My specifications for a home printer were rather high: double sided printing, scanning, and network; all of which combined can sometimes be rather hard to find at a reasonable price.However the J6410 had all of these, and more, and for the equivalent of roughly £100.
Features
The J6410 is rather well equipped, possessing duplex (double-sided) printing, a flatbed and ADF (automatic document feed) scanner. Which of the two scanning options is wanted is detected automatically, saving you the bother of choosing this manually. It can allow you to photocopy, as well as scan and print. In terms of connectivity it is really superior to many printers, offering the standard USB, as well as Network (Ethernet) and also Wi-Fi connectivity (it can be used ad-hoc, i.e. without seperate hub, or with an existing network, and supports all current encryption standards up to WPA2). This means you can avoid all the usual cable mess, and put the printer where it is useful, as well as letting you easily share the printer between computers and OSs. I could now even print from the garden, which I don't however have any need for. The paper tray can take 300 sheets, reducing frequency of reloading. Lastly, there are various card slots on the front letting you print pictures from memory cards. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the fax functionality.
Design
The J6410 is a rather large device, which for some could be a slight disadvantage. It is in a black and white design, not particularly interesting, but not bad either. It is however rather noticeable. The paper tray is quite easy to fill, and also take printouts from. (The paper input is really a separate tray which can be accessed by tilting the output tray up.) The scanner is also easy to access, the flatbed involves lifting up the lid, the ADF just requires you to lay the pages in the correct slot. A sticker on the top even shows you how to put pages in, which is rather practical. (No need to check the manual which side is up etc.)
In Use
Another good aspect is Linux compatibility, where one can hardly go wrong with HP, who provide Free (as in open-source) drivers for most of their printers. Setup (under Linux at least) was easy, involving opening printer settings, adding the printer, and just making sure the correct driver was selected. Under Windows installation is also easy, involving a supplied cd. Printing, at least over cabled network, is fast, likewise scanning is also fast. The only slight complaint is that the printer can be slightly noisy at times when printing, but it is still better than my old Canon MP160 which just made noise randomly, not only when printing. The start up time is also fast for the J6410, unlike my old MP160.
In Short
An excellent, multi-functional all rounder that can fit into any environment, and is easy to use. Suitable for both home and office use and for most Operating Systems.
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Aug 29th, 2009
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