EmailBest Reviewed
Inkjet Printers
- Best general-purpose inkjet printer Canon Pixma iP4700 *Est. $100
- Basic inkjet printer HP Deskjet D1660 *Est. $30
- Budget inkjet printer with LCD HP Photosmart D7560 *Est. $150
- Best photo quality, but expensive Epson Stylus Photo 1400 *Est. $275
- Office inkjet printer with networking HP Officejet 6000 Wireless *Est. $90
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- Good photos on quality paper
- Longer-lasting pigment inks
- Good value in its class
- No LCD screen
- No networking
- Text printing only so-so
- Some bronzing on glossies
Reviews describe the HP Photosmart Pro B8850 as a good, midpriced inkjet printer for advanced amateurs and even professional photographers on a tight budget. Although it can print text and graphics, that isn't its primary function, and even photos won't look great on cheap copy paper. Picky users will note some bronzing on glossy paper, but generally the B8850 produces high-quality, long-lived archival prints via longer-lasting pigment inks, reviews say. The Photosmart Pro B8850 is basically the same printer as the Photosmart Pro B9180 (*Est. $650), but without Ethernet networking. If you want a photo-centric printer but don't want to spend $500, reviews say the Epson Stylus Photo 1400 (*Est. $275) is a good midrange choice.
We found the best reviews at PCMag.com and Macworld, which use hands-on testing as a basis for assigning an overall numeric score that lets users quickly see how printers rank against each other. We also found good coverage at Shutterbug and on PopPhoto.com, the website of Popular Photography magazine, though there's no reader-friendly rankings system. There are about 25 owner reviews at Amazon.com as of this writing.
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PCMag.com competently tests lots of printers, so the HP Photosmart Pro B8850's Editors' Choice designation is meaningful. While the quality of photos and graphics on plain paper is disappointing, an upgrade in paper yields superb results in sizes up to 13 inches by 19 inches, the review says.
Review: HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Photo Printer, M. David Stone, June 13, 2008
The thorough Macworld gives the HP Photosmart Pro B8850 a rating of four out of five, saying it offers "very good" quality on good paper at a fair price. On the downside, it's slow and there's some bronzing in photos on glossy paper.
Review: Review: HP Photosmart Pro B8850, Rick LePage, May 15, 2008
Reviews here are generally thorough with a high degree of expertise, but sometimes fall short in making comparisons with other products. Here, though, reviewer Jon Canfield says the HP Photosmart Pro B8850 is a great value for the money when compared with the more expensive HP Photosmart Pro B9180.
Review: HP's Photosmart Pro B8850 Inkjet Printer; A (More) Affordable Pigment-Ink Option, Jon Canfield, May 2008
4. PopPhoto.comDetails/Subscribe
This report concludes that the HP Photosmart Pro B8850 is "an excellent choice for size, versatility, price and longevity" and a good alternative to HP's more expensive B9180. However, reviewer Andrew Darlow says he wishes it had a gloss enhancer like the Epson Stylus Photo R1900.
Review: Hands-On: HP Photosmart Pro B8850, Andrew Darlow, May 29, 2008
5. Amazon.com
About 25 owner reviews give the HP Photosmart Pro B8850 a good overall score, with just a few negative reviews and most giving it four out of five stars. Some say it's a good deal if you can live without some of the features (like LCD status display) of the HP B9180.
Review: HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Professional Photo Printer, Contributors to Amazon.com
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