HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus

Bottom Line

The HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus delivers professional-looking output at rapid speeds. Text, graphics and photos are generally crisp and bright. Some foibles with wireless connectivity and paper handling don't deter reviewers and users from highly recommending the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus for use in home and business offices as a dependable, everyday printer.

Ease of Use

Three supported interfaces make setup easy. Setting up the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus is "a breeze," one reviewer says, whether you use the Internet, Wi-Fi or a direct USB connection. You do, however, have to supply your own USB cable. The 4.3-inch color touch screen provides a simple interface to the printer, though one reviewer found that he had to "aggressively" press the screen to activate the display as there's no sensitivity control. The menu is well-organized and easy to navigate, and it accesses all the functions of the printer, including HP's web apps.

Though little is said in professional reviews, owner reviews do turn up some issues. At Amazon.com, several users report that the printer struggled when asked to feed heavy weight paper or photo stock, though others report no problems or easy work-arounds. Some users also complain about challenges in getting the Officejet Pro 8600 to play nicely with their wireless network.

Performance

Fast and professional-quality output. There's no doubt that the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus is one of the fastest inkjet multifunction printers in its price range, both in printing and in scanning. In PCWorld's challenging print test, the OfficeJet Pro 8600 Plus printed a high-resolution full-page photo on glossy paper at above-average speed.

The editors at CNET say, "You could easily mistake the excellent print quality of the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus for output from a laser printer." Other reviewers and users agree that, in general, the output from this printer is professional-quality with crisp and dark text and graphics, even in smaller text sizes. The Pro 8600 Plus is also a consideration for those who print photos, as the photo quality is clear, with bright, vivid colors. However, photos printed on plain paper, rather than photo paper, tend to look a bit washed out and slightly yellowish.

Features

High-end features in a low-cost printer. Although large and heavy at more than 27 pounds, the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus has two indented handles on its sides that make it easier to move it. Its matte-finish case helps hide dust and finger prints.

Along with the standard print, copy, fax and scan abilities, the Pro 8600 Plus offers a wide range of other features, including an auto-duplexer, a 50-sheet automatic document feeder and a legal-size scanning bay. This printer comes preloaded with web apps that let you print pages from news outlets, including the Financial Times, USA Today and Reuters. You can print from any iOS device (iPhone, iPad, etc.) over Wi-Fi using Apple's AirPrint feature. HP's ePrint feature lets you email documents directly to the printer from any device, anywhere in the world.