Lost in the printer jungle? HP’s got some suggestions

When was the last time you went out to hunt for a new printer? It’s been a while since I bought a new one for the home and, believe me, with all the printer models out there, it is really tough to decide. 

HP Photosmart 5510 e-All-in-One

Now this I like. Number one on its features is its wireless printing capability, and it responds really fast even if your computer is some metres away from it. Really convenient. And if you want to throw in more convenience, be happy that this baby also supports HP ePrint and Apple AirPrint.

Its scanner and copier work fairly fast, giving clear-cut images and copies. There’s also this cute coloured touchscreen in which you can doodle around with the printer’s functions and especially with HP’s Web Apps. For good measure, you also have a reader for your SD, MMC and Memory Stick Duo cards. 

HP Officejet 8600 Plus e-All-in-One

Another all-in-one monster. But this time, it takes up a bit more space. So what? It’s one of those “the bigger they are… the more you’ll get” creations. Hook it up over your network and let the fun begin.

I just observed that it prints a tad faster than the 5510, although you won’t really notice it. What you’ll be interested in is that this offers scan-to-email and fax archive to email services. Compared to the previous one, it has a USB port as well as more memory cards to support. This is good news for those who don’t have time or don’t want to open up their computer to get things printed.

As far as ink is concerned, both the 5510 and 8600 need four cartridges — black, cyan, magenta and yellow — to get the party going. But not to worry, since HP offers some pretty cost-effective supplies.

Having said that, I have a printer back home (an HP) that needs replacing — after five years of service, no less. Decisions, decisions, decisions… help!

alvin@khaleejtimes.com 

THE LAUNCHPAD 

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