Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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117 of 121 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
David Weeks' MyMac.com Review, August 21, 2008
I've been a happy user of my HP 7280 all-in-one unit for a number of months. After I reluctantly returned the C7280 review unit, I put my money where my review mouth was, bought one, and have had no regrets.
HP asked me to review the C8180, and here's what I found after using on it for quite a while.
First off, the 8180 is not simply a 7280 with HP's revisions du jour; it has a higher resolution scanner and printer. According to HP, the additional sensors that make up the 96 bit scanner sensor produce better color accuracy as well as reduced noise and grain from negatives. It is more obvious when scanning certain colors, like saturated reds and greens, and scanning certain types of originals, like offset press or inkjet prints. As we'll see, actually producing a 96 bit scan is awkward.
However, the 8180 has no fax capability at all. It has the same abilities to read from various types of camera memory cards, and it also can print via USB, Ethernet, or 802.11b/g wireless. It has no 802.11n capability. It also has the same print engine that uses six separate ink cartridges.
One important new addition is a CD/DVD burner with LightScribe capability. LightScribe allows you to print custom images or text on the face of LightScribe-compatible blanks. In addition to being controlled by the 8180 itself, the burner can be shared with your computer, and any application can print to the LightScribe print driver.
The 8180 comes with a sheet feeder capable of handling various paper sizes and quantities, although my review unit did not have one.
Given the flawless performance of the feeder on my 7280, I predict that the 8180's will function just as well.
The 8180's appearance has been updated. Whereas the tall and chunky 7280 had a control panel that was festooned with buttons, and a keypad, the 8180 is low-slung and streamlined. With no built-in fax, there's little need for a keypad, as its bigger LCD screen is used for controlling almost all functions. The 8180 is wider, due to the CD/DVD burner on the right side.
Software install is generally easy, although HP presents an excessive number of reminders to register the unit, and sign up for various emails that'll drive you crazy. It's not possible to complete the installation process without having the installer get the last word in by launching your web browser and teleporting you to the HP registration page, even though you've already screamed "NOOO" as loud as you can.
Once installed, you'll get the usual complement of HP applications allowing you to scan to OCR, scan pictures, or make copies. A standard installation includes HP Photosmart Studio, which is a jack-of-all-trades (yet master of none) program to manage your scans and photos. iPhoto or Adobe Photoshop Elements will far better serve Macintosh users. HP includes ReadIRIS 11 for optical character reading. ReadIRIS is a capable program that deserves its own review.
During the setup, you select your connection method. I tested USB, and network (Ethernet) connections. I did not try the Bluetooth capability. HP advertises that Bluetooth will allow printing from a cellphone. I had no problem connecting the 8180 to my 801.11g wireless network. With the printer located only a few feet from the base station, network throughput was not an issue. However, a USB connection is always faster than a network connection, and that's most noticeable when scanning.
After the installation is complete, the 8180 goes through a time-consuming and somewhat noisy setup and calibration process. If the 8180 does not get regular use, the unit will occasionally spring to life, as it checks for proper calibration. If you even so much as open the lid to gaze inside, the printer goes through its 45 second or so "Printer preparation in progress...do not interrupt" routine.
HP's scanning software is reasonably easy to use. Scanning is controlled via the HP Device Manager, a small application that allows access to the various 8180 functions. You can scan to Preview, or save an image file to disk for editing with any image editor of your choice. If you don't have a capable editor (there's no excuse not to), the scanning software allows for choosing the desired resolution, color adjustment, scratch and dust removal, and restoring faded colors. I found the color restoration feature worked well. I could do better in Photoshop Elements, but HP did a creditable job nonetheless.
To my non-programmer's eye, the scanning software appears the same as for the 7280. The 8180 scanner specifications say it's a 96 bit scanner, while 7280's scanner is 48 bit. One would think the 8180 scanner would produce a greater range of tones and colors, but I was not able to notice any significant differences. Upon further investigation (lots of point and clicking to discover hidden options) the resolution options setting of the scanner driver for the 8180 maxed out at 48 bits/millions of colors. I was unable to find any setting to allow me to scan at greater than 48 bits. What's the point of having a better scanner if the software won't take advantage of it?
If all else fails, read the manual. Unfortunately, the manual was unavailing. At wit's end, I emailed HP, and got the following answer describing how to enable 96 bit scans. I include it so anyone who ends up purchasing an 8180 does not spend the time looking for this needle in the HP documentation haystack; it's not there (and it should be).
"Launch the HP Solutions Center application. Under Scan Settings / Scan Preferences is a "Quality vs. Speed" tab. On that dialog there are two selections that must be made, (a) scan at maximum bit depth, and (b) 6-color scan. For the 8180 both are necessary to enable 96-bit scanning. That's it. Subsequent scans will be 96-bit."
Bit depth notwithstanding, the scan quality was good.
Print quality was very impressive. This is truly a photo-quality printer. If you use HP brand papers, the 8180 will sense the paper type, and set the printer to take best advantage of the paper type. The 8180 uses five separate inks plus black, each in its own cartridge. In the old days, HP used bigger three color carts, with yellow, magenta, and cyan all in one. If you emptied one color, you had to replace the whole shebang, even if there was plenty of one or more of the other colors remaining. Now, you need only replace the needed color.
The 8180 will print borderless prints up to 8.5" x 11" and it also has a convenient second tray to fit 4" x 5" photo paper.
Front panel controls are a feature of the 8180. At 3.5", the LCD is bigger than on the 7280. While most users will generally control the 8180 from their computer, you can do quite a bit from the front panel itself. You can print from camera image storage cards, print from photos on CDs or DVDs, and make copies.
I made a good number of copies of both paper documents and photos, and the the quality was uniformly excellent. I also tried making a contact sheet of images from my image storage card, and it worked as advertised with no troubles.
One curious feature that you access only through the front panel is the 8180's ability to save images from a camera storage card and save them to a USB flash drive plugged into the 8180's front USB port. This allows you to back up the card without having to use your computer. This worked perfectly.
You can also read from the camera card and burn them to a CD/DVD using the built-in burner. Unfortunately, I could not get the 8180's built-in burner to recognize a blank CD, even though I tried three different types of CD blank. Oddly, I had no trouble using the LightScribe feature of the drive (more on that later).
The front panel allows for basic editing of photos prior to printing. You can fix red-eye, crop, add a border, and do "automatic fixing." These features worked as advertised. I do all my editing on the Mac, but others may not. Front panel editing may be just the feature you're looking for.
LightScribe is a HP-developed technology that allows CD/DVD burners to use inkjet technology to print images on the front of special CD/DVD media. You can burn a DVD of your favorite images, and use the LightScribe-capable burner in the 8180 to "print" your favorite image on the front of the disc. LightScribe does not print a full-color image; it resembles a sepia toned black and white photo.
HP included a sample LightScribe DVD blank. I had no trouble installing the LightScribe printer driver, and then choosing, editing, and printing the image to the front of the blank disc. I was worried that I'd waste my one blank disc, but the process was easy and trouble-free. Given that LightScribe blanks cost more than plain blanks (prices may vary widely), this is a nice way to customize your photo CD/DVD media.
HP 8180 Specifications
Conclusion
The HP PhotoSmart 8180 is very good, but not great, multi-function printer/scanner/copier. The software is typical HP, which is to say it's merely adequate. The large front panel LCD is nice, and the built-in editing features are available to those who who don't want to have to use their computer for a quick edit and print. The 8180 can read almost any type of camera memory card.
I was not able to burn CDs/DVDs, although LightScribe worked properly.
If you need fax capability, this is not the unit for you.
The real reason to buy the 8180 is for its fine print and scan quality. Whether you do 48 bit scans, or delve into hard-to-find settings to enable 96 bit scans, the scanner's output is very good. HP paper sensing is a great feature, and the HP ink technology is outstanding.
MyMac.com rating: 3 out of 5. It's a fine printer and scanner, but you pay a premium for some features you may never use.
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92 of 97 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BUY THIS PRINTER - THE CD/DVD FEATURE WORKS GREAT, February 26, 2008
I LOVE THIS PRINTER! I have been using HP printers since 1994 have had almost no problems with any of them. In fact, I am still using the one I bought in 1994 but it isn't a multi-function printer. I wanted to get a new printer that had copy, scan and photo capabilities. I bought a Canon MP970 because it had such high ratings. I hated it so I returned it and got the HP C8180 instead.
I don't understand what the negative reviewers are talking about since I have not encountered any of the problems they metion. In fact, my experiece with this printer has been the opposite of what they say.
Set up was fairly easy. I have it set up to work on my wireless network and encountered no problems during set-up. I installed the software on all the computers on my home network (three desktops and one laptop) and again had no problems. The whole set-up from start to finish took less than 1 hour (that's for the printer and all computers).
Apparently, some peple ecountered a problem with their printer uninstalling itself. HP has a driver update that fixes this issue. When installing the printer it gives you the option to check the web for updated drivers. I downloaded the update and I haven't had any problems.
A couple of the reviewers mentioned that the CD/DVD option only works in USB mode. This just isn't true. As I said, I have my printer connected via a wireless router (WiFi) and have been able to make picture DVDs. It's great to be able to pop in my camera's memory card and then just create a DVD.
If you want to burn a label onto a DVD, you must use LightScribe compatible DVDs (if you just want to save/backup your photos you can use any DVD). If your printer is not connected through a USB, then you can only label the DVD by using the printer's touch screen (this is straight forward to do). I've been told that this is due to a restriction in the Roxio software that the printer uses to write the LightScribe label. In my opinion, this is pretty much a non-problem. It doesn't stop you from creating photo DVDs. It just means that instead of using your computer's keyboard to type the label you have to use the printer's touch screen. I think the two reviewers who complained about not being able to create DVDs without a USD connection must have tried to burn a label from their computer and then got confused into thinking that the CD/DVD feature doesn't work.
To sum up, this is a great printer. The print quality is excellet, there are lots of great features, it is easy to set up and easy to use. I would highly recommend the HP Photosmart C8180 to anyone.
June 24, 2008 - I have had this printer for 4 months now and I still love it. I bought a new computer (with Windows Vista) and had no installation problems. I have printed photos, documents, cards and labels without any paper jams. I have an Epson photo scanner for high resolution photo scans but use my HP printer to scan to OCR. Again, I have encountered no problems.
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51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't touch this printer if you want full and fast all-in-one functions, February 3, 2008
If you buy this item you are asking for trouble. MANY of the features that are mentioned in pre-sale information do NOT exist on this printer or do not work as advertised.
First, is the DVD burning. Not until you unpack the printer and read the installation manual does it mention that you can't burn a DVD through a network connection. It is USB or nothing.
Second, and worse yet, is that the scanner, from the specs, appears to be a top of the line with 4800 dpi optical resolution. Good luck using it at this resolution.
Scanning at ANYTHING higher than the default resolutions usually won't work. The defaults are 200 dpi for film and 300 dpi for prints. For negatives 200 dpi is useless if you plan to blow it up past the size of a postage stamp.
Using Twain to transfer to Photoshop only works 10% of the time even at the default settings. Most times it will either report the file is too big (32 MB, who knew?) or just sit there and do nothing. The other scanning methods do not give enough control of scaling to be of any use.
I just used the non-twain scan option to bring in a 4x4 print at 1200 dpi and it took 5 minutes. My 10 year old Microtek scanner would do this in 60 seconds or less.
No where in the pre-sale specs does it mention these limits.
HP tells me that this is due to "defective hardware" the scanner was built on. Pardon me?
I am stuck with a piece of junk. I will never touch another HP product again.
Print quality? Can't tell you. Can't scan my existing negatives or prints well enough to get a decent print.
It also re-installed itself after being turned on. It made a duplicate of itself in the control panel. I had to uninstall everyting and install again to get rid of the extra pieces. Removing the "second" printer didn't work.
Stay away. I'm not new to installing and using printers/scanner, but this thing takes the cake.
Edited 8Feb08:
After MUCH hassle the scanning now works beyond the defaults to a certain extent. I have been able to scan negatives at 2400 ppi and prints at 600 however the output starts becoming washed out on the edges for the negatives. Print scans appear fine at 600 ppi. It also takes roughly 3-4 minutes before the device will actually start the scan once set outside the default. Once it starts the scan itself is fairly quick. If the delay before starting gets to be too long it appears that no amount of waiting is enough and it just will not scan. If I am able to get a better reponse from it and get it to stop re-installing itself each time it is turned on I will rate it higher.
Edited 19Feb08:
Finally had a quick reponse from HP regarding the whole business of the driver trying to re-install each time the printer was turned on. The instructions worked and that problem has gone away. Just need to remember said instructions for the future if things change and I do not like those kind of "fixes". I am going to read up on this supposed update to the software and see what that is all about. I do believe I am running the latest version of the drivers already based on the updates and number of times I had tried to get the scanner working properly. It is worthwhile to double check just in case.
Edited 23Mar08:
There have been no driver updates since I first installed this printer - I have the latest so things that are still sub-par include: no network support for using LightScribe (which may be Roxio's problem - a sad limited program which I have since uninstalled, but still something that could have been addressed at the time this printer was planned) and slow, SLOW scan rates at anything above the default resolution. I am giving it higher marks now for print quality - it would get a total of 2 stars if I could change that. Very good to excellent printing on photo paper and acceptable, fast printing on regular paper.
Fixing the drivers to improve scanning times and to better make use of the, on spec, excellent scanner capabilities could easily move this printer up to 4 stars. As it stands now, the negatives out-weigh the positives for any higher rating.
Edited 3May08:
Just when I was beginning to think the thing was stable I discovered that the cause of my Word 2007 crashing on exit is the result of the printer. Unless the prnter is turned on all the time Word will crash on exit. The "Fix" people have found on Google is to set another printer as the default and just remember to select the 8180 when required. HP's solution is the usual route of requesting the drivers be uninstalled and reinstalled which is their solution for everything and I have yet to have that solution actually fix anything. I've had the priner for almost 6 months and there have been no new drivers or fixes released which is rather laughable based on the number of bugs people have ran into and the poor functionality to top it off.
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