HP Photosmart Pro B9180

The HP Photosmart Pro B9180's $650 price tag limits its appeal to casual users, but the printer offers features you won't find in a good general-use inkjet printer like the Canon Pixma iP4700 (*Est. $100). The B9180 has eight ink colors, three more than the Canon, and all are the longer-lived pigment ink rather than dye-based ink. That will result in better color photos on good photo paper, reviews say, although text printing is not as impressive. The HP Photosmart Pro B9180 is also capable of detecting a blocked nozzle and automatically switching to another one, and there's an Ethernet connection for networking. Reviews say the HP Photosmart Pro B9180's color accuracy makes it a good value for advanced amateurs or professional photographers on a budget, though the latter should note it can't print from a roll of paper. Although reviewers agree that the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 is excellent, the Epson Stylus Photo 1400 (*Est. $275) remains the value choice when it comes to semiprofessional printers.

The HP Photosmart Pro B9180's relatively high price means fewer reviews. Nevertheless, we found great coverage based on solid testing at PCMag.com. O'Reilly Digital Media usually fails to offer clear buying advice, but the review for the B9180 is very helpful. About 75 owner reviews are posted at Amazon.com, where some note that Vista users will need an extra download.