Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 InkJet Printer
- Black Print Speed: 20 ppm
- Color Print Speed: 20 ppm
- Output Type: Color Printer
- Technology (Detailed): Thermal Inkjet
- Printer Type: Digital Photo Printer
- Max Resolution (BW): 1200 x 1200 dpi
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Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer: Merry Christmas to Me!
Pros
great print quality, nifty extra features
Cons
horrible tech support, cable necessary for set-up isn't included
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The Bottom Line hasn't recovered from the shock of such a faboo giftie!
I have to start off by saying I'm not usually one to fall all over myself in love of Epinions policies, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Top Reviewers were receiving gifts from Epinions: items that had few or no reviews. I started out thinking books or videos, then started hearing rumors, and finally, a Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer showed up on my doorstep. I was floored! Not only have I been punching my old Epson every time I needed to print something, but I'd been researching photo printers here on the site. (Hmmm... spies?)
So before I begin, thank you, Epinions, for my printer. Here is the promised review.
::: More Functions Than You Can Shake a Stick At :::
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer is primarily a photo printer, but also functions as a regular inkjet printer. Using 8-color technology, you can print photos at home that look every bit as professional as printing them at the store.
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer offers three ways to print photos: from your camera's memory card (it offers slots for all types of cards), from a PictBridge-enabled camera connected directly to the printer via USB cable, or from your computer using the enclosed ImageZone software.
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer comes with a small sample pack of glossy paper in 4 x 6 and 8 x 10 sizes for testing, as well as three cartridges: tri-color photo cartridge, tri-color regular cartridge, and grey photo cartridge. If you want to begin printing right away, expect to outlay a bit of cash for additional photo paper, a black ink cartridge (for regular inkjet printing) and a USB cable (not included). Set-up is easy using the enclosed QuickStart Guide, CD-ROM, and User's Manual.
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer comes enabled for Ethernet networking, and with the purchase of add-on accessories, can print directly from any Bluetooth-enabled device, as well as automatically print duplex copies. The printer has an on-board LCD screen for instant photo editing, as well as for capturing screen shots from videos. Layout buttons are onboard as well, allowing bordered or borderless prints, as well as printing multiple images per sheet (for instance, wallets or 5 x 7 images).
::: Set-Up and Installation :::
It's been a long time since my days in purchasing, and I had forgotten the evil that is Hewlett Packard when it comes to getting started. Why on earth anyone would sell a printer without the cable it needs to hook up to your computer is beyond my reasoning capabilities, but that it how they sell it. Further confusion resulted because neither the QuickStart Guide nor the manual pointed out that it was a USB a-b cable and not a standard USB cable, so the regular plain-vanilla USB cables I had laying around weren't going to cut it. To add insult to injury, the connector for PictBridge cameras in the front of the printer has a standard USB port, so I tried that one out as well. When all else failed, I called tech support, and got "Andy" who is actually outsourced overseas. Not only did the tech support person not have any idea that the cable didn't come with the printer (which is actually standard for HP now that my memory is restored), he didn't know where it plugged in, nor could he tell me I needed an a-b cable rather than a standard USB or MiniUSB cable.
I've stopped purchasing from companies who are outsourcing tech support for exactly this reason; I expect to get someone who has at least read the same manual I have in front of me, and be able to answer my questions. Through trial and error of going through HP's online shopping site, I was able to determine which cable I needed, but that should have been a simple thing for tech support to answer. An automatic star deduction occurred right here.
::: Printing :::
Once set-up was completed (which, of course, required the missing cable to complete, even though you can print directly from a memory card without a computer), I was able to start printing. One of the nice little extras that HP DID enclose with the Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer is a small plastic holder that fits over a printer cartridge. You need to switch back and forth between the grey photo cartridge (for photo printing) and a black cartridge (for regular printing) and this piece keeps the cartridge from drying out while it's out of the machine and resting in the small well inside the printer.
The printer actually has a slide-out photo paper tray for 4 x 6 paper, so you can keep the printer ready for photo printing and regular printing at all times, simply engaging the photo tray when you switch over to photo printing. The photos themselves were of INCREDIBLE quality on the glossy paper enclosed as samples, and look even better on the premium paper that we bought. The colors were clear and crisp, and even better quality than the pictures I had recently ordered from Ofoto.com.
The enclosed ImageZone software was impressive as well. I've done red-eye elimination using online services like Ofoto as well as programs like Adobe Photoshop, and nothing was as easy as the red-eye elimination using Image Zone. In most cases, red eye was gone with a single click, and in other cases, I just had to click the mouse one or two times more to complete the process. However, for photo sharing and storage, the ImageZone software doesn't come close to online services like Ofoto, as it has limits on the amount of photos that can be stored as well as the length of time the photos will be available for viewing.
In terms of regular printing, the Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer excels as well, much to my surprise. I was very doubtful that a printer could do well at photo printing as well as regular text printing, but I printed invitations for my daughter's birthday that looked as clean and crisp as a color laser printer would look. In addition, the standard paper tray was more than able to handle heavy cardstock, something my old Epson was never able to handle (shoot... that one jammed on regular printer paper!).
Every time you insert a new print cartridge, the Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer runs an automatic self-check to make sure that the print heads are aligned, and provides onboard instructions if anything needs to be adjusted.
Print speed is about average for an inkjet unless, of course, you are cursed with the same Epson I had, in which time seemed to stand still while printing. I think it's pretty much expected that text printing is faster than black & white photos, and black & white photos are a bit faster than color.
::: Extra Features :::
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer also comes with a great little utility called SureSupply, which, when enabled, shows you after every job sent to the printer the precise level of ink in your cartridges. It also enables you to send an order in for new cartridges directly to HP when you are running low, although the cartridges are expensive enough that you are probably going to want to do an online price check to find the best pricing.
The product design is also pretty cool, in my estimation. For a printer of this quality, it has to be a pretty decent size to accommodate the cartridges and electronics, but the sizing was adjusted in width, not depth. This printer would easily fit on a top shelf of a desk, and its black and brushed-metal like color is actually attractive. Other small touches like back-lit buttons, onboard instructions on the LCD screen (to help figure out what needs to be done when the printer is networked like it is in our house), and an adjustable LCD screen to avoid display issues in bright light are also welcome additions.
::: Overall :::
If HP had some decent tech support (the claim on their web site that they have "live, 24 x 7 online chat with a knowledgeable technician" is a joke. I did notice that they have phone support available in Spanish, so I may try that next time and see if I get a better response), and had included the necessary printer cable, I probably would have given this printer a five-star rating. The prints are fabulous, and for once, I actually think the expense of the cartridges is worth it for the quality of the prints.
::: Total Grovelling :::
In truth, I have to admit I would have been happy with any gift I got from Epinions, as it was totally unexpected. That I got such a great gift was an added bonus, and I really appreciate the opportunity to not only get a great gift, but also review in an area I don't spend a lot of time in.
So before I begin, thank you, Epinions, for my printer. Here is the promised review.
::: More Functions Than You Can Shake a Stick At :::
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer is primarily a photo printer, but also functions as a regular inkjet printer. Using 8-color technology, you can print photos at home that look every bit as professional as printing them at the store.
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer offers three ways to print photos: from your camera's memory card (it offers slots for all types of cards), from a PictBridge-enabled camera connected directly to the printer via USB cable, or from your computer using the enclosed ImageZone software.
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer comes with a small sample pack of glossy paper in 4 x 6 and 8 x 10 sizes for testing, as well as three cartridges: tri-color photo cartridge, tri-color regular cartridge, and grey photo cartridge. If you want to begin printing right away, expect to outlay a bit of cash for additional photo paper, a black ink cartridge (for regular inkjet printing) and a USB cable (not included). Set-up is easy using the enclosed QuickStart Guide, CD-ROM, and User's Manual.
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer comes enabled for Ethernet networking, and with the purchase of add-on accessories, can print directly from any Bluetooth-enabled device, as well as automatically print duplex copies. The printer has an on-board LCD screen for instant photo editing, as well as for capturing screen shots from videos. Layout buttons are onboard as well, allowing bordered or borderless prints, as well as printing multiple images per sheet (for instance, wallets or 5 x 7 images).
::: Set-Up and Installation :::
It's been a long time since my days in purchasing, and I had forgotten the evil that is Hewlett Packard when it comes to getting started. Why on earth anyone would sell a printer without the cable it needs to hook up to your computer is beyond my reasoning capabilities, but that it how they sell it. Further confusion resulted because neither the QuickStart Guide nor the manual pointed out that it was a USB a-b cable and not a standard USB cable, so the regular plain-vanilla USB cables I had laying around weren't going to cut it. To add insult to injury, the connector for PictBridge cameras in the front of the printer has a standard USB port, so I tried that one out as well. When all else failed, I called tech support, and got "Andy" who is actually outsourced overseas. Not only did the tech support person not have any idea that the cable didn't come with the printer (which is actually standard for HP now that my memory is restored), he didn't know where it plugged in, nor could he tell me I needed an a-b cable rather than a standard USB or MiniUSB cable.
I've stopped purchasing from companies who are outsourcing tech support for exactly this reason; I expect to get someone who has at least read the same manual I have in front of me, and be able to answer my questions. Through trial and error of going through HP's online shopping site, I was able to determine which cable I needed, but that should have been a simple thing for tech support to answer. An automatic star deduction occurred right here.
::: Printing :::
Once set-up was completed (which, of course, required the missing cable to complete, even though you can print directly from a memory card without a computer), I was able to start printing. One of the nice little extras that HP DID enclose with the Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer is a small plastic holder that fits over a printer cartridge. You need to switch back and forth between the grey photo cartridge (for photo printing) and a black cartridge (for regular printing) and this piece keeps the cartridge from drying out while it's out of the machine and resting in the small well inside the printer.
The printer actually has a slide-out photo paper tray for 4 x 6 paper, so you can keep the printer ready for photo printing and regular printing at all times, simply engaging the photo tray when you switch over to photo printing. The photos themselves were of INCREDIBLE quality on the glossy paper enclosed as samples, and look even better on the premium paper that we bought. The colors were clear and crisp, and even better quality than the pictures I had recently ordered from Ofoto.com.
The enclosed ImageZone software was impressive as well. I've done red-eye elimination using online services like Ofoto as well as programs like Adobe Photoshop, and nothing was as easy as the red-eye elimination using Image Zone. In most cases, red eye was gone with a single click, and in other cases, I just had to click the mouse one or two times more to complete the process. However, for photo sharing and storage, the ImageZone software doesn't come close to online services like Ofoto, as it has limits on the amount of photos that can be stored as well as the length of time the photos will be available for viewing.
In terms of regular printing, the Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer excels as well, much to my surprise. I was very doubtful that a printer could do well at photo printing as well as regular text printing, but I printed invitations for my daughter's birthday that looked as clean and crisp as a color laser printer would look. In addition, the standard paper tray was more than able to handle heavy cardstock, something my old Epson was never able to handle (shoot... that one jammed on regular printer paper!).
Every time you insert a new print cartridge, the Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer runs an automatic self-check to make sure that the print heads are aligned, and provides onboard instructions if anything needs to be adjusted.
Print speed is about average for an inkjet unless, of course, you are cursed with the same Epson I had, in which time seemed to stand still while printing. I think it's pretty much expected that text printing is faster than black & white photos, and black & white photos are a bit faster than color.
::: Extra Features :::
The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8450 Thermal Inkjet Printer also comes with a great little utility called SureSupply, which, when enabled, shows you after every job sent to the printer the precise level of ink in your cartridges. It also enables you to send an order in for new cartridges directly to HP when you are running low, although the cartridges are expensive enough that you are probably going to want to do an online price check to find the best pricing.
The product design is also pretty cool, in my estimation. For a printer of this quality, it has to be a pretty decent size to accommodate the cartridges and electronics, but the sizing was adjusted in width, not depth. This printer would easily fit on a top shelf of a desk, and its black and brushed-metal like color is actually attractive. Other small touches like back-lit buttons, onboard instructions on the LCD screen (to help figure out what needs to be done when the printer is networked like it is in our house), and an adjustable LCD screen to avoid display issues in bright light are also welcome additions.
::: Overall :::
If HP had some decent tech support (the claim on their web site that they have "live, 24 x 7 online chat with a knowledgeable technician" is a joke. I did notice that they have phone support available in Spanish, so I may try that next time and see if I get a better response), and had included the necessary printer cable, I probably would have given this printer a five-star rating. The prints are fabulous, and for once, I actually think the expense of the cartridges is worth it for the quality of the prints.
::: Total Grovelling :::
In truth, I have to admit I would have been happy with any gift I got from Epinions, as it was totally unexpected. That I got such a great gift was an added bonus, and I really appreciate the opportunity to not only get a great gift, but also review in an area I don't spend a lot of time in.
