COMBINATION OR SEPARATES ? (HP psc 2355 All-in-One)

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	HP psc 2355 All-in-One
Date:	17/08/06 (230 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy for copying.

Disadvantages: Scanner is not as good as Epsom.

It's not often that one gets a chance to balance which Printer Scanner is the most ideal for their needs, although in this respect I was fortunate, in that I was given a six month trial with the Hewlett Packard All in One. I had avoided All in one machines in the past because I thought that they were a compromise and that the optimal quality of all features could not match up to the machines I was already using.

The Hewlett Packard machine is a pretty neat looking machine, though a little squared off for my liking, and installing the software was simple, as the package that comes with it is basic to say the least. It's a program that allows you to transfer photographs, import an image from the scanner, etc., but compared with the software provided with my trusty Epson Perfection, the software with this package is disappointingly bland, and the photographic enhancements limited when compared to photographic packages like Roxio and Picture It. It's not the software they are selling. It's the machine, and here I feel they failed the buyer to some degree, which will be explained under the scanner section. Installation is quick, and for those that have difficulties, there is an online support area on the Hewlett Packard site.

The photographic part of the package.

What I do like about this combination machine is the ease of the Menus, compared with another Hewlett Packard product, The HP Photosmart. I found that the menus were easier to follow, even though they appear on a small screen of similar size. It just looks like they enhanced this area of their printer especially for this particular all in one, and actually got something right. For example, sizing photographs is rather easy, and one thing I did like which the Photosmart doesn't have is the capability of printing a photograph with a fancy framework. It looks pretty good and requires no software, and can be done whilst the computer is switched off. Hewlett Packard are pretty good at gimmicks and I actually prefer the photographic capabilities of this machine to the limited ones on the photosmart.

The quality of the prints are very good compared with the Photosmart, both giving equal quality, although the combination one seemed to give better definition than the photosmart and just using the normal standard ink cartridge. When you switch to the photo ink however, the Photosmart gave better results (Not available on the combination). Therefore, the conclusion I came to with this part of the machine is that if you are after snapshots for fun, then the combined unit will suit you, though if you really do want quality, the Photosmart delivers.

Little tweaks can be done before printing, and I liked the proofsheet capability which gave clear pictures so that you can choose which pictures you want to waste ink on and which are to be deleted.

Ink cartridges.

Prices are comparable for the two and the cartridges are easy to fit. I found black ink at 14.99GBP although was disappointed at the cost of the colour ink at 22.50 GBP. What I did find though is that Hewlett Packard are prudent in their estimation of an empty cartridge, and want you to change them frequently. Although I would recommend thoroughly using their own make of cartridge which are smaller than the old fashioned ones and less pricey, wait until the picture quality diminishes before changing the cartridges because they last a lot longer than you think, and do give warnings well before it is time to change inks. Interestingly enough, the Photosmart tells you on the screen when you are running out of inks, whereas the combination tells you in the little screen on the printer. Finding the information on screen was difficult to manipulate and needed technical help to resolve which is a pretty basic function and one that I needed. Another niggle was that the Photosmart has a special tray for photographic paper (of small size) whereas the combination didn't.

Print speed and sound.

The Combination comes out better than the Photosmart, is quieter and quicker at 23 pages per minute in black and white and 18 in colour, and in practice, side by side, the combination gets the job done much faster and quietly too.

Scanning.

This was the area I was worried about. Yes, it is nice to free up space by having an all in one, although many of the tasks that I perform on a scanner are critical imagery, and I need a crisp copy to resize. For example, if my husband wants to carve an item of furniture using a design he likes in an old catalogue, I need to scan a tiny image and make it much larger. I make leaded glass and my patterns need to be manipulated and sized as well. Although the scanner is quieter and faster than my traditional Epson Perfection, it really does not give the same depth of definition, and those who wish to use a scanner for such detailed work would be wiser to use separates. The optical resolution is 1200 x 4800 dpi, and although it is good enough for something less detailed, I would not recommend it for fine work.

The scanner is a multi function scanner and this really is handy because it enables you to photocopy by simply placing a document in the tray and pressing a button, as opposed to the task of putting an image from scanner to computer, from computer to print, so in this manner for people that want photocopies and are not fussy about the quality of scanning, the combination is quick and effective. I also liked the enlargement and reduction facility on the photocopier, since this is something I have to do myself on the computer with my old scanner, and this really is useful and simple.

Overall Build

Both the Photosmart and the Combination are sturdily built, although the Photosmart is more aesthetically pleasing to me, with the combination being rather box like.

Photographic card compatibility : The unit takes the following memory cards:

Memory Stick, Compact Flash, SmartMedia, SD Memory Card, Multi Media Card, and xD-Picture Cards. Placing them in the slot in this combination unit is a little awkward and you have to make sure they are fully slotted in.

Overall conclusion.

Cost wise, both my Photosmart and the Combination come out about the same at around the hundred pound mark. If you are a person that has limited space, and that wants the easy accessibility of the combination, I would thoroughly recommend it for its' ease of use. Unfortunately, if you want scanning perfection, this one doesn't deliver it. The scanner is basic, though not everyone wants bells and whistles, and this flat bed scanner doesn't do the detail I want, doesn't have the Epson Twain capability or take negatives, which makes it a poor comparison to a separate scanner.

It's a good machine, but not sufficient to tempt me to stop using my existing printer and scanner.

Scanning : 4/10
Photographic work : 8/10
Ink Useage : 8/10
Reliability : 9/10
Software package ; 6/10

You get what you pay for and the shortcut on this machine is the scanner.

Not sure why this was put in the fax machine area of the site, and am asking for it to be moved.

Summary: A disappointing package, but one that is okay for less specialised work.