HP deskjet f4280- a great entry level all in one. (HP Deskjet F4280 All-in-One)

Member Name: Lorietta

Product:	HP Deskjet F4280 All-in-One
Date:	24/10/09 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, high quality print outs, affordable.

Disadvantages: Time consuming to set up.

I got this printer just before going to university, although it was an all in one, it was cheaper than many normal printers. It cost about £36 from PC world, but this was a special offer. Its RRP is about £75, but you can find it much cheaper than this, online and in some stores. HP have released a newer model, the F4580, but this costs about £20 more. It's an all in one printer, meaning it scans, copies and prints.

The printer is quite bulky but not heavy. This makes it a little awkward to carry, and it's certainly not designed to be portable, but most all in one printers are this big, so this isn't a major issue. It's also not the most attractive printer to look at, all plastic and white. There are buttons down the side for printing scanning and copying which are all very clear and easy to use. The display also shows you how much ink you have left, which is a useful feature, as this warns you to buy some more, so you don't run out halfway through printing a vital document.

Setting up the printer took a while, but this may have been because I am not the best at this kind of thing. The instructions were moderately clear, and fairly helpful, although I still struggled to put the ink cartridges in at first. It also took a little while to set it up to work with my computer, but I finally managed it, and this was definitely a one off issue. Since setting it up, it has been very easy to use, however, when it gets low on paper, it can be a bit temperamental. If the display comes up as "empty" then this is solved by propping the paper tray up on a thick book.

There are two cartridges, one for black ink and one for colour, and these can be changed separately, which with a bit of practise is easy to do. The ink is the hp 300 or 300xl. The xl is pricier, but lasts longer and is better quality, but in my opinion not worth it if you aren't using the printer for photos on a regular basis.

The quality of the print outs (even A4 photos) is very good, and it prints very fast. If the paper isn't put in the tray properly, it can end up looking a bit dodgy though. The scanning and photocopying are also very good, there's almost no difference in quality with the original. Printing can be quite noisy though maybe a little above average.

The HP is a fairly entry level all in one printer, ideal for personal use. I don't think it could stand up to heavy office use though. It is so easy to use, it would be ideal for a family or private individual, even if they aren't very familiar with the technology.

Summary: An excellent printer for a family, student, or perhaps a small business, it does everything easily