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Entered CNET Catalog: 11/01/2002
SKU: 0808736331685
Manufacturer: HP
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Manufacturer description
The HP PhotoSmart 230 series color inkjet printer lets you preview your photos before you print using the color LCD display. Just select color, size and format and print borderless 4 x 6-inch photos in brilliant color - up to 4800 x 1200-optimized dpi color printing on premium photo papers. Print directly from your digital camera memory card - no PC required. And it's fun to take with you to parties and events, thanks to its small, compact size. It's so simple - easy photo almost anywhere!Product summary
The good: Crisp pictures; easy to set up and use; small footprint.
The bad: Limited to 4x6 or wallet-sized photos.
The bottom line: This small-format printer is great for printing lots of digital snapshots, but it's too specialized for all-around jobs.
Average user rating: from 6 users
4.0 stars
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 12/03/2002
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 LCD screen for PC-free printing. |
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The control buttons on top of the unit are simple to understand and use. A Save button lets you upload pictures to your computer. And the small LCD lets you access menus and call up status reports, as well as preview and edit photos. The sturdy front-loading paper tray can hold up to 20 9mil or 26 7mil stock. Equally convenient is the ink cartridge tray that lies cleverly hidden behind a front panel. Above the paper tray, you'll find four memory card slots that can collectively read CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Secure Digital, and Multi-Media formats.
 Reads various media cards. |
 Easy-to-load ink. |
On the rear of the unit lies the input for the power adapter and the USB port. You can use the latter to connect to your computer or directly to a digital camera.
The Photosmart 230 requires a single tricolor cartridge for photos only. One such cartridge comes with your new printer. There's no black cartridge, which is typical for many photo-only cartridges.
 One cartridge for photos only. |
Edit picture directly on LCD. |
HP bundles its standard photo and imaging software, which includes HP Image Editor for editing and managing images, and a Memories disc for storing photo albums. If you're serious about your snapshots, it's probably wise to invest in higher-end imaging software such as Adobe Photoshop 7.0 with more-advanced editing tools.
If your photos need very little editing, you can skip the PC apps altogether and use the printer's LCD-based menu system to add color effects (such as sepia), adjust brightness, zoom, print an index page (be sure to use an index card for this option, rather than expensive glossy paper), or even assemble a slide show. This option also comes in handy when you wish to print directly from a media card or a digital camera.
At standard resolution, the 230 outpaces larger photo printers, taking just a bit less time to produce a 4x6 photo than our lab techs take to boil a three-minute egg. Despite the 230's speedy execution, the images came out sharp and the colors very accurate when output to glossy paper in CNET Labs' tests, though images printed on index cards were undersaturated. Furthermore, in both our lab and informal tests, we noted a tendency toward slightly red skin tones, which imaging software can correct.
Naturally, printing photographs is an ink-intensive endeavor. We didn't run formal ink-drain tests, but based on the large amount of ink needed for a photograph, we figure those near-$25 cartridges will add up, especially if you tend to print at higher resolutions. The 230's highest resolution (4,800x1,200 optimized dpi) will take plenty of time and consume enough ink to make you wish that one of those front slots were for your ATM card; let's not give HP such ideas, though.
| Inkjet color speed test (photo) Minutes per page; shorter bars indicate better performance | ||||||
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Photo printer quality
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The 230 comes with HP's standard one-year limited hardware warranty and 90 days of software support. You can buy a three-year extended warranty for $69.99. HP's Web site includes driver and software downloads, PDF manuals, troubleshooting info, FAQs, and e-mail support. While the information on the site appears to be accurate, it is not as comprehensive as we'd like. However, it is easy to navigate and won't lead you through blind alleys of information before directing you to e-mail or phone support.
The free phone support is available from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays PT. In our test call, we had an excellent experience. We reached a human being within three minutes on a Saturday afternoon, and the technician we spoke to was polite, knowledgeable, and thorough. We never had the impression we were being rushed.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 User Rating: 
4/10
Hp wants to charge me to answer a question
Pros: Printer prints great
Cons: customer support doesn't exist when out of warrantee
Review: I bought this hp photosmart 230 printer when it first came out for about $200.00. I used up one ink cartridge and put the printer away. I called customer service to ask "what else can I do to correct the paper jam" and was told I would have to pay them to find out. I know the ind cartridge is low of ink, could that be the problem? I don't think so either! I went to their website and the only help they offered is to clean the two white flags with a moist cotton swab. If anyone has any other suggestions to offer, please drop me an email at videoeditor58@aol.com
User Rating: 
10/10
Fantastic little Gem!
Pros: Fantastic quality, good response times, excellent software - overall a winner from HP!
Cons:
Review:
User Rating: 10/10
Great prints, easy to use
Pros: Small, easy to use, even for my wife. Print photos with or without a computer.
Cons:
Review:
User Rating: 
8/10
Great for Pictures
Pros:
Cons:
Review: produces great pictures but does not have text features. A great addition would be a Postcard Printer format that would print a Standard Postcard backing onto pics. Listen Up HP!
User Rating: 
9/10
Wonderful Little Printer
Pros:
Cons:
Review: I am somewhat picky and have waited years for a nice photo printer. I read the reviews and it was just as promised. Beautiful crisp, detailed glossy photographs emerge from this little wonder in less than 2 minutes. It has a tiny footprint, prints w/o a PC and sports a nice LCD screen for reviewing. No more trips to the local store! Yes paper costs and ink are about the same but what about the opportunity cost savings? No driving, spending time waiting, parking meters, etc. Besides I got a deal on paper and ink, so if you look around, there are bargains. Certainly these printers cannot completely match the quality of real film but the difference is so minimal now that most people wouldn't even know. My best purchase in years, glad I made the decision.
User Rating: 10/10
Great Print Quality, Excellent Printer
Pros:
Cons:
Review: I've had this printer for seeral months and I still use it all the time. PRint quality is outstanding, its quiet, and best of all its very convenient. Just plug in the card, select the picture and hit the button. Unless you look really close, you can't tell its not a developed photo.
