4.17.2006

Printer for Cheap!

I love the closeout sales at stores; but the odd thing is that some chain stores decide to get rid of something while the surrounding stores in the area (same chain) do not- maybe it is a locally measured movement rate that triggers this...

I picked up a HP PhotoSmart 335 printer for $60 - $26 mail-in rebate = ~$36 (takes add another $4.80 here, so say $40).  So far the printer has some awesome print quality; I picked up a 100 pack of the 'premium plus' photo paper and another ink cartridge from WalMart yesterday (everything else was closed!).  Today I chanced upon the B&W ink for this printer for $6.24 on closeout at Target- sweet!  And to thing I was going do drop $150-$200 on a very similar printer a few weeks ago...

Print tests have been very good so far- I cannot tell it is from a printer for 95% of the pints- the ones I can tell are very over-saturated images- taken incorrectly- that are more noticeable on a printed surface than on the screen. 

The printer comes with the entire range of memory card readers (even XD for my Fuji S500), and it has an optional battery and bluetooth USB dongle (which uses the PictBridge interface if you are so inclined). Print time is probably about 1 pic a minute, but it is worth the wait.

Note: on the 'premium plus' paper it is a high gloss surface and it takes a little while longer to dry- so don't stick the pictures immediately into a photo album! (I found out the hard way).  The premium plus also has a 1/4" perforated tab that you tear off when the ink is completely dry- this is used (I guess) to handle the pictures while they are wet...

The roommie picked up a HP 2550N Color LaserJet for $300, but that is another review for another time (when I get done playing with this guy!).

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