Good all-n-1 poor software
Written: Mar 22 '04 (Updated Mar 23 '04)
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Pros: Good hardware with a TON of features.
Cons: Requires above average computer literacy to properly configure a networked system.
The Bottom Line: Buy this if you want a lot of options in an all-in-one, but are patient and willing to spend a bit of time properly configuring your systems.
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| epiniontc's Full Review: Hewlett Packard PSC 2510 Thermal Inkjet Multifunc... |
I bought this all-in-one 2 days ago and I have to say that most of the reviews here are right on. The hardware is top notch, but the software is unbelievable bloatware. My setup is a DSL/802.11b router configuration with the 2510 hardwired to the router, a Mac G4 hard wired to the router and an XP laptop with a 11b wireless card.
HP tries to lure you into using all their products and forces you to install everything. I'm sure it takes a toll on system resources, but I'm not a serious gamer or anything so the extra boot time and the few clock cycles I'm giving up doesn't bother me too much.
The one AMAZING thing I scoffed at was the "Attention Networking users" leaflet that HP includes with their package. It simply says that you should not run a software firewall with their product. Never. Not during setup and not AFTER set up either. Well, i found out first hand why. The process hpqtra08.exe won't shut down properly. I use Zonealarm and through a bit of trial and error - and a clean reinstallation of Zonealarm, I discovered that you must allow "generic host process for Win32" to act as a server on your LOCAL network. I previously had it configured to BLOCK that process as a server and after the clean install of ZA, it kept asking for permission - at the same time the hp software was asking permission. Allow the Local server, but block the internet server. Solves the problem. Apparently, HP doesn't want to support every possible firewall out there, so they simply say don't run one.
I'm sure the Indian support staff would be more than happy to have you gut your PC and reinstall Windows to solve that problem. That's my only comment on outsourcing tech support.
I've found the performance about on par with what I expected. A 300dpi scan zips right over the wireless network to my laptop and the hard wired laptop. Some have complained about speed, but what do you expect with a 100Mb network? A 3600dpi scan of an image 5x9 was about 1 Gigabite. How long do you suppose it's going to take to transfer over the wired network - let alone the wireless network? If you want speed and need LARGE dpi scans, I would highly suggest using the USB 2.0 connection.
I'm pretty content so far with print quality, features, and scan quality. The one thing that I wish was a little more seemless was the media reader. I use Sony Memory Sticks and reading them from the Mac required opening HP's bloatware FIRST. Then it showed up as a network drive. I have yet to be able to directly read the memory stick from the XP PC.
::update::
After enabling the "Generic Host Process..." as a local server in Zone Alarm as mentioned above, I am now easily able to access the memory stick as an external drive via explorer in XP. The Mac still requires the bloatware to open first before the drive appears as a network drive.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399
Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
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Epinions.com ID:
epiniontc
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Reviews written: 1
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