See how flexible it is to print on this model? You get to choose from a wide variety of removable storage devices where you're going to save your photos in. You won't have to worry about where you saved your important illustrations or your family pictures - almost any removable storage works with this baby.

Printing and Other Functions

This device is a dedicated photo printer, and it really can't support printing on regular paper sizes like letter, legal, or A4, but you have to know that before you buy it. I bought this for the specific purpose of photo printing, and I have a separate document printer. But the prints this device produces are really astounding, and for a portable photo printer, this is really a remarkable model. It can print as fast as 28 seconds for one bordered picture, and it can print borderless up to 5R or 5x7 size photos.

The paper feeder can carry 20 sheets of photo paper for easier printing - no need to feed a single sheet for every photo. The photo paper sizes which you can print on using this device are 4x6'', 4x8'' photo card, 4x12'' panorama, and 5x7''. The device also has editing features for photos through Real Life Technologies, featuring HP Auto red-eye removal and instant photo fix. There are also add-ons which you can use to enhance your photos such as clip-art, borders, captions, and more.

Other Features

The CGD display isn't just for aesthetics, it definitely adds value to the device. You can edit your photos on the display so printing without a computer is relatively easy. Just insert a compatible removable storage device, view, edit, and add captions to the photos that you want to print, and you can print them professionally with the great quality of this device. This is a very nice feature that I love about this printer because I can add a lot of designs and even captions to the photos. The stylus makes navigating through the touch screen much easier. It's also an Energy Star qualified device so I won't have to think about wasting a lot of energy. As a nature-lover, I really give high regard about this feature in the printers that I get, so when I found that this was Energy Star, I didn't hesitate to buy it.

Conclusion

I think the only drawback with this device is that it's quite costly for a portable photo printer, especially because photos are the only images it can print, but I got it at a sale price which makes it a good bargain. You can also get it at sale prices on different online stores. If you're interested with the HP Photosmart A646 Compact Photo Printer after I've elaborated on almost all of its attributes, then I highly recommend you get it now. There's no regrets to getting such a high-quality photo printer that you can carry anywhere you go.