ACT FAST. All-In-One Printer for $50

Author's Rating:

Pros: $50 if you buy it A.S.A.P
Scan, Copy, Fax, Print for just $50 !!!!

Cons: NO: WiFi, ethernet, l.e.d lighting, quick function buttons, memory card readers, or fancy gimmicks.

The Bottom Line: 

This printer cost me $49.99. Its a great multi-function printer and makes a great addition to your home office or dormitory. But no ethernet or WiFi hurts its connectivity.

THE HEWLETT PACKARD Officejet j4580 is an HP all-in-one printer designed to place all the functions you'd need in your home to send, print or recieve documents via fax and to copy documents you might wanna copy, such as utility bills or emails.

The main reason I purchased this unit was the price. The sale on it has dropped it from $99 to just $50. For an all-in-one, that's hard to beat. Also, considering the fact this is made by HP, a very reputable company (largest computer maker in the world) and my favorite computer/printer designer.

Unlike my outgoing HP 4110, the j4580 is designed as a flatbed scanner atop a typical front loading desktop printer. Faxes are loaded in a document feeder on the top of the unit on a tray, and they exit the scanner on a second tier tray, similar to most office copiers we may be used to in our offices. The auto document feeder accepts up to 20 blank pages and has slide rules to accept envelopes or smaller paper standards like business card paper.

The printer is designed to average 20 pages per minute color, or 25 pages per minute black. Fax speeds are limited to fax transmission/acceptance speed, but, it is very adequate.

The one thing that suprised me about the j4580 is that it does not feature quick launch individual buttons [copy] , [scan], [fax], but, it has a directional arrow pad that lets you select those options on the LCD screen insteadand then push OK to activate that function.

Right away, the LCD screen looses 5 points for not being illuminated. I see no reason an l.e.d diode couldn't be put in there somewhere to make it easy to read. Unless this thing is in a very well lit area, you'd have a hard time seeing what's on screen.

The printer has numerous built in maintenance features. Besides the typical auto-alignment, the printer can also use an auto-cleaning mode or a self-check, without being attached to the PC.

When attached to the PC, the software included can monitor the ink levels and notify you when the time comes to change cartridges.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

The j4580 comes with the bare essentials for getting connected. There are two (901) ink cartridges in the box; a telephone cable and the AC adapter. That's it. Along time ago, printer manufacturers must have collaborated not to give consumers the required USB cable, so, you're stuck spending another couple bucks to get one.

Strangely, HP has decided to include 2 different setup manuals for English, Spanish, Portugues and French, but, there is no simple operation guide. There is information on the CD rom, but there is no 3 step faxing, copying or scanning guide or card.

INK ANNOYANCES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV0M9_NwMHY

Hewlett Packard has always done a good job of ensuring that major stores like Staples, Officemax and Best Buy carry the many various ink catridges needed to print. Fortunately, HP usually only requires 2 cartridges; one for black, one for color. HP color printers require black, color and special color catridges in order to get the most vibrant colors in your photos, but for home use, they have done a good job of simplifying the buying process and ink prices have come down significantly from 3~4 years ago. Now you can buy ink at wholesale clubs such as BJ's or Costco and get a large pack for low prices.

Unfortunately, the j4580 uses HP's 901 tri-color/ 901 black which means that if you are upgrading from an older all-in-one, you must now start buying a whole newmake of catridge.

I wish HP would start designing their printers around their cartridges instead of the other way around. They should streamline their printers into 5 or 6 distinct model ranges and stop producing new types of ink catridges. I'm upgrading from a HP 4110 all-in-one. Now I have to buy black 56, black 901, color 57 and color 901 to ensure each printer gets their needed cartridge.

The fear is always gonna be, "what happenes if they stop producing a certain model ink cartridge?" No one wants to just go out and have to buy a whole new printer if their's still works.

This printer can use the regular 901 cartridges but, if you're willing to spend more, the 901xl black cartridge will give you 700 pages rather than the 901 black's 200 pages.

LIMITED CONNECTIVITY?

Unfortunately, Hewlett Packard has not been the most friendly printer designer in regards to giving you a low priced WiFi built in. For as long as WiFi has been in Printers, HP has always sold them for well more than most people are willing to pay on a home office printer - well over $200.

Now that the j4580 has gone on sale from $99 down to $49.99, the same printer in this series which includes WiFi, the j4680 which has has a price drop from $199.99 to as low as $129.99 (Circuit City).

I like the design of the j4600 series, but, I'd perfer to have WiFi built in for less than the $70 dollars HP is charging. Sure there are wireless print servers you can buy to connect the j4580 over USB, but it woulda been nice if this model had an ethernet link built in. With an ethernet cable, you could connect it to a router and then configure your network to print wirelessly through your internet connection.

OVERALL

Performance for most of HP's printer line is very similar because alot of the same parts are used between models and HP hasn't aimed for ultra-high speed continuous printing in anything less than its business class multi-function machines. Most people are looking for home-use models they don't have to spend and arm and a leg on.

For $50, the j4580 can't be beat. You have exactly 3 days to buy it at this price (10/4/08 the sale ends).

If price wasn't an issue, I'd have to say that, this is still a great printer for a small office or student dorm, but, it would be better to aim higher if your budget allows for the WiFi printer.

Backlighting on the LCD screen would help this thing so much. Ethernet connectivity would have been nice too. Otherwise, well designed and will last a good couple years with good treatment and maintenance.