Opinions on HP 3650?

[dakota7]

I am looking to buy an inkjet printer for my father, the world's most
computer-illiterate and -phobic person. The HP 3650 seems to fit the
bill for what I'm looking for, but I'd like other people's thoughts.

I want a printer for around $100 USD (under if possible), meeting these
criteria (most important first):

1. Easy to use - My father freaks when the slightest thing goes wrong
with his computer, necessitating a panic call to me or my brothers, none
of whom live close by, for help.

2. Good quality - Not office/professional, but not sloppy either.

3. Versatility - Primary use will be to print photos, probably 5-10 per
month, of his grandchildren. Maybe another 5-10 pages a month of text.
So low volumes of use, but a good mix of text and photos.

4. Long-term cost - I don't want something that needs expensive ink
cartridge replacements every six weeks, but he's not going to be doing a
high volume of printing either. My own HP printer uses the 15 and 78
cartridges for black and color ink, and they go on and on and on, giving
me a cheap cost per page. I'd hope for something similar for his
printer.

If the 3650 is a good choice, let me know.

If not, please make some recommendations based on the above.

 

[xNokia3390x]

If not, please make some recommendations based on the above.

Stay far away from that model. It uses the extremely small economy
cartridges - about 1/2 the size of your color and 1/3 the size of your black
cartridges at almost the same cost. Go with the HP 5150 instead. It has a
more robust print engine and uses the larger cartridges. These new line of
HP printers certainly look good, and for your father it's probably simpler
to just replace the entire cartridge when it's out of ink instead of looking
for 4+ seperate ones like on Canon or Epson. If you shop around, you can
get it for a decent price plus some kind of rebate or gift card included.

 

[Bob Gibson]

I suggest a Canon i560. It's in your price range, and i560 users will
attest to the high quality photo printing. The documentation is
excellent making it extremely easy to install and use. It comes with
bundled software for many uses. One in particular, Easy Photo Print, is
the easiest I've ever seen.

If you get it I suggest installing it first on your own computer
(including software), and re-designating your printer as the default
printer. If you do this you will have access to all the user guides and
help files, enabling you to help your father more easily by phone.

To find out more go to www.usa.canon.com

Bob

| I am looking to buy an inkjet printer for my father, the world's most
| computer-illiterate and -phobic person. The HP 3650 seems to fit the
| bill for what I'm looking for, but I'd like other people's thoughts.
|
| I want a printer for around $100 USD (under if possible), meeting
these
| criteria (most important first):
|
| 1. Easy to use - My father freaks when the slightest thing goes wrong
| with his computer, necessitating a panic call to me or my brothers,
none
| of whom live close by, for help.
|
| 2. Good quality - Not office/professional, but not sloppy either.
|
| 3. Versatility - Primary use will be to print photos, probably 5-10
per
| month, of his grandchildren. Maybe another 5-10 pages a month of
text.
| So low volumes of use, but a good mix of text and photos.
|
| 4. Long-term cost - I don't want something that needs expensive ink
| cartridge replacements every six weeks, but he's not going to be doing
a
| high volume of printing either. My own HP printer uses the 15 and 78
| cartridges for black and color ink, and they go on and on and on,
giving
| me a cheap cost per page. I'd hope for something similar for his
| printer.
|
| If the 3650 is a good choice, let me know.
|
| If not, please make some recommendations based on the above.

 

[Don Davis]

xnokia3390x,
I concur with Bob Gibson. The Canon i560 is an amazing machine.
Don Davis

 

[dakota7]

Thanks for the tips. The HP 5150 looks good and the Canon i560 looks
like the reviews were written by Canon employees! It sounds
unbelievable!

I'm wondering now about what comes with the printers. I believe I read
that at least the 3650 doesn't come with the necessary USB cable, and
possibly comes without the photo ink cartridge. True?

What about the other printers discussed?

I don't think a price for a printer is a legitimate price if something
needed to make it work out of the box - especially the cable required to
connect it to a PC - has to be purchased separately.

 

[xNokia3390x]

I don't think a price for a printer is a legitimate price if something
needed to make it work out of the box - especially the cable required to
connect it to a PC - has to be purchased separately.

Unfortunately 90% of all printers sold do not include a cable; it's common
practice not to include it.