Customer Reviews

HP 6988 Deskjet Printer (CB055A#B1H)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Length:: 0:49 Mins

I waited a long time for a wireless printer, and the HP 6988 does not disappoint.
I followed the setup instructions without difficulty, and had the printer running in less than 10 minutes. Installation on my wife's laptop was even faster.
Printing is fast, and the quality of text is good enough for routine document printing. Color printing is also good, though not stunning.
As you can see from the video, print time is within seconds, and on my network, indistinguishable from a wired connection. There's little printer "rocking", and the 6988 is quiet.
As for HP's bundled software, I haven't had any issues with it, as I simply hit the "print" button and the printer works.
Once you have a wireless printer, you'll never go back to a wired connection. Everyone in range of the printer can print a document. The printer can be placed anywhere within the house, with the only cord being the power supply.
Wireless printing has been "in the offing" for a long time, and the 6988 finally makes it practical, affordable, and easy.

We bought this printer (in its initial iteration as a 6980) almost two years ago and it worked fine for a while - wireless was nice and overall quality seemed good.

As noted in another review, it plays well with Linux and MacOS; we use Mac, Linux in a couple of flavors, as well as Windows at home and had no problems using the printer with any of them. It was not necessary to install the bloated client software in Windows to make the printer work properly.

Recently we began to get an error on the black ink cartridge; I also noticed that it seemed to feel different going in. Changing the cartridge for a new one did not make the error go away. In spite of the error it appeared to print black just fine, so I continued to use it while researching the problem.

I now believe that although it printed black, it was using the color cartridge to mix black and using ink at a great rate. Very expensive!

HP tells me that the black cartridge cradle is defective (a tiny plastic tab that holds the spring has broken and will not allow proper seating of the cartridge) and further says that this is not a repairable item! The only recourse offered was a replacement printer at a $79.95 price. This amounts to selling us a new printer at about Amazon retail price - not an ideal solution.

This printer did not experience heavy use, and cartridges were always changed carefully. It has not been abused. I have examined the plastic tab in question and it looks very fragile to me - a design flaw? Perhaps it should have been made of stronger material or designed to be more substantial.

I would not have purchased the printer had I known of this weakness in the design and the impossibility of repair. Have replaced this printer with another type.

I don't recommend this printer, in spite of an otherwise apparently good design and good print performance. Look elsewhere!

I'm just not sure what is up with the bad reviews. I don't seem to be seeing these issues. I bought this after much research. You see I primarily use Ubuntu Linux and I needed a wireless network printer that I could setup without the need of Windows or Mac. All you need is a web browser (so you could use wii or iphone if you really wanted). I'm coming from a terrible experience over the years of fighting with a linksys wps54g printer server hooked up to my old Deskjet 932c (it has not been fun).

Way to go HP! You don't need any specific OS with this printer! You just plug it in via ethernet and if you press the "report" button it will print out it's ip (though I just cheated and went to the router DHCP tables). You can then access the web interface of the printer and setup everything. A dream come true, don't have use any wizards or anything. Everything is nicely laid out. Works great on my 802.11g network with WPA2 encryption.

As for printing. Drivers are already in Linux for it (HP 6980). The printing is better then my previous Deskjet 932c. I'm not looking for anything super professional, for me I mainly print out road maps and recipes. But running it through some color test prints it has done pretty awsome.

As for the sticker that leave the residue. I used a damp rag and added some Comet. Make sure to rub the Comet into the cloth so it's not griddy. The wipe off the residue. Clean and beautiful.

Overall it's an awesome buy for the low price. The integrated wireless print server is easy to setup. Also the printer has UPNP so my Ubuntu Linux box just saw it and I just set it up. Same goes for Windows Vista, and Mac should also see it in the same way. It's nice having a printer that is not dependent on a PC and can be place anywhere in the house. I give this printer a thumbs up.

We purchased this printer as a replacement for our 722c, which had two problems: (a) the USB to parallel cable just didn't seem to work; (b) sharing a printer through a computer on the network just never seems to work well. The 6988 would presumably be as reliable as the old 722 and solve both problems -- network ready and accessible directly over the (wireless) network.

I'm content so far. Both of our home computers are accessing the printer over the network just fine. The 6988 seems to be built in the usual Deskjet style -- noisy, clunky and probably last to eternity. I typically print maps, documents, etc, on "draft" quality. Works fine.

The network setup takes some effort. I hate inserting manufacturer's CD's to install a printer, and not to disappoint, the HP setup disks contain the usual bloatware. The best bet for installing this thing is to do the following:

1) Plug the printer into the router and let it get an IP
2) Log into your router's web interface and figure out what the printer's IP is (or print the setup page).
3) For each computer, select start->printers and faxes->Add printer. The trick here is to choose "Local printer attached to this computer" even though it's networked. Click "Next" and then choose "Create new port". Click "Next" and use the wizard to set up the printer. Enter the IP of the printer from step (2). When prompted for driver, you can use the windows driver, but I had to insert the manufacturer's CD and get the driver there.

Good luck. Hope this helps someone. Anyone need a 722C? It's probably got 10 more years of life left...

--Brett

I was tired of moving my laptop over to the printer area to print documents. I researched wireless printers and purchased this based on reliability and price. It has not failed me. I print daily and has had the product for over two months now. The instructions could definitely be more user friendly. It took an hour to get it all setup, but in all honestly, once I found the right way for me to connect it, it only took 10 minutes. Also, the printer is missing a tray to hold the papers for when after the documents are printed.

All-in-all, it's a good printer.

Summary: Know your SSID; if you don't know anything else (about your home system), you MIGHT still be ok; HP's set up guide is sorely lacking in detail, but in the end it'll most likely go fine. Wireless printing (and quality) exceeds what I expected for the price.

Since I just set it up yesterday, can really only address set up; this was purchased as a 2nd printer for the laptop users in the household.
The set up I dreaded, due to: using an older ( 4yrs) Linksys router that was set by a computer tech, and I had no info at hand regarding passwords or anything else.

The set up time took a total of 3 hours (including removing printer from box, installing ink, etc.) but this could have been easily 1 1/2 hrs (or less?) if I hadn't been obsessing over deciphering the HP documentation, and trying to educate myself in advance on-line about terminology and things the set up booklets were implying I might/must know.

The printer Set Up Guide booklet offers 3 ways to do a wireless set up: A1, A2, and A3. Clearly my router did not have the nifty and fast looking A1 "SecureEasySetup" option. A2 "Connect Now" uses a USB drive to transfer info from printer to PC, which seemed like a nuisance; but it was also in this section that the booklet has its warnings about making sure you have various network security settings & other info handy. A3 looked like the best bet, if only because they make it easy by providing you with the Ethernet cable.

However, I still felt that I had to arm myself ahead of time with all kinds of info like MAC addresses, IP addresses,and info on SSID's, WEPs, WPA's, and other murkily -alphebetized router/PC stuff. This took time, because, naturally, Vista Help is no help at all, (I could only find a definition of SSID - I guess they figure it's not their provenance or problem).

If you have Linksys, the following website ended up being, for me, a concise and easy aid for access to all the Linksys inside gobbledygook you need: (and I'll be going back there to look at the security advice):

(http://www.cas411.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=68&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

When you use their link to get to your Linksys window, Under the `Wireless' tab, there's your SSID, whatever it may be, (and which in my case was the company's default: "linksys" - DUH!)
You can also find MAC address and a bunch of other stuff I didn't end up needing.
OK, so printer out of box, etc, etc, following SetUp Guide steps 1-8, no big deal. Nice yellow cable goes into a handy color-coded yellow cable slot in back of printer. Then: as for connecting to my Linksys router box, I randomly picked one of 2 unused cable insertion slots, and presto! The wireless network icon light on the printer DID come on (after blinking first for @ 10 sec., then was steady).

The Guide then says, basically, insert software CD in your computer (in this case, my laptop which was in a different room), and "follow instructions". SetUp Guide book does NOT describe everything after that step by step. What I got was:

1. Recognition of the wireless device, so that was good.
2. A pop up box that tells me that they "detect" my McAfee, and advising me to allow the HP set up to continue if asked. I wasn't asked. In fact, I DID have to temporarily disable my McAfee firewall to get installation to continue some time later in the process (the HP software suggests it might take longer to install if you don't disable, but it actually outright refused to budge on installation, @ 2/3 through, until McA was disabled)
3. Request for an SSID - aha, I had it from my prior "research"!
4. The dreaded Question screen: something like, What security system does your router use: with default 1st selection being WEP; then a 2nd security type option, then 3rd: "none".
Since WEP was default, I went with it, and sure enough - next screen wants that Passphrase, or Passkey, or Network Security number, or whatever you care to call it.
I quickly went back to that handy link to the Linksys info site, this time found the "Administration" tab, and there was a router Password box - but it had just a line of bold, black dots, like what you get when you type your password, but what you're typing is hidden,
5. I go backward to the set up screen where you state what security your router has, and this time picked "None" - and amazingly, it allows me to Continue on with the process. So I guess I have no router password? Or just got lucky? I didn't care, as long as I got to hit that Continue button! Which I did, and soon enough the process finished.
6. MINOR detail that differs from the SetUp Guide - guide says (in the one and only specific offered) that set up will ask you to select what Connection Type you want, and that you should select `Wireless', but in fact, the wording is a choice between 'USB Cable direct to your computer from printer' vs `Through the Network' , which of course seems obvious , just thought I'd throw that in. (Later, on the first laptop set up only, I eventually came to a screen with the `Wireless' selection option - seemed redundant.
7. A nice, You are Connected page comes up, with an option to print a test page to prove it. Following which, I disconnected the printer from the Linksys router (yellow cable), carried the printer to the room where I wanted it to be, and then tried again from my laptop which was in yet a 3rd room, and, it prints wirelessly!
8. 2nd laptop setup, my daughter's, was absolutely a breeze, especially as I disabled McAfee as my 1st step. This time, no questions about security passwords, etc. - just goes straight to connecting.
9. On both laptops, I chose Custom Install (they say, "For Advanced Users", which clearly I am not), but it was no big deal at all to UN-select the HP shopping and other unwanted stuff. They have a nice, concise definition of each item, too, and they clearly mark the one you absolutely have to have to make the printer work.

In retrospect, (except for knowing the SSID, which some of you will roll your eyes at, but others like me might actually not know heck about!!), I should have just gone in blind, grabbed the cable, plugged it in, stumbled through the screen instructions, picked `NONE' for item #4 out of frustration and ignorance, and everything would have still gone perfectly, but in half the time.

To HP's credit, they do include links to additional info as you are navigating these screens during set up, like "What is the SSID", and "What do I do if I don't have the Passkey", and although not as helpful as what you can find elsewhere online, would have probably eventually gotten me to the same place . The additional booklet called "Network Guide" enclosed with box was not too helpful at all, except that on page 22, it was what clued me in that disabling McAfee was actually REQUIRED, not just recommended. (and why exactly is that not in the SetUp Guide?)

So far, nice quiet printing , from 2 rooms away - wireless rocks!

Great wireless printer for a good price. Installation was a little tricky. Some parts of the installation procedure were not clear and had to repeat some of the steps. Some of the problems I can blame on the quirkyness of the Windows Vista operating system. To perform an driver installation on any computer you have to have printer directly wired to the wirelss hub. I really like the features of the printer being wireless. You can virtually plug it in anywhere within your wireless router range and forget about it.

When i purchased this printer, i was apprehensive about how hard the networking would be to set up but it ended up being a breeze- it took me about 10 minutes to download the software from the cd and set up the networking- during the set up i hooked the printer up to my wireless router with the network cable (included in the box) so it could "find" my router, after it found it i unplugged the cable and it's worked great ever since. My daughter's laptop doesn't have a cd drive so i downloaded the printer driver software from HP and now her laptop will also print wirelessly to this printer. The printer will pick up the print signal from anywhere in my house- I highly recommend this product.

An inexpensive color inkjet printer with a built in wireless ethernet card could have been a wonderful product. This model has two significant flaws:

1. It grabs too many pages at once. Instead of grabbing one sheet for printing, it grabs three or four at a time. Even worse, there are lags of 1 - 2 cm between sheets, so that the page is printed over several sheets. We've had to dispose of hundreds of wasted sheets of paper, and we burn through ink cartridges very quickly.

2. From our three Linux boxes the printer works very well, but on our Windows machine, each time a document is sent to the printer another copy of each of two HP utility programs is launched. After a week's use, there may be several dozen instances of each program running--hogging memory and CPU cycles and generally turning the laptop into a $1000 paperweight. This ought to be very embarrassing for HP, since someone in the Linux community wrote an effective, lightweight driver for the printer in his or her spare time, while the paid programmers at HP weren't able to do that on the clock.

If you are having a hard time getting the printer to work on a wireless network - maybe I can save you some time. It took me a long time to figure this out, but all is working well, now.

You have to plug in an ethernet cable to configure the printer. The computer adds the port according to the IP address that the router assigns to the printer. However, when I unplugged the ethernet cable and tried to use the wireless network for printing, it showed that the printer was connected to the network - but all I got was a printing error.

It seems that when I changed from an ethernet connection to a wireless connection, the router changed the IP address of the printer, so the computer was sending the printing to the wrong IP address. I just got an "Access Denied" message when I tried to change the name of the port for the printer.

Uninstalling the printer, and then reinstalling it was very quick (when I finally thought of it) and resulted in the use of the correct IP address. Now it all works well.