The Bottom Line
Pros
- Excellent print and photo quality
- Easy to set up and built-in wireless networking
- Low price all-in-one
Cons
- Long set-up time required
- Printheads can be tricky to install
Description
- Color inkjet printer
- Automatic duplex printing (some models)
- Fax, copier, scanner
- 250-sheet input capacity
- Ethernet / wireless networking (some models)
- Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi print resolution
- Large 3.4-inch color touchscreen
- Up to 35 pages per minute (black, at draft speed)
- Optional second 250-sheet input tray
- Memory card capability includes CompactFlash Type I and II, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital (SD), etc.
Guide Review - HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One Printer
Set-up slowness aside, the printer is pretty quick. First page of a colorful PowerPoint presentation was out in 30 seconds (across a wireless network), with an average rate of 15 seconds per page. The colorful slides left the plain copy paper a bit limp but not completely soggy. For text-only printing, pages came out at about 8 seconds per page. Does text come out looking comparable to laser quality? Well, pretty close, anyway.
Like the Canon MFC-255CW, the Officejet Pro 8500 is an all-in-one printer that does a great job with photo printing. It printed a colorful 4x6 photo in 1:48, a bit slower than the MFC-255CW. Photo colors are rich, though the ink seemed less smudge-resistant than Canon's.
This version of the 8500 came with an attachable automatic duplexer, a welcome feature for small offices and anyone who's looking to save money on paper. On-board features such as a one-button scan-to-file (or e-mail) as well as a junk-fax blocker will certainly be advantages to those with small businesses.


