Product Review Hp Photosmart 2610

[Pete_C]

This is on sale through tommorrow at Circuit City for $129 , with an additional $30 rebate (Final cost, including tax of $110) . Originally lists for $269 (there is instore instant $140 rebate).

I just finished installing this on a network.

Here is my first impression. GREAT !!!.

It gives you the option of USB connection to a single computer or ethernet to a router.

In the past, with a print server connecting a multi function unit to a network, you could print to it, but lost the scan functionality.

However with this unit I was surprised to find out that the scanner is routed and shared. Yes, you can launch it from any of the networked machines once the software is installed or you can press the scan button on the machine and it asks which computer to send the scan to and launches the scanning software there.

I installed it on both windows XP and Win98 machines no problem.

Also, it has a phone line connection for its fax function. Yes, although I have not tried this, it appears to include a full function fax . The software install offers to configure it to fax from your computer. The manual says it can be set to answer incomming calls (after x rings) and print faxes automatically. You can also send a fax directly from the machine without your computer or using either a phone or your computer.

It also has memory card slots and a pictbridge camera connection for printing directly from your camera or memory card.

Bottom line is I am truely pleased with this as a network printer, scanner and fax machine. Well worth the $110 final cost.

[bozodog]

One big question... What's the cost of inks? We bought an Epson printer as soon as we could afford it, when I had to buy the 3rd round of Lexmark inks... By that time I dang near paid for a new printer. We still use the Lexmark as a scanner, but the Epson R200 is a great printer and ink is cheap.

Ink costs are also a problem with the Dell/Lexmark printers, Free from Dell at times, but I sure deliver *tons* of $65 ink packs for them.... Many times to the same address every few months.

[TheTerrorist_75]

Most printer manufacturers make their money off the ink and paper and not the printer itself. My Canon PIXMA iP1600 cost about $50.00 anywhere, but the ink goes for $44.00. I looked at comaprable Epson and HP printers. The Epson ink was less and the HP was more. The Epson slightly outperformed the Canon and the HP was similar to the Canon for prints. Each brand has it's faults. I have stuck with Canon because I have always had good results with their performance and support. Most people will find that the fax option uses a lot of ink so make sure you pick up extra black cartridges. I myself prefer stand alone setups.

[Pete_C]

I agree, I personally prefer individual printers and scanners. I personally have a Lexmark printer (yes the replacement ink is expensive, but you get more per refill than most other brands; just make sure you have some photos to print when you install them since they dry out if unused) and HP scanner and a cannon printer which uses cheap aftermarket ink (BCI-21) for day to day print (the ink tank holds very little ink, but I can buy the black aftermarket tanks for $2-3 apeice locally). But this person wanted (has always had ) an all in one so that it could be shared by multiple computers (Six presently) . The problem I had previously encountered was you could easily share a printer, but sharing the scanner was out. This HP seems to have that solved nicely.If you used a print server, no scanner. If you connected via USB or Parrallel to one computer, it had to be on to share the printer with the network. Just thought it was nice to finally have one where you can share the scanner and fax abilities available for the consumer market.

[DarkestDream]

HP inks is surely $$. that why i set the printer by using a less ink (light)

But it tend to have problem with cartrigde, every single printer i have tend to warn me that ink cartridge is misaligned every time the new cartridge is inserted. it quite annoy, to be honest. but it print anyway. for espon and lenmark, i have no problem with them

[Pete_C]

HP inks is surely $$. that why i set the printer by using a less ink (light)

But it tend to have problem with cartrigde, every single printer i have tend to warn me that ink cartridge is misaligned every time the new cartridge is inserted. it quite annoy, to be honest. but it print anyway. for espon and lenmark, i have no problem with them

This is normal; no two ink cartridges are perfectly identical. Normally , you must run the alignment test and make manual adjustments when you change cartridges if you want clean crisp prints (especially photographs). In fact, in this HP, it does it automatically by itself, and then prints a page showing you that it is aligned correctly.

[robroy]

refilling carteidges also helps save money, I have found that I can refill a cartridge 2 or 3 times before having to replace it.

Just got black and color refill kits from the local Big Lots for $20 for both, about 6 refills each

[bozodog]

Bleh, I had real problems trying to use refills on my Lexmark. Or even remanufactured... Piece of junk I guess. Not to mention the carrier for the heads had such a poor design, that after about a year I couldn't keep them from jamming every 2-3 prints. (beware folks, it's the same model Dell is using now.)

I like the design on the Epson. The ink carts don't have the print heads in them. And you can buy a bulk ink adapter with tanks on it for refilling. I also like the advantage of being able to replace only one of 6 different ink colors. Black always goes fast in our house. But when I'm printing photos, some use far more of one color then the others.

[Pete_C]

Bleh, I had real problems trying to use refills on my Lexmark. Or even remanufactured... Piece of junk I guess. Not to mention the carrier for the heads had such a poor design, that after about a year I couldn't keep them from jamming every 2-3 prints. (beware folks, it's the same model Dell is using now.)

I like the design on the Epson. The ink carts don't have the print heads in them. And you can buy a bulk ink adapter with tanks on it for refilling. I also like the advantage of being able to replace only one of 6 different ink colors. Black always goes fast in our house. But when I'm printing photos, some use far more of one color then the others.

I agree, if I try refilling my Lexmark ink cartridges they will leak before the first refil is fully used. I haven't found remanufactured ones (other than those which are just refills and not true remanufactures where the rubber seals are replaced. ) in my area yet for it.

I have had mixed luck with remanufactured inks. On the Cannon, after market , and remanufactured seem to work just fine. On a previous HP I serviced, it too did not really care, although on photos I could tell the difference (the colors were off if you used remanufactured cartridges). An Epson I encountered had conniptions if you use anythign but new originals. It insisted on warning you every time the computer started and every time you printed that the ink was unapproved.

I just wish that laser printers would get lower power requirements and come down in price a bit. Nice to not have to worry about the ink drying out all the time.

[DarkestDream]

I just wish that laser printers would get lower power requirements and come down in price a bit. Nice to not have to worry about the ink drying out all the time.

Yea i wish, but the ink need to be warming up before print to make sure the ink is ready to stick on the paper

I brought a couple of black ink for my HP, and color also. But i noticed a price difference between color and black. the color is $20 more than the black ink. it crazy

My brother have a Espon color printer, it a 5 years old printer or futhur than that. So i took a peek what it look like... amazing, it really different design. there is 4 "cartridge" without a head. it really nice.

i use a refill product. so i look in the box and got a 4 color ink. it quite a mess when you refill the HP ink. and found a stock drill bit from that refill product. so i thought "Do i have to make a hole on the cartridge? that CRAZY!" it driving me crazy try to make a hole, so i give up and brought a new ink cartridge

[Pete_C]

[

I brought a couple of black ink for my HP, and color also. But i noticed a price difference between color and black. the color is $20 more than the black ink. it crazy

My brother have a Espon color printer, it a 5 years old printer or futhur than that. So i took a peek what it look like... amazing, it really different design. there is 4 "cartridge" without a head. it really nice.

i use a refill product. so i look in the box and got a 4 color ink. it quite a mess when you refill the HP ink. and found a stock drill bit from that refill product. so i thought "Do i have to make a hole on the cartridge? that CRAZY!" it driving me crazy try to make a hole, so i give up and brought a new ink cartridge

Remember, that the color cartridge actually contains three different inks (more in some cases) Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow generally.

Since other colors are made by blending these (or near misses causing an optical illusion ) the color of each component as well as calibrated delivery does count.

Yeah, most refil kits you have to drill a hole and when done plug or tape over it to prevent the ink from leaking. And getting the correct amount in is very important. There is a sponge inside to hold the ink, and if you overfill, it will leak. Underfill and you wind up refilling it very soon and the part which is inkless may dry and harden making future refills a bad idea (When the sponge fails to hold the ink, it will leak just like when you overfill).

I actually like the Canon BJC2100 I bought for my wife since I can buy Polaroid aftermarket ink for it at the local dollar store . Yep, $1.00 for a twin pack of BCI-21 black or single of color for it.

At that price, I do not worry if they dry out between uses.

Also, some like the epson and some canons have ink tanks and carriers as opposed to ink cartridges. In these, the ink tank is fairly small and has no electronics. The carrier has electronics and the rubber seals and you replace it every ten ink tanks or so (as needed).

Many newer ones are sort of hybrids, where some electronics are in the cartridge and some are semi permanent (meaning the printer itself has a shorter life expectancy and they figure you will replace it after it fails instead of replacing the carrier. I experienced this recently with an epson.).

[hitest]

This is on sale through tommorrow at Circuit City for $129 , with an additional $30 rebate (Final cost, including tax of $110) . Originally lists for $269 (there is instore instant $140 rebate).

I just finished installing this on a network.

Here is my first impression. GREAT !!!.

It gives you the option of USB connection to a single computer or ethernet to a router.

In the past, with a print server connecting a multi function unit to a network, you could print to it, but lost the scan functionality.

However with this unit I was surprised to find out that the scanner is routed and shared. Yes, you can launch it from any of the networked machines once the software is installed or you can press the scan button on the machine and it asks which computer to send the scan to and launches the scanning software there.

I installed it on both windows XP and Win98 machines no problem.

Also, it has a phone line connection for its fax function. Yes, although I have not tried this, it appears to include a full function fax . The software install offers to configure it to fax from your computer. The manual says it can be set to answer incomming calls (after x rings) and print faxes automatically. You can also send a fax directly from the machine without your computer or using either a phone or your computer.

It also has memory card slots and a pictbridge camera connection for printing directly from your camera or memory card.

Bottom line is I am truely pleased with this as a network printer, scanner and fax machine. Well worth the $110 final cost.

Cool, looks like a great buy, Pete_C!

Thank you for the very thorough review!