Just ask my kids and they'll quote me... When it comes to shopping, my favorite saying is "Cheap! Cheap!" I'm a single mom on a budget, and I am always looking for a bargain. Buying a new printer was no exception. I have two - one is a black and white laser that I used when I ran a business from home and needed quick, ink-free printing on specialized paper. The other is a small, top-feed inkjet that my son fed something to. Apparently its digestion couldn't cope with whatever it was. Go figure.

I closed my business when I got pregnant with said printer-feeder, so I don't need the laser printer for that use any more. The kids would like to be able to print their art projects and pictures, so we need the color anyway. I was still debating about getting the inkjet printer I have fixed when I stumbled onto the HP DeskJet 632C on sale at Wal-Mart. The amazing price of $38.88 above the display got my attention, and when I saw that nothing can be fed into the top of the printer, I just had to have it.

I brought it home and plugged it in, then stuck the enclosed CD into my computer, and away it all went. It logged right on, and ran fine right off the bat. Great things about this printer are:

It comes entirely assembled, even the paper feed mechanisms. All I had to do was remove the protective wrapper, padding and tape, and insert the ink cartridge. No attach this, set that, connect anything. I like this.

It is bottom tray sheet feed, and top tray sheet delivery. This means that there are no top openings in this printer. Not only can my son NOT feed something to it, but things like dust, dog hair, the occasional cat's foot, etc., are also no longer able to find their way into the inner workings. This is good news.

The printer has an easy opening front lid. Open it, pop the printer cartridge into its slot, and that's it. No latches, hidden switches, complicated contraptions at all. And speaking of the printer cartridge, an added pleasant surprise was finding that this printer holds both a color and black cartridge at the same time - you don't have to stop what you're doing and get into the printer to swap cartridges. This thrilled me. OK, so I'm easily amused. For for $38.88? Pretty cool if you ask me.

And of course, I consider Hewlett Packard a trust-worthy name in computer/printer hardware, so to get such a great price on this printer meant a lot to me.

Okay, so the down side? The speed. No question about it, this printer is S-L-O-W. Wait, make that S-----L-----O-----W. It is not fast. It takes its time. You get the picture.

But I'm back to the up side - the quality of what comes out is so good. Pictures (drawings and photos) are so clear and crisp, it's worth the time it takes to produce them. I'm not in business any more, I have the time.

If you're doing high-production printing, this is not the printer for you. But if you, like us, need a good quality printer for personal use, at a reasonable price, you'll be as pleased as I am!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 38.88
Operating System: Windows