Yahoo! recently released a list of “Most Popular” printers based on user feedback at Yahoo.com. The results are:

1. Canon i850 Inkjet Printer
2. HP PhotoSmart 8450 Inkjet Printer
3. HP LaserJet 1320 Laser Printer
4. HP PSC 2410 PhotoSmart Multifunction Printer

The Canon i850 was given a 4.5 (out of 5 star) rating because of its ability to produce great color prints quickly and quietly. Users also liked the fact that the printer came with individual ink tanks (why replace the entire cartridge when just the magenta runs out?). Users also loved the fact that this printer was easy to set up. CNET (one of our favorite sites for researching new products) rated the printer 3.5 (out of 5) stars.

Our experience at Pacific Ink backs the comments made by Yahoo! users. Our customers are very eager to share their printer experiences when they call in. Even more, shortly after the release of this printer we saw a very quick rise in the popularity of the cartridges that are used in it.

The HP PhotoSmart 8450 is fall on the more expensive side of photo printers (A quick search of the web showed that prices range from $129.00 to $189.99). But Yahoo! users gave this printer 4.5 stars. PC World also gave it 4.5 stars. Users loved the LCD screen built on to the printer, the speed at which it printed 4×6 photos, and the fact that it is networkable. They also enjoyed the built in media card reader, which makes downloading the printing pictures so much faster.

The only negative we’ve heard is that the printer is capable of using up to 7 different cartridges. When faced with the prospect of choosing between high capacity or standard capacity, photo or non-photo grade inks, and the existence of a photo gray cartridge owners of this printer find purchasing the cartridges they need quite confusing (especially once you start mixing in the different part numbers for each of the cartridges).

The HP LaserJet 1320 is another great machine. Rated 4.5 (out of 5) stars by Yahoo! users, this machine is a true work horse (it is actually the machine we use in our warehouse to print the packing slips customers receive in their orders). Users liked that it provides high quality mono print outs (black and white), has great text printout, is networkable, and it offers duplex printing. On the flip side, they did not like that printouts can get quite warm (the paper actually gets hot), the low capacity toner cartridge that comes with the printer, the fact that it noisier than other laser printers.

The HP PSC 2410 is a multifunction printer (it can print, scan, copy, and fax). It was given a perfect 5 start rating by Yahoo! users. They loved the LCD screen and the fact that quality that the 2410 could print photos with. It is rare to find a multifunction printer that can also produce quality photographs. The single con was there the printer does not have a document feeder. This means that you have to lift the lid each time you want to scan, copy, or fax something. Not a major flaw, but in an age of convenience we can see where the users are coming from.

Our suggestion? You really can’t go wrong with any of these. They are all solid machines. It really just depends on your printing needs.

Buy cartridges for: Canon i850 | HP PhotoSmart 8450 | HP LaserJet 1320 | HP PSC 2410

Buy the Printer: HP LaserJet 1320 | HP PSC 2410

Here is an interesting story out of the United Kingdom. Hewlett Packard (HP) recently ran a newspaper advertisement in a U.K. newspaper. The ad compared used printer cartridges to used food. The text from the ad read:

“NO-ONE WOULD DREAM OF SELLING USED FOOD. SO WHY DO THEY SELL USED PRINT CARTRIDGES?”

Can the same argument then be made for the cups you get your Starbucks coffee in? How about paper we write on? What about the playground surfaces kids play on? Yes, recycled products are made from used products – that’s the point! This is also an interesting perspective as HP employs a very expansive empty cartridge collection program (called HP Planet Partners) that is aimed at responsibly recycling unwanted hardware or empty HP printing supplies. If HP sees selling recycled cartridges as equal to selling used food, what are they doing with all the printer cartridges they collect, and why are they spending so much money (they pay all shipping costs associated with collections) to collect these things? If Hewlett Packard, or any company for that matter, makes a product that can be recycled and reused shouldn’t we take advantage of that opportunity?

I commend HP for their recycling efforts, but am somewhat confused by the obvious contradiction this advertisement creates.

We haven’t been able to track down a copy of the ad yet, so if anyone out there can find it please let us know. We’d like to see what kind of chewed and spit out food they used. Can you imagine someone at their advertising agency chewing up some food and then spitting it out for the photo shoot?

Something to think about. Let me know what you think.

UPDATE: 3/16/07
For those with interest we were able to finally find out what kind of imagery this ad contained. It showed a half eaten apple, a peeled banana, and a carton of egg shells. After seeing this the United Kingdom Remanufacturers Association (UKRA) filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority. There has been no official decision as of yet. More to come . . .