The HP DeskJet 950C series automatically makes everything you print look its best. HP's PhotoREt III Color Layering Technology uses precisely layered ultra-small ink drops to... more
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A review by wreckferret on HP Deskjet 950c February 17th, 2003
Author's product rating:
Picture quality
Good
Printing speed
Average
Colour sensitivity
Good
Ease of use
Easy
Value For Money
Good
Advantages:
Extensive array of features
Disadvantages:
Memory - hungry applications
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I think HP has a nerve. It is capable of producing some of the world's most innovative and creative hardware peripherals, yet it sometimes fails to finish its products off properly. I'm not complaining about the printer - that in itself is fine, but the software that drives it and talks to it is frankly a disappointment.
PERFORMANCE The printer does what is needed - it's a high-resolution scanner, it prints over 6 pages per minute at full chat on its best setting and the results, although not breathtaking, are not bad at all for something that squirts ink. The setup is simple and quick. It worked out of the box and has not paid host to any mechanical gremlins in the 12 or so months it's been living in my study.
EASE-OF-USE The printer was designed for the Small Office/Home Office setup. In fact I had one on expenses when setting up just that, however, had I been paying for the unit, I would have regarded the £300 or so for the unit very well spent. My wife and I have used it to transfer images from Compact Flash cards (as there are sockets in the front of the unit to accept various removable media) and the shots end up transported to our PC. We can edit them, save them and eventually, post tarting-up and painting Groucho moustaches on unwitting victims' fizzogs, for example, print the images out. I use it to print or copy documents which can be scanned quickly and easily. The software is quite intuitive, but the terms are not really intuitive enough for the non-IT user. I've not used any Optical Character Recognition as I think it's an abject waste of time. My father has tried it on his machine and spent the evening going through correcting the assumptions. A labour-saving device like this is often questionable. On the whole, it is easy to operate and it does what it is expected to do. Even cartridge changes are performed with the least of effort.
SOFTWARE Here I'm afraid, is the sticking point. I have a fast PC running XP and plenty of RAM on board. The applet running the printer loads last on my toolbar and the monolithic code takes its time to run. When I go into the Director Software, which is responsible for the printer's ancillary functions of Faxing, Scanning and Media Card Handling, it takes a while for the software to load. The applications do not seems to be integrated well and the scanning tool, in particular, does not, in my opinion at any rate, report colours or image sizes truthfully. The scanner, when it is set up, requires much thought and there is a need to pop out into Director, from the scanning application, to play about with Settings governing resolution and colour depth, for instance. Its first path ought to go for a "best-guess" rather than relying on the user, who may not be that pc-savvy, to resort to trial and error in order to obtain a good scan.
OVERALL I have no qualms admitting it's good. HP ought to take a hard look at its software division and make the intuition more evident. It should not be difficult to use a printer/fax/scanner. Neither should it be difficult to sit down at the computer and drive one.
Advantages: Everything you need on one USB connection Disadvantages: supplied CD is no use if you got windows XP
...by my former Printer
the HP 1220c..
HP made have made no compromises or taken any prisoners on this project. In fact, I have to say this is one of the best inkjet photo printers I've used and I have used a lot ( mostly HP.
The excellent text printing at up to 6.5 pages per minute for normal black printing and 12 pages a minute in draft mode. This is not the fastest printer on the market, but draft mode is actually good enough for everyday use ... ...be improved upon and knowing HP I am sure that they will improve on it..for a small business of home use this is a must have item..throw away your fax machine/scanner and copier go and buy yourself a HP PSC 950 priced at about £275 - 300 inc VAT it is an excellent deal if you can get it cheaper snap their arms off.....
Enjoy your new All in One ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Good print quality, Quite fast and reliable, as well a quiet. Disadvantages: Doesn't come with the correct cables, you have to fork out an extra £15-£20.
...a tiny bit faster, but HP probably would have had to comprimise on the quality. It'll have to do.
Overall--
Reasonably cheap, reliable, fast and quiet, well worth it! Get it as a gift for a loved one or simply buy it as a treat for yourself.
FIVE OUT OF FIVE
GO GET IT. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Good quality,easy to set up Disadvantages: Uses lots of ink in High Quality modes
Because we use HP printers I get to see the downside of them very quickly.
A good part of my job is repairing them and we've got about 1000.
This is the first model we've taken that I've been impressed enough with to get one for myself.
It's not just that it's capable of very good quality prints on a range of media but it's easy to set up and maintain.
Most importantly though HP have fianlly managed to write a decent print driver for an inkjet ... ...by HP inkjet print drivers than any over piece of software.
The 950 also doesn't suffer from any of the problems of the earlier models, overflowing ink receptacles, smooth rollers and time spent aligning the cartridges.
For the price of about £150 HP have finally got a printer worth recommending. ...
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Advantages: Durability, ease of use, quality of print and quietness. Disadvantages: Cost of manufacturers cartridges - but isn't that always the problem!
...as consumable items. This HP bucks the trend (perhaps HP didn't realise they they were making one as good as this). It has kept going, producing good quality prints, quietly, consistently and with no fuss.
I am sure it was first used with a Windows NT PC, then Windows 2000 and finally XP. The drivers have always worked well.
It has never leaked, rarely jams, required almost no head cleaning and the odd dust on top is the only maintenance required. ... ...Shop around and you can get them quite easily for lower price. It seems to cope with refills when used alternately with originals with no ill effects. I sometimes get the impression that this will outlast me.
I am sorry that I cannot comment on its use for photo quality as I have only recently got into digital photography and tend to use this printer just for documents and internet pages. ...
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Advantages: Cheap cartridges available, Quick, reliable, copes with heavy paper, usb interface Disadvantages: software needs to be downloaded, cartridge doesnt last very long
...get remanufactured cartridges - the hp ones are really expensive) works well over usb, quite quick at printing. you can get software for it (from the hewlett packard website) which allows you to know how much ink is left. Can also cope with quite a few types of paper (even the heaviest ones, i use fujifilm 270gsm paper and it copes very well with it), it also comes with a special slot for putting envelopes in to print on them. One bad thing is that ...
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Advantages: High quality flawless printing guaranteed Disadvantages: Expensive
...I own an HPDeskjet950C (Most cartridge distributors websites have compatibility tables to find the right cartridge for your printer) and I've been buying these HP ink cartridges for a few years now. So far I have never had problem with them.
I think I do an average amount of printing; A few photos, documents, maps for driving, etc. and these cartridges have always performed flawlessly.
But then you'd expect them to wouldn't you?
They are made by a reputable manufacturer and are specifically designed for use in my printer. They come well packaged, vacuum sealed in plastic to prevent the ink drying out, and securly contained inside sturdy cardboard cases.
They are, generally, easy to install by following the instructions that came with the printer. I don't have experience with every HP printer, but I have installed ink...
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Optical / Interpolated Resolution: 1200 x 1200 dpi / 1200 x 2400 dpi
Scan Mode: Single-pass
Type: Flatbed scanner, Flatbed scanner - desktop
Compliant Standards: TWAIN
Grayscale Depth: 14-bit grey
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Manufacturer's product description
The HP DeskJet 950C series automatically makes everything you print look its best. HP's PhotoREt III Color Layering Technology uses precisely layered ultra-small ink drops to deliver more shades of color for incredibly realistic photo images. HP's new ink formulations allow vivid color output that resists fading. ColorSmart III technology creates crisper, shaper images; brighter, truer, more accurate colors; and faster color processing that doesn't sacrifice speed for printing quality. You can quickly and quietly print precisely scaled-to-fit photo images, vibrant lifelike color photos, and clean, sharp letters. Crisp black text prints up to 11 pages per minute and color prints up to 8.5 pages per minute. Whatever your operating system, the HP DeskJet 950C series plug and play features make it easy to install. The system is compatible with Microsoft Windows 3.1x, 95, 98, NT 4.0, and 2000 Professional; MS-DOS applications; and Macintosh OS 8.1 or above (USB-Connect Macintosh only). You save time and money with the print cancel button, a low ink warning feature, and a unique built-in 4" x 6" photo tray which allows you to switch from plain to photo paper without leaving your desk.
