"Is That From A Laser Printer?"
Written: Dec 21 '00 (Updated Dec 21 '00)
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Pros: Laser-like quality, sample photo gloss paper included, LCD indicator, double paper feed tray
Cons: The black ink is an economy cartridge, the double-sided printing module causes the printer to not flush against the wall and takes up more desk top space, the auto align isn't aligned and doing so manually is something I haven't figured yet
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| lilnyc's Full Review: Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart 1218 Inkjet Printer |
Of all of the printers on display, I chose the HP Photosmart because it was so pretty that it had an attitude like, "I know I'm cute." Once home, I anxiously printed my first photo on it from a digital camera onto a glossy 4X6 card. After seeing it, I was so excited that I couldn't sit still. I had to show this amazing print to someone immediately! Since I live alone, I ran to show the doorman. He assumed that it was a postcard, so his mouth dropped open when I told him that the photo was from a "printer." He asked, "From a laser printer?" No, from the HP Photosmart 1218! Awww yeah! And guess what? I didn't even use the highest setting for that print! Can you imagine?
I just bought this printer today, and the opinions right here on Epinions.com helped me to make that decision. I had a good HP Desk Jet 722C prior, but have a high end digital still camera, and want the print quality to be outstanding.
I almost viewed the double-sided printing feature as a feature for lazy people, like auto-dialing on a phone. But when I tried it, I realized that function's usefulness. Without it, on my old printer, I would have to insert page numbers so that I wouldn't print page 5 on the back of page 3, then I'd have to print odd numbered pages, return to the printer, sort the papers in order by number, put them back in the tray and print the even pages. Now I simply set the two-sided printing in the dialogue box and let the Photosmart do the work. It even pauses per side for drying to avoid smearing. Oh, and it automatically numbered the pages for me!
The ink level indicator is a charm. My old printer would run out with no warning except diminishing print quality. Then, just as I thought that I could get away with printing another page, the ink ran out. It's as if the old printer was saying, "You want me to continue printing? That'll be $30 please." Arrgh! But with the Photosmart's approximate ink level indicator, I'll get an advanced warning.
I checked for flaws, like paper jamming when printing on both sides, but so far so good. The paper prints so fast, especially black and white text, that it kind of shoots out at you. I'm not used to that, but it's no problem. It's like going from a Yugo to a turbo, there's going to be some "kick." I anticipate getting the camera to test the memory stick slots, but that's not a feature that I really care about.
The only negatives are minor:
1. The two-sided printing module really extends the printer from the wall, taking up more desk space.
2. It failed the PDA IR (infrared) connection. To take advantage of the IR connection, the manual states that your device has to use HP JetSend, OBEX or IrLPT. This is my first day with the printer, so I'll check my device's manual to see if it's compatible later. It's not that important to me, but so many other things went smoothly when connecting this printer, that I was hoping that the IR connection would also.
3. The black ink cartridge is just an economy cartridge for "occasional printing." Hello! I just spent $500 plus tax! Give me a NEW, full ink cartridge. Having just bought a new ink cartridge for my old printer, I just traded them out, so it worked out for me. But for those not replacing a compatible HP printer with this one, you may want to pick up a new black ink cartridge when you buy the printer.
4. I can't figure out how to adjust the alignment, and I need to because the auto alignment is off.
Well, I just bought the Photosmart 1218 (literally hours ago), so this review reflects a first impression. However, I expect nothing less than the best in the future because my other HP printer worked perfectly to date, and it's 3 years old.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
lilnyc
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Member: Lillian
Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
I'm a loner, gadget geek, gym rat who does multimedia.
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