HP 8500 Recommended Highly

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great Color; Takes 11x17 paper

Cons: Too heavy to take with me when I travel

The Bottom Line: 
If you want a laserjet, need color and the ability to print on 11x17 paper, this is the printer for you.

Author's Review
I really love this machine!

I scan a lot of pictures and art work into my computer to be printed in books. The children's books I print have to have color pages. The newsletters that I print for companies have to be on 11x17 paper. HP has always done well for me in the past so when I was shopping, this was the ONLY laserjet for me!

I no longer hire a printer to do color copies of my newsletters; now I print them myself at about the same (or slightly lower) cost than I was paying. Even if the cost is the same, I know that the job will be printed on time because I control the time frame myself.

This is a hardworking machine! I ran my HP 8500 for 24 hours solid when I was on a deadline for some color books I was printing (I have done this twice during the last year). It ran great without jamming a lot; usually if a machine heats up a lot during a long run, it tends to jam. The color was good through the entire run. It really took the workload and did a great job! I expected less from it because it is really not meant to run like that for so long a time; I was happily surprised.

My only problem is that when my dad told me to just bring my favorite copier with me when I visit him, I had to say no, it is just way too big and heavy. But I honestly don't think that any smaller of a machine can have the great features that this printer has.

I have copied pictures and they turn out as good as the originals.