Had to return the first one

I did a ton of research and finally decided to go with this unit despite no reviews at the time. Installation was a breeze (using Mac OS X) except for one part where it asks you to set up a print queue. After doing so it didn't recognize it after multiple attempts. I finally decided to click past that step and it worked fine anyway.



We printed about a dozen photos over the first three days. On day 4 the printer booted up and slammed the print cartridge hard to the left then came up with a "Carriage Jam" error. The nice thing about the touch screen is that it also visually walks you through pictures of the areas that you need to check for paper jams etc.. Alas after going through every trouble shooting step provided it didn't solve the problem.



We returned it to Amazon (Very hassle free I might add--can't fault them a bit) and decided to try a second one since we did like the features. I was glad to see that Amazon ships you another even before you return the defective one. So far this one is working fine although it's only been a couple of days.



Our last HP was probably 4 years old. I have to say the print speed on this one is amazingly fast by comparison. I'm impressed it can print a 4x6 photo as fast as it does. Copy and scan work well too although I've found I have to initiate scanning from the Mac. Didn't seem to work if I tried to use the touchscreen to scan. I was pleased how easy they make choosing options with scanning. You can scan a document straight to PDF JPEG TIFF Memory Card USB drive OCR...



Overall it does seem as though this printer is very well made. It's also great having a tray for both paper and 4x6 photos. Unlike so many printer reviews it doesn't appear as though this printer is burning through much ink at all.



Although I would definitely recommend it I can't give it 5 stars due to the issues mentioned above.



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An Amazing Value Printer

Disclaimer: I do not own this printer but have worked with and installed tons of them at my school and I use them all the time. Anyway we have about 4 of these units and all work perfectly fine.



Quality: The image quality of this printer is stunning the detail level and color reproduction is great! When compared to the Canon iP6600 the color and detail reproduction seem to be slightly better.



Speed: It is fairly fast for photo printing its not a speed demon or anything but it is faster then most printers I have used.



Features : This printer has a ton of features too many to discuss but it can scan images it has a card reader and can be hooked up to the network via ethernet or via wifi.



Ink Consumption : This printer is also very easy on the ink and the wallet. Ink seems to last a fairly long time even when doing a lot of photo prints.



Setup: Setup was painless I installed all 4 of these units in about 40 mins just run the disc connect the printer install the print head and then the ink cartridges. ( I do however wish they used less packaging )



All in all I woud definitely recommend this to a friend. I have yet to have a single problem with any of the 4 and they are being used by tons of people each day for photo printing.



Edit; I forgot to mention that I have only tried this on Windows XP can't comment on the problem the other user spoke of with Macintosh Snow leopard 10.6.More detail ...

The All-In-One That Does it All

If you're looking for a printer with all the latest technologies check out the HP Officejet 6500 Wireless. Keep in mind that HP makes two 6500 models--one is wireless and one is not. This is the wireless model. With copy scan print and fax functions this all-in-one is a real workhorse.



Fast speed (up to 31 ppm) and extremely easy to use. The setup function is all done via software--you don't even need to touch the 6500's keypad controls. It links directly to your System Preferences control panel making the wireless and fax settings easy. It uses 4 separate color inks so you can control your print costs when only a single color needs to be replaced.



Main drawback is HP's decision to only include a 2-line text display. For a printer in this price range HP should have included a 2.5" color LCD screen. If you're looking for a multifunction machine that does it all seriously consider the HP 6500 Wireless.More detail ...

Your New Office Assistant ! & MX870 vs Epson Artisan 810 Review

If you are looking at these reviews for the MX870 you are probably wondering what I was wondering... "What is the difference between the MX870 and MX860 and possibly also how does it compare to the Epson Artisan 810?" They are all top rated by Amazon customers for inkjet all-in-one printers.



They are all awesome! The Epson has more color cartriges but I am not sure if that matters. I give the nod to the Epson on photo quality but it might just be a subliminal issue of 'more is better'. My last Epson printer was the Epson 785EPX and it printed amazing photos and graphics and it also used 6 colors.



Both the Canon and Epson have beautiful quick drying inks. The Canon has a special black ink that is a pigment instead of a dye which you might like since pigments don't run when wet so theirs is good for flyers and such. And by the way if you've discovered that you really benefit from pigment ink look into the Epson Workforce 610. It is fast and all its different colored inks are pigments. Graphics and text are outstanding but photos a little lacking.



The Canon is a little slower to start printing but once it gets going it is pretty fast. Both Epson and Canon models have an optional duplexer mode (prints on both sides to save paper - this feature significantly slows down print time if that is important to you) and an automatic paper feed. The paper feed on the Canon is fully integrated and two-sided so it can copy/scan both sides of a document automatically as well. There are a few hiccups with the 860 on this that the 870 solves.



It's a small pain to reload the reglar A4 8 1/2 by 11 paper in both machines in their lower tray. The Epson has an additional slot on its lower tray for photo paper that some may like. The Canon has an extra paper feed at the back of the unit that is great for printing envelopes prints or other types of paper so you don't have to change your main tray. The rear feeder should accommodate heavier papers and have a less likelihood of jamming because the paper comes straight through the machine with little bending. The projecting tray on the Epson looks and feels flimsy and most people seem worried about that but remarkably I have never heard of anyone breaking it. The Canon has a cool feature... when you send it a wireless command to print it automatically lowers its front door for the paper to be collected on so you can keep the unit all closed up when not in use.



If you use OCR and I love OCR (optical character recognition that allows you to turn your document scans into text files) you will prefer the Epson because it is integrated into their software package. Canons used to have OCR software but have stopped in the recent year. Note: If you have Microsoft Office Student and Home version its program 'OneNote' has OCR for you to use. Most people are totally unaware of it being there. By the way OneNote is the best program on Microsoft Office. It is what keeps me from just using the free open source office software that is so amazing.



Price-wise the Epson is about 100 more than the Canon. Amazon has some of the best prices. The newer Canon MX870 isn't even available in most stores yet and probably will run about 50 dollars more than the MX860 for the next six months. Apple users will like the smoother integrated software application of the MX870 that was a small problem on the MX860.



Space-wise the Canon is bigger. Look-wise the Epson is sharper with its shiny black finish like a piece of fancy stereo equipment. The Canon has a neutral light beige look. Very officey with clean lines.



They both fax if you ever need that every now and then instead of having to run to your local print shop.



The user interface of the Canon and Epson are both easy to use in different ways. I sort of wish the Canon buttons weren't so flush with the unit but its not really a big deal. You will need to use the interface to copy and scan but most print jobs you will want to do from your computer.



The Epson has some fun graphics software extra on it. Again mostly 'fun' stuff. It also prints on printable CDs and DVDs. This could be important to you. It is the best of any printer at this. I don't need it because I print on CDs using LightScribe on my HP. I like that look better if I am going to customize the CD face.



The Canon has some very useful proprietary software that you will love if you surf the Web and want to copy and print out multiple bits and pieces of articles with ease... even on the same sheet of paper. You can do this anyway with Windows but Canon's program is easier and faster.



Both Canon and Epson have ink cartridges that are separate from the print head so it is easier to find third-party ink and save money. Third party ink is better than what it used to be but the OEM (original equipment manufacture) cartridges are truer and faster drying for important projects and to bring out the full glory of these machines.



I chose the Canon MX870 but all the printers I mentioned here are rated tops at their price-point. I hope I covered a few of the more notable differences to help you narrow in on your search.More detail ...