Customer Reviews

HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One Printer

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(54)
1 star:		(159)

 

 

I thought I would make what is normally the conclusion the beginning section because not everyone may have the time or the disposition to go through all these paragraphs unless actually interested in making a purchase. I am providing more detail that should support my conclusions AFTER the evaluation section.


Evaluation
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The reviewed unit meets the claim of it being a all-in-one solution. While it is not likely that any individual user would take advantage of all its features on a regular basis, it is reassuring to know that the features are there. The supplied software and the printer's own console interface allow for a tremenduous amount of flexibility and customization. Some of the more advanced features will require an above-average level of computer expertise but, even without a lot of customization, this will be a useful, worthy printing/faxing/copying/scanning appliance.

While the superior quality of output would make this printer a good 'small office' candidate, its speed would probably disqualify it if the small office was doing any significant amount printing. I provided some personal benchmarks so that any prospective small business buyer could decide. As a 'home' printer, this comes as close to perfect as they come. I will be using it as a home printer so please do interpret my rating within that context.

A minor observation regarding 'design'. I found it interesting that some of the functions available on the touch screen are duplicated on physical buttons on the printer's console. This was striking because I actually saw this model for sale at New York's Fifth Ave. Apple store. It immediately occured to me that an Apple designer would have none of those buttons if allowed to redesign the product. This is not criticism, it's only an observation, also prompted by the fact that, for example, when specifying the number of copies to be printed, I could NOT use the physical number pad but had to punch the number on the virtual keypad displayed on the touch screen.

The strong, almost violent shaking the printer brings itself to when not on a perfectly steady surface was a little disturbing to me. I have little doubt that, if improperly placed, the printer would quickly lose its printheads alignment and it might even experience other technical trouble.

Finally, I am happy that the HP Tech support solved my Vista-related problem but it would have been better if a printer that was manufatured only a few days before I received it had an updated CD or, at least, a flyer advising Vista users how to obtain the updated driver.

Considering all of the above, the this printer gets a strong, very positive 4 stars.

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First impressions
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The HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-In-One Printer integrates print, copy, fax, scan document and photo-processing functions. HP supplies the printer itself, 'starter' ink cartridges, print heads and a phone wire. Ethernet or USB cables are not included. Thin manuals are provided for wireless and FAX setup. A quick installation poster is provided as well. The full 300+ manual can be downloaded from the HP site. The CD has drivers for the several supported Operating Systems and a number of additional applications such as OCR (optical character recognition).

Besides the Ethernet and USB ports, other physical IO include 2 telephone jacks in the back and slots for several types of memory cards in the front. The printer can be controlled from a PC or directly through a touch-screen color display and several buttons that generally duplicate options on the menus available through the touch-screen interface. To satisfy energy saving concerns, the printer goes to sleep if not used for a while but it can be reactivated by either touching the screen or one of the buttons or remotely from a networked workstation.


Software
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Drivers are available for the most recent flavors of Windows (Vista, XP, 2000) and for the Mac. It can be configured to either a local printer, connected to a PC via a USB cable or as a network printer, wired (Ethernet) or wireless (802.11g). Another option (not tested by me) would be for one PC to connect the printer via USB and then share it over the network. I experienced problems installing the Vista drivers but HP's tech support addressed it by replacing the CD-supplied drivers with a version available at HP's site.

While installing the drivers, HP will also install a number of applications and services. Of these the HP Solutions Center is the most versatile. It monitors the printer's status, including the ink levels and allows for configuring printing, scanning, faxing and other capabilities such as the forwarding of documents to network folders (tested) or to email (not tested yet). In addition, the home page can be used to control fax and scan operations, to convert a graphic image to text and to launch other applications such as the HP Photosmart Essential. I posted images of the Home and Configuration screens.

I did not fully test the Photosmart Essential application yet but I expect it to meet most basic photo management and printing needs and perhaps more.

If staying with the defaults at drivers installation, HP will install other, generally unneeded or unwelcome applications and services. One of them, the HP Customer Participation Program seems to be taking hundreds of megabytes but not doing anything useful from the end-user's point of view. I found Web discussions indicating that the 'program' was guilty of a memory leak. I removed it. Another unwelcome (to me) addition is the 'Yahoo Toolbar' to my Internet Explorer which I don't use anyway. This was done without asking for my permission. I had to use Vista's Control Panel to remove it after the fact.

Finally, one 'glitch' that occured after my initial installation from the supplied HP disk had a pop-up constantly telling me that the "HP product assistant" had to be installed or updated and asking me to provide a path. Providing the path for the requested file which I found burried 3 levels deep inside the supplied CD, was not helping and the cycle kept repeating endlessly. Some Web research revealed that this was a common problem and there were not many known solutions. I was able to find at the HP site a utility that tried to remove all HP drivers software from my PC but, 4 reboots later and after re-installing the drivers, the popup returned. A call to the HP support was answered and a technician was able to address the problem after taking over my computer, performing the 'cleanup' job that I tried myself and then installing an updated version of the drivers, downloaded from the HP site. The file name for Vista 32-bit is OJP8500vA909_Full_12.exe. I will post an image showing how to get to the drivers from the HP Solution Center. The HP suppport remediation completed after about 2 hours. The HP technician stated that 'only Vista' installations experience this problem. XP or Mac users should be safe.

Print
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Ink-jet printing outputs clean documents even on the 'normal' resolution. Printouts can be either color or black and white, one-sided or two-sided. Print quality can be set to anything form 'general everyday printing' to presentation, photo-quality or to ink-saving 'fast/economical printing'. The supplied paper tray can be loaded with up to 250 sheets up to 'legal' size. One-sided print speed is adequate but duplex printing can be quite slow.

The print operation appears to involved a great deal of physical movement inside the printer. If placed on anything but a very steady platform, the printer tends to swing quite violently from left to right and back. This had me concerned enough to move it from its initial location.

Copy
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The copy function allows for anything from one-sided/one-sided to two-sided/two-sided copies. As in the case of printing, two-sided copies are much slower to produce. The copy quality is good enough to make the copy almost indistinguishable from the original.

Fax
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I did not fully test the FAX capabilities but it's worth menioning that a lot of flexibility is provided, including the ability to direct the faxes to a network folder (which I did test with the scan function) rather than having them printed. It is also possible to block 'junk' faxes by maintaining a list of the offending phone numbers.

Scanner
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As a scanner, one can file the output to any of up to 10 preset network folders or if when the scanning process is initiated from a PC, output can be directed to a designated user's local folder. Scanned documents can be translated to text via the integrated OCR function. My experiment with a printed document produced with Microsoft Word returned 100% accuracy for content but, as expected, the formatting (headers, footers, margins) was not properly handled.

Photo processing
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Photo processing can be controlled either at the console and the interactive touch screen interface does allow for some flexibility. Input is provided by inserting one of the supported memory devices containing pictures (MMC SD, CF, XD, MS/DUO or USB). Some crude cropping and sizing is available as well as color processing - sepia or gray scale prints can be produced and the colors can be manipulated to be darker or lighter. The more flexible solution and the one more likely to be used is via the provided HP Photosmart Essential application. Either through the touch screen interface or via HP Photosmart the printer can be configured to use photo paper from either HP or 'other' manufacturers. Inks more suitable for photo printing are available from HP but the quality of prints that I produced with the supplied ink on Canon Photo Paper Pro was satisfactory.

Document Management
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I did not test the claimed document management capabilities yet.

Support
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I was satisfied with the quality of support provided. After a slow start (20 minutes) where the Help Desk person asked many questions related to my identity, the printer's identity and the nature of the problem, I was forwarded to a technician that was able to actually solve my problem (see above under 'software'). It's hard to tell whether the better than expected support came because I mentioned that I was in the process of reviewing the printer on behalf of a known vendor.

In addition, the HP Web sites provide a lot of material, including updated drivers and the full manual which I still have to print.


Benchmarks
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I am including a few personal benchmarks with the hope that they might help someone make the right decision when it comes to purchase a home-printer or a small office printer.

- Printing

Was done on 10 pages of a Microsoft document that had some graphics and some color. The print quality was set to 'General everyday printing'.

10 pages (10 sheets), one sided - 56 seconds.
10 pages (5 sheets), duplex - 2 minutes, 56 seconds.

- Copying

Set to 'color', 'General everyday printing' quality.

1 page, 1 copy, 1-1 side - 24 seconds.
1 page, 5 copies, 1-1 side - 1 minute, 6 seconds.
5 pages, 1 copy, 1-1 side (5 sheets) - 1 minute, 22 seconds.
10 pages, 1 copy, 2-2 sides (5 sheets)- 3 minutes, 55 seconds.

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UPDATE - Aug. 9, 2011

After all these years, the OfficeJet Pro continues to be our primary printer/copier/scanner/FAX contraption and it's likely to stay so. It's been performing flawlessly ever since 'day one'.

Recent reviews of the HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless were critical of noise, vibration, and ink usage. Here are what I have discovered since installing this printer.
1. On most surfaces the noise from the printer is minimal. Movement of the plastic gears on HP, Canon, and Epson are not silent. Perhaps newer versions of the 8500 by HP will address this minor concern.
2. The printer vibrates slightly compared to a laser printer, but not to the extent that it is objectionable. Perhaps HP can reduce or eliminate this in future models but probably by increasing the weight of the printer. Most users, I suggest, would not want a heavier printer.
3. Ink usage is part of the printer expense "game" but with HP you can continue to print in B&W even if any or all of the color cartridges are empty [Verified by HP Support] That may not be the case with some recent offerings from Epson or Canon, although I personally prefer Espon and Canon printers for color prints.
4. The ink cartridges are dated, but they will continue to function even after the "expiration" date. HP prints a date on the ink package, but it does not prevent the cartridge from working. As a matter of fact, ink will remain usable in a SEALED packet for an extended period without concern. This date code is not a rip-off by HP anymore than other companies who print a freshness date.
5. It is certainly less expensive to order color prints online than to purchase OEM ink and paper. For those with a digital camera who need a quick print now and then the quality of the HP is excellent.
6. Setup is easy. I would only add a note to the directions for Step 7 to input your choice of language and then follow the touch screen directions as the printer processes alignment. The directions are not clear on that one point, and you could wait for 30 minutes wondering why it hasn't competed alignment of the print heads. Check this out if you purchase this printer.
7. I am punctilious concerning most purchases and, at least in this case, I feel that this printer is an outstanding VALUE even when other offerings from Canon, Brother, and Epson may be less expensive. I have seen printers on sale for less than $50, but the thin plastic housing and the print quality reflect the price. We wanted Print / Copy / Scan / Fax, although we will seldom use the FAX function. (I will only connect the FAX as needed).
8. Follow the directions CAREFULLY and install precisely and you will enjoy owning this printer.

I've had this printer for a week. While it has worked, it has seemed to work well. Print quality is good, fax and copy are nice. I haven't used the scanner. I was a little annoyed by the set-up and lack of a manual, but it went okay. It's a complicated product, so you really need a manual.

After one week and about 20 pages, one of the printheads failed. I tried an online support chat. The person was unhelpful and condescending. The chat lasted an hour. He kept repeating questions and implying that I did not know what I was doing. First, he was flustered that I could not print a test page. Told me to consult the manual if I was unable to understand his instructions. I would presume that would be the manual that does not come with the product. Of course, a printer will not print anything if the printhead does not work.

Then, he had me do a couple of different resets. That didn't work. He didn't know what to do. I suggested that maybe the printhead really was faulty. He disagreed. They don't go bad on new printers. The problem is firmware or I don't know how to operate. He told me to wait a few minutes while he researched. Then, he told me to clean the electrical contacts between printer and printhead. That did not fix the problem. Again, he put me on hold -- so to speak. Finally, he said the printhead had to be replaced, but to do this, I had to call HP by phone. He gave me ticket number.

I call HP and wait about 30 minutes. I give ticket number. It is blank. I explain problem. I am told to repeat same steps as before. I decline. I am told that they cannot help me unless I reset printer, do semi-full reset, and clean printhead. I again decline and ask for supervisor. I'm put on hold. Finally, I'm told they will send me a new printhead -- estimated delivery is 7-10 days, unless I pay $17 for expedited shipping and delivery.

I hope this works. If not, I will return printer. Either way, it is doubtful I will use HP again. They were rude, the first guy knew less about printers than I do, and I am now without a printer for over a week. But for those first 20 pages, it is a great product!

Update: The new printhead arrived, and the printer is working again. Hopefully, there will be no more problems because the features work well. This printer is easy to network, and I love the scan-to-pdf and copy functions (although copying is SLOW). For large jobs, you'll want to use a real copier.

The Bible cautions against serving two masters, a lesson of truth the product designers of HP have tried to avoid with some but not complete success.

First the good news, the printing function is outstanding. Copies in black and white or color are crisp and clear. HP claims that this printer's cost per copy for color copies is less than those of a color laser printer. Absent a cost/benefit study few working lawyers are prepared to do, I cannot confirm this, but it seems possible.

On the copy side, two-sided color copying is a great feature. Again the results are superb, but the scanning/printing time is slow.

The scan quality is very good, but scanning times are totally unacceptable. When you have a fifty page document feeder, the expectation is that the scan will be fairly quick. It is not. It is somewhat less than a page per minute but that means nearly 45 minutes to scan a document into a pdf. Scanning for OCR is faster, and the resulting test is quite accurate, but whether that is a function of the scanner or sophistication of the user's OCR software cannot stated with any certainty by this reviewer.

The Printer has fax functions, but they have not been reviewed since it has not been connected to a telephone line.

It has been tested as a wireless device, however, using the built-in 802.11g communicator. Wireless printing has many practical advantages, not the least of which is the elimination of ugly wiring. One other obvious advantage is that multiple computers can use the device as a network printer.

While it is not a perfect device, it represents great value for the money. It performs near the top of the class on most functions. That makes it a clear best buy in my book.

An office machine that can't easily print envelopes is useless in an office. You have to UNLOAD ALL THE PAPER first, READJUST the paper side guides in the paper tray, load the envelope, print it, readjust the paper guides, reload the paper, and then do it all over again - every time you print an envelope. This is unacceptable in any office that prints envelopes regularly. HP customer support is completely unresponsive.

The machine does not come with an "Owner's Manual", only three (3) fat, multilingual booklets for international use that cover topics limited to setting up the wireless, fax and scan modes. You can download a manual from the HP website. HP customer support at first told me they didn't understand why anybody would object to the awkward process for printing envelopes, and on another support call they told me to "Google it", to try to find an article on the internet about printing envelopes. On the fourth or fifth call, somebody in Canada first told me there WAS a user manual on their website.

The specs for the machine say it has "20 envelope" capacity, but it doesn't mention the trouble you need to go through to print just one envelope. There is no "bypass" chute or alternate paper tray, and it cannot print on anything that doesn't like bending, such as stiff paper, cards or envelopes. It wrinkles the envelopes that it does print.

The machine is clunky and the "Scan to Network Folder" button on the front panel just doesn't work, and after 13 hours of telephone support, HP couldn't make it work. The "Scan to Email" button on the front panel scans only to YOUR OWN email, not to anybody else's. Why would you want a dedicated button on the front panel to scan to your own email, on a computer that is probably 6 feet away?

SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 UPDATE: I stick with everything I said above, especially the unresponsiveness and lack of knowledge of HP's foreign-based customer support. I spoke with the customer service of THE RESELLER yesterday, and they determined by checking the internet that there is a second "media tray" available for $80 directly from HP, or less (around $50-$60) from HP resellers, that can be loaded with envelopes to avoid the envelope problem described above. It makes the machine 3.5" taller and essentially turns a "Pro" 8500 into a "Premier" 8500. However, by trial and error, I discovered that you CAN print envelopes more or less quickly without the expensive accessory by (1) centering the envelope on top of the paper in the tray and (2) pushing it as far forward as possible until it evenly contacts the feed rollers (it helps to see them at least once first, with a flashlight). You can "eyeball" where center is close enough to get consistent results, without removing all the paper first or using the paper guides. Just hold the envelope straight against the feed rollers long enough for the rollers to engage. The feed rollers grab the envelope so quickly that it stays aligned through the printing. This is the work-around that HP customer support told me didn't exist. HP support didn't even know that the accessory tray existed . . .

FINAL UPDATE (9-12-09): After September 1st, when the "Scan to Network Folder" still could not be made to work, a support manager in Canada agreed to replace the machine. The HP "replacment product" arrived this morning, an obviously-used shell of a machine, along with instructions on how to disassemble my old machine to scavenge parts to reinstall in the replacement machine, including the printer heads, cartridges, front panel and whatever, lots of work. I looked over the unit, which had scratches and smudges on it, and realized it was formerly somebody else's problem, that was scavenged for parts and then recycled to me. I read the instructions and thought this was some bizarre kind of joke, the final proof that HP products have no customer support and no warranty. I put the "replacement product" back in it's box and sent it back to the scavenged parts center from whence it came. I run a business. My time has some value. After 30 years of buying HP printers, this was the end. HP's reputation for quality products was earned long ago, but that old HP is gone now. If you read other reviews here and elsewhere, you find that opinion echoed everywhere. That's why this machine, which sold for $400 two months ago, is now selling for $220.00. If you buy HP, there is no customer support. You're on your own. If it doesn't work perfectly right out of the box, return it to the vendor and don't buy another.

This is an excellent home or small office printer with lots of nice touches and options. The print quality is excellent, and it has lots of useful features. It was easy to set up and use immediately but also has lots of configuration options that you can use if you want. I did not test the Fax capabilities.

Set up was easy and straightforward. This involved unpacking (there is a nice packing chart printed on one of the box flaps) and following the nine step Start instructions. This looked too skimpy at first but at each step I discovered that care had been taken so that it was obvious how things should go. A real pleasure. I spent fifteen minutes putting the duplexer, 2 printheads, 4 ink cartridges, and the paper tray together. I spent twenty minutes initializing and configuring the printer from it's console. This included the printer automatically detecting my wireless network and getting an IP address from the router DHCP server. Another fifteen minutes installing software on my desktop computer and I was done.

The printer is quiet but when printing it really shakes my Sauder printer stand left-to-right. This is a little alarming and I might move it somewhere more solid.

The wireless connection strength is excellent, including in a closed room in the basement with my 5 year old 802.11b D-Link wireless router on the second floor. One reason I wanted a wireless printer is so I can easily set it up in different places for short periods of time where there are no desktop computers or network cables. At about 25 pounds, I had no problems doing this. However it takes about two minutes to check the device and clean the printhead every time you turn it on.

Among the many nice features are an embedded web server that allows full access to all the printer configuration and diagnostics from any web browser. You can configure e-mail alerts for many common events such as low ink levels, paper jams, or out of paper. It has the ability to scan directly to a network folder from the console or to e-mail right from the printer console. Some of these require some mildly technical configuration (like your internet provider SMTP server).

Document printing, scanning and copying were all excellent as you would expect from a printer in this class. Duplexing from both the printer and the copier worked well with the printer pausing for a few seconds after the first side is printed to let the ink dry. Color copying seemed adequate but the colors were a little dull compared to the originals. Photo scanning and printing only required a few configuration tweaks and I was very happy.

When I inserted the supplied CD into my Windows XP machine, it offered to install a bewildering array of software. The HP Solution Center is the most useful. It allows faxing and scanning from the computer as well as configuration and status. It also comes with HP Photosmart Essential for organizing and editing photos. I haven't played with this yet.

HP really got a lot of details right with this printer. If you want an excellent wireless All-In-One printer, the HP 8500 will definitely satisfy.

The "HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-In-One Printer" is a feature rich, powerful inkjet printer. With FAX, Scanning, Copying, and Printing capabilities, all from a USB, LAN (Ethernet), or Wireless connection, this unit does almost everything the small business owner or "power" home user could possibly want.

Some of the very nice features include:
* Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for the FAX, Copy, and Scanning Modes - This duplexing ADF works very well and we did not experience any issues with the feed
* Duplex Printing - Allows two sided printing, works great and is fairly fast!
* Scan to File or Email - Another nice feature, it is great to be able to scan to PDF without using the PC
* Individual Ink Cartridges for Each Color - Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow cartridges can be replaced as needed
* Sharp Touch Screen Front Panel - Provides easy access to configuration and functions

Installation was a relatively easy, but significantly time consuming, process and the Quick Start instructions were accurate and easy to follow. My observations on the installation process:

* Unboxing and removal of protective tape, cardboard, and plastic was fairly straight forward
* Installation of Printheads and Ink Cartridges was very easy
* Self alignment process took a long time (about 20 minutes) and was very noisy
* Wireless network setup (with WEP) was easy to configure from the front panel
* Software and Driver Installation from CD was smooth on my MS Windows XP, Vista, and Vista 64 Bit PCs

Note: Be sure to click on the option that allows you to select which software is going to be installed, otherwise you will get several "extra" items like the "Yahoo" tool bar on your browser.

The printing capabilities are very good for an all-in-one, with the following observations:

* Print Speed - Very fast for an inkjet
* Duplex Printing - Works very well and is reasonably fast, even with the "Ink Drying" delay
* Noisy and Vibrations - This printer does make a good bit of noise and shakes quite a bit when printing
* Quality - Normal prints are very good and the few photos I tried came out perfectly acceptable

The FAX setup was quick and easy, with the installation software walking you through the options.

Scanning - The option to scan to a network folder (as a PDF) is very cool and works well. The OCR (image to text) also performed well and is a useful feature. Importing images into photo editing software was easy and seamless as the scanner was recognized by my programs immediately after installation.

Copying - This unit works well as a stand alone copier and can be set to use the ADF or directly from the scanner surface. Color or Black & White can be selected from the buttons on the all-in-one or from the Front Panel.

Overall, this is a great all-in-one for the price and more than meets my needs for my home office use.

Highly Recommended!

If it wasn't for the high pitch noise, I would give this printer 5 stars - it really is a terrific printer.

I have decent hearing and I use it in a quiet home environment. The printer is making a constant non-stop high pitch noise when it is on, even when not printing. The noise comes where the power cable connects to the back of the printer. No matter where I place the printer in my home office which is 10 x 13 feet, I hear the noise. It is absolutely driving me crazy and I can't stand it any longer (it's only been two days to give you an idea of just how annoying the noise is to me).

Not everyone can hear the high pitch noise. I think it depends somewhat on how good your hearing is. For me, it is really a nuisance. I am not happy about it because I really liked the printer, it made great quality print outs and the ink is cheaper than toner.

To make sure it wasn't just my printer, I went to 3 different large box retail stores, and all of the HP 8500 display models were emitting the same high pitch noise. I could even hear the high pitch noise in one store despite having loud TV's blaring in the background. I will be returning this printer. No matter how great I think the printer is, it cannot overcome this major problem in my opinion. Surprisingly, only one other person has mentioned this in their reviews.

I did an Internet search and found a couple of similar complaints with this particular model. I guess most people do not hear high pitch noises.

I ordered this printer after literal hours of comparing, searching and thinking about this purchase. I wanted what was best for my office. I really wanted a great wireless printer, because the brand new Dell I had purchased in the spring was awful in regards to the horrid expense I incurred for ink. The HP looked really great. From the point of ordering, I became a bit impatient, because they said it would be at my home in days. I ordered it Sept 12, it came Sept. 29th.

Thinking I could live through that, when it arrived, I was so excited. It was a beautiful piece of equipment and looked great when I pulled it out. I was very careful to have the instructions nearby, and treat this like a little queen, because I knew I would be working it.

Then, it went down hill from there. I began the initialization process, utilizing the brand new, packaged ink cartridges included. I carefully placed each item where it needed to be, as on the plus side, the set up is super easy.

However, as the initialization process continued, there emitted this high pitch noise that I'm sure the neighbor dog heard. Then, the display showed an error message that it could not continue, that the black cartridge was out of ink. I was in disbelief! So, I tried to reinsert it again, shake it a bit, makes sure it wasn't my error. I still got the same message.

Enter Middle Eastern tech support. I am from Wichita. I have extensive IT experience, and thought this should be a simple answer. I chatted online directly with HP, and they put me through endless product ID's, troubleshooting, even told me to clean the power points in the machine and on the cartridge. The man was nice, though, and said that if it truly was the cartridge, HP would replace it. Suddenly, the chat ended. Just like that. I couldn't find him again.

Frustrated, I tried again the next day. It got worse. I got a new one, who was very rude. He told me that HP would NOT replace the cartridge, he had me go through all these steps again, and declared that the product must be defective, and I could send it back to HP, and they would give me a REFURBISHED one in return! I was appalled! I told them I purchased a NEW machine, and would not want a USED one in return! He kept saying he understood, and said that a supervisor would call me the next day at 11. He got all my personal information; my home address, my email address and my phone number, and today, I go NO CALL!

In frustration, having several papers due and projects to work on, I went to Wal-mart at midnight to buy a cartridge myself to see if I could finish setting up the PC, and they do not even carry the replacement cartridges for this model! So, now I have a brand new printer and cannot even use it. I went to Amazon's site to see anywhere they help with issues like this, and all they offer is returns or exhanges. I just want my printer to work!! Since Sept 12, I thought life was going to get easier. How wrong I was. I was so hoping this would be one I could hang onto for a long period of time, to serve so many needs. Now, I am going to be forced to try HP yet a 3rd time, or cross my fingers that Amazon will stand behind this purchase.

I have owned several HP printers over the years and have been impressed with their ease of setup, quality printing, durability, and economical ink useage. I was very excited to replace my 7200 with this model.

I began the lengthy setup routine. One hour later, the printer was endlessly recycling on and off. 30 min of tech support concluded hardware failure. I returned the printer, and bought a new one, thinking I was unlucky to get a "lemon".

I went through the same lengthy setup and again the printer began recycling. After 80 min of excellent tech support the conclusion was 'hardware failure'.

TWO hardware failures. Hours lost. Needless to say I won't chance HP's quality control on this product again.