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Entered CNET Catalog: 09/02/2000
SKU: C6455B#ABA
Manufacturer: HP
Manufacturer description
This high-performance printer for professional users delivers outstanding print quality plus the benefits of the latest technology. It offers infrared and automatic two-sided printing features, optical paper sensing and optional networking. With the ability to print up to 17 pages per minute in black, the HP Deskjet 990C Series color photo quality printer is the answer for those who demand productivity, efficiency and outstanding results for their small or home office. HP PhotoREt III combines smaller drop size and vibrant inks with improved fade resistance to produce fast, outstanding print quality in all modes and all media, including incredibly realistic photo images. HP ColorSmart III allows the printer to automatically deliver sharper, clearer, more vivid output. HP Deskjet 990C Series supports USB, a peripheral bus specification that provides Plug and Play capability to computer peripherals. Printers that connect to a computer through USB are automatically configured as soon as they are attached, without the need to reconfigure the computer or restart.Product summary
The good: Very good graphics quality; fast and quiet; automatic duplexing.
The bad: Expensive.
The bottom line: A fast machine that prints both text and graphics very well.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 09/05/2000
Excellent Graphics on Any Paper
The DeskJet 990Cse excelled in print quality, especially with graphics. On CNET Labs' tests, its plain-paper images ranked No. 1 among the printers we've evaluated. On coated paper, the graphics also looked great--colorful and detailed without undue artificial brightness. However, text printed on plain paper at 600 dots per inch (dpi) looked faint and feathery, rating just fair, though the same text on coated paper earned a good rating for crisp, dark, and clean lines. The DeskJet 990Cse's top resolution is 2,400 by 1,200 dpi, but you can use it only for printing photos with HP's PhotoREt III print technology (a software-enhanced interpolation).
You can feel even better about the pages you're printing because they'll come out fairly quickly and cheaply. The DeskJet 990Cse printed simple 600-dpi text at 4.2 pages per minute (ppm), making it one of the ten fastest printers we've tested. And at 4.1 cents per page of 600-dpi text and 26 cents per color page, the DeskJet 990Cse also ranks among the top 10 percent of the printers we've tested for economy.
Bells and Whistles Aplenty
The DeskJet 990Cse offers many unusual and useful features. For instance, it's one of the few ink jets in its class to have Cancel and Pause buttons on its front panel; most make you intervene through the software driver. It's also one of only a handful of printers that has an IrDA-compliant infrared port for interfacing with PDAs, digital cameras, and laptops. Another noteworthy feature is the built-in, automatic paper-type sensor, which accurately discerns and sets parameters for glossy paper, plain paper, transparency stock, and so on. Most notably, the printer's Automatic Two-Sided Printing Module lets you print in duplex without having to baby-sit the pages as they come through; however, the process adds about 30 seconds of print time per sheet. Add an HP JetDirect External Print Server (which costs extra), and you can even network the printer.
The DeskJet 990Cse's driver software also offers plenty of choices. You can select print quality (draft, normal, best); paper type and size; n-up printing of up to four reduced-size pages on a single sheet; and poster printing. You can tell the printer to produce text and images in a format that will fax or photocopy clearly; you can also adjust color tone, saturation, and brightness via sliding scales.
Without a Hitch
Setting up the DeskJet 990Cse was easy and uneventful. The printer is both Windows (3.1, 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000, ME) and Mac (OS 8.5 or above) compatible, and it connects via parallel or USB. In addition to the Quick Start poster, an included CD-ROM contains an electronic user's guide. Installing the ink cartridges is quick, simple, and foolproof. Lift the printer's cover, and a yellow arrow points to one of five print cartridge status icons to warn you of problems. During actual printing, the machine runs smoothly and quietly.
Free technical support for the DeskJet 990Cse is available by phone during its one-year warranty period, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. MT and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT (long-distance charges may apply). Toll-free, automated support is available via phone, and the company's Web site provides software updates, printing tips, and manuals.
The $399 HP DeskJet 990Cse isn't cheap, but it offers plenty for the money, including great print quality, competitive speed, and a plethora of high-end features, such as an infrared port, automatic duplex-printing, and networkability.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 User Rating: 
10/10
Great Printer!
Pros: I've had mine for at lest 9 years now and it's still going strong. I've thought of upgrading to a printer with full bleed, but I haven't been able to find one with good reviews that includes a duplexer. I'm quite attached to double sided printing!
Cons: Separate ink tanks would have been nice.
User Rating: 10/10
Nine years and still great output - amazing
Pros: Workhorse with great quality output many years after an inkjet printer should have fallen apart. Kudos to HP, this one is "strong like bull".
Cons: I must have spent $20,000 on ink over those years so I just upgraded to a color laser multifunction Xerox 6180mpf/d. There aren't many color lasers that will compete with the 990cse image quality but I think this is one of them.
User Rating: 
9/10
Great machine! In use 7 years now. Refuses to die. But for my need of a FAX in a small area, I
Pros: Good quality color. Usually pretty quick. Trouble-free, 7 years in use. Will not stop on low ink. Uses all paper types quite well. SO easy to use.
Cons: Cost of cartridges (coming down of late); sometimes a bit slow. Only one paper tray. DURABLE!
I bought this one, because Consumer Reports rated it very highly. For the second time they were so right! The first time was a Canon printer back in 1997 or so. But this one so far exceeded my expectations. I bought it in 2000. It is still very much in use today. In fact, when I replace it, I will keep it on hand just in case the HP L7680 I am considering does not live up to its workhorse predecessor.
If you see this one in a store somewhere, grab it! I doubt that it is still in production, but if it is, you will do well to grab it at what I am sure is a much reduced price from its initial price of just under $400.
User Rating: 
6/10
Reliable Quality Printing
Pros: Great text and good very good graphics even after 4 years of use!
Cons: Slow print jobs.
User Rating: 9/10
workhorse with duplex feature!
Pros: solid quality text and graphics duplex capability big bonus
Cons: cartridge costs
