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Engadget's back to school guide 2012: printers
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we have printers on our minds and on our desks -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the series we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! It's safe to say that, at some point, you'll need to print out a collection of assignments this fall. We're looking to save the environment just as much as the next set of folks, but physical outputs are still required for a number of things -- especially in the realm of academics. Now that WiFi has become a standard option on most ink-to-paper peripherals, the ability to print from mobile devices has become a hot commodity. A number of our selections offer just that, allowing you to get the job started without needing to be in front of a computer. Enough chatter, though... head on past the break to peruse our picks for the back to school season this year.
HP introduces Officejet 150 all-in-one mobile printer, Photosmart 5520
We've seen mobile scanners and portable printers, but a combination of the two has been slow in coming. Well, the mobile all-in-one has finally arrived. HP's new Officejet 150 has built-in Bluetooth for printing docs from Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, and it lets you scan to PC and email files in addition to transferring via USB and memory cards. A 2.36-inch touchscreen is on hand for managing prints, scans and copy jobs. One charge on the lithium-ion battery should get you up to 500 printed pages. The HP Officejet 150 Mobile All-in-One will ship for $399 in June, and if you happen to own an HP laptop, you'll be able to use its adapter with the printer. HP's other new printer isn't as exciting, but the $129 HP Photosmart 5520 all-in-one does add Wireless Direct, which lets you print directly from any web-connected device and from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch using Apple AirPlay. Like the mobile model, the Photosmart 5520 will hit shelves in June.
HP Photosmart eStation C510 printer / Android tablet now on sale
An HP Slate it isn't, but if you plop down $399.99 for the eStation C510, you'll also bring home a detachable 7-inch Android 2.1 tablet that's designed to act as a "wireless digital companion and control panel for remote printing." We'll point you to the source link if you're actually interested in the printer specs, and you can head right over here for a hands-on preview of the (admittedly lackluster) tablet. But do us a favor -- don't buy this thing for the slate alone, okay? Okay.
HP's Photosmart eStation Android tablet hands-on (update: video!)
So here it is, after months of details coming to light an inkdrop at a time, the HP eStation all-in-one printing solution. But we're not gonna dwell but on half of that: the 7-inch tablet skinned out by Yahoo and powered by Android 2.1. As we expected, though, the Google experience is decidedly less that you're accustomed to: search is Yahoo only, and our attempt to find an alternate method was met with a barebones settings menu (search via the browser page still works). Additionally, there is no access to Android Market, relegating your customization instead to HP's print-heavy app store -- sorry, no games, as that's not what the company wants to focus on here, according to the rep. That also means no native Gmail, much to our dismay. What Yahoo has provided is a suite of apps and widgets that actually work well in their simplicity, from weather to stocks and search. We were reminded at numerous points that this is a prototype build, and for good reason -- the responsiveness was questionably slow, especially in the browser. That said, the Nook store and e-reading app was as fluid as you'd ever need. WiFi is equipped on both the tablet and the printer for cloud-based connectivity on the go. Battery life is measured at four to six hours, and Android 2.2 is expected by holiday still sans Market, but beyond Flash (and at this point we question its performance on this hardware), there's probably not a lot of value-add in the update. Expect this AIO to be shipping the in the next few weeks. %Gallery-102780%
Exclusive: HP Photosmart eStation C510 is Android-powered Zeus / Zeen, may not run Gmail or Market apps
We saw it this weekend for a fleeting moment, but thankfully one handy reader sent us copies of the product page for HP's Photosmart eStation C510, which we can now confirm is the Zeus / Zeen printer and detachable tablet combination we caught wind of back in early August -- and we've got some more details. Bad news first: as of a month ago, the Gmail app was missing and there was no support for Android Market, meaning the Zeen might not be an official "with Google" Android tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab. (The product page conspicuously lacks any mention of the OS, so we're thinking Android might simply be the hidden-away base layer for the TouchSmart UI, making this thing super boring.) It does have the default Android browser and at least some custom apps for printing pictures from Facebook, Yahoo, and Snapfish preloaded, but we don't know about anything else. Major bummer, but we're told it shouldn't be too hard for the community at large to root the sucker. Beta testing begins this month, so that all might change before the projected September 20th release. Here's what else we know so far: The Zeen is a capacitive tablet running HP's TouchSmart skin on top of Android 2.1 -- it won't get shifted to webOS, and it's not clear if it'll get upped to Froyo before launch given the development time required. It has capacitive touch buttons, an SD card slot, video support, and at least some prototypes have cameras with a special webcam app installed. We're told TouchSmart will be locked in, but we don't know how deep that'll go -- right now the standard Android homescreen is still accessible. That's supposedly going away, so don't get your hopes up for any native Gmail / Angry Birds use. E-reading is a major focus, and the Zeen has "significant" integration with the Barnes & Noble Nook bookstore and ecosystem. Makes sense, as the Nook itself is based on Android, and being able to print e-books from the Zeen would be a huge differentiator -- and a great way for HP to sell more ink. The touchscreen is apparently not very accurate at all, and we're told the overall experience is far less satisfying than a competent Android phone. Don't expect this to replace your Droid Incredible for all at-home use. The Zeen will come in two configurations: a $399 bundle with a new printer called Zeus and as a standalone unit for an unknown price. The Zeus has its own "basic" control setup, but when the Zeen is docked it provides a rich interface to the printing functions -- presumably a web-connected interface like the one HP's been moving towards with other printers. (Note: the product page listed $399.99 but provided no indication what price the Zeen might go for solo.) Ship date is an estimated September 20th but due to some testing issues this may be pushed back. Until HP comes clean and inks out the details for all the world to see, check out the product page in pictorial format below. %Gallery-101545%
HP lists Photosmart eStation C510 printer with detachable e-reading touchscreen -- is this the Zeus? (update: yes)
Now, we don't have any confirmation that the two are one and the same, but we just caught wind of a very intriguing printer on HP's website. The Photosmart eStation C510 is listed for $399.99 and, in addition to usual ink-plastering duties, has a detachable wireless 7-inch TouchSmart control panel for browsing content, printing (of course), and "brows[ing] the latest e-book bestsellers or old favorites." It all sounds well and good, and if you ask us, it rings a very eerily similar chord as the eStation Zeen / Zeus from early August. If so, that'd make this touchscreen an Android 2.1 tablet with "significant" Nook integration for e-reading. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what's under the hood, software-wise. What say ye, HP, how about throwing us a press release yonder? Update: And just like that, the printer has disappeared off the face of the internet, without so much as a cached Google page to its name. Update 2: A trusted source tells us this printer is indeed the eStation Zeus of yore. [Thanks, Julian]
HP Photosmart e-All-in-One with ePrint now on sale: iPad printing, solved
We don't cover many printers on Engadget because, frankly, they're boring. So there must be something really special about HP's Photosmart e-All-in-One D110a, right? Indeed, it's the first of a new line of web-connected printers from HP to feature ePrint, the ability to email messages with attachments (Microsoft Office documents, PDFs and JPEG image files to name a few) to the printer from any device including smartphones and tablets -- no driver or app required. That's a pretty big deal. The $99 802.11n WiFi inkjet features a 2.36-inch touchscreen and prints at a rate of up to 29 ppm black (at up to 600 dpi) and up to 23 ppm color (at up to 4800 x 1200 dpi on photo paper). Scans are captured at resolutions up to 1,200 dpi (optical). It also prints directly off the web or via USB and SD / MemoryStick Duo cards if that's your thing. Sorry, no fax in this all-in-one but it is PC and Mac compatible and will work with Google's forthcoming Cloud Print service when Google sets it free in the fall. Expect to see higher-end printers from the e-All-in-One series launch in the next few months including the $149 Plus e-All-in-One with 3.5-inch display (worldwide in August), $199 Premium e-All-in-One with 4.3-inch display (worldwide in September), and $299 Premium Fax All-in-One (worldwide in September) with, you guessed it, integrated fax.
HP unveils Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web: "world's first web-connected printer"
Looking to make the wild and not-entirely-wondrous world of printers exciting for the first time in decades, HP has just unveiled the "world's first web-connected printer." If you're wondering how it plans on accomplishing such an impossible mission, let us just say this: the Photosmart Premium is going the way of the widget. Up on the 4.33-inch front panel is Touchsmart Web, a touchscreen interface with several bundled, online apps to accommodate usual paper-friendly tasks such as printing Google maps, tickets from Fandango, coupons, recipes, Sudoku, etc. There's even a full-on HD Apps Studio just in case downloading new apps on one's printer really becomes the new hotness. The API's being made open for the entire realm of developers, but we have to wonder what kind of interest we'll see here. Pricing is set for $399, and if you're thinking "why not just buy a cheap netbook and plug it into my current model" we hear ya, but we get the impression this is aimed squarely at another crowd. Lots more details are just past the break. Update: We just had a chance to try the printer / Touchsmart for ourselves. First off, surprise, the screen is capacitive touch, and it works well -- but only one finger at a time. We asked a rep about multitouch and were told that while technically feasible, it's not gonna be supported at this time. The widgets are created with a combination of HTML5 and Java, and much to our surprise, video streaming has been implemented. The Monsters vs. Aliens trailer we saw was decent resolution, but really, it's not a place where we need pristine quality. More screens in the gallery below.
HP to scuttle camera business
HP wants out of the camera manufacturing game. In what reads like a help-wanted ad, HP just announced that they are seeking an OEM to "design, source, and distribute" digital cameras under the HP brand. Instead, HP will refocus on its home photo printing and on-line photo services under its Print 2.0 strategy. So much for HP's rumored acquisition plans of Kodak, eh? [Via DPReview]
HP unveils nine new budget-friendly Photosmart cameras
What's a Thursday in June without nine new boringcams from HP to be totally underwhelmed by? We can't think of a better way to spend our morning than to sort through all these mundane Photosmart models, and if you have the patience feel free to join in on the fun. The cameras range from the $80 E337, which features a 5 megapixel sensor and a 1.5-inch LCD, all the way up to the R937 (pictured), sporting a 3.6-inch touchscreen and an 8 megapixel resolution, which goes for $300. In between is a vast wasteland of minor feature bumps and teensy aesthetic tweaks, but we've gotta hand it to HP for packing good amount of features into some fairly well priced cameras. Keep reading and all will be revealed.
HP Photosmart R837 reviewed
HP's Photosmart R837 is exactly the most ambitious camera around, but according to PC Magazine, it has failed to live up to their already lowered expectations. Though "not an awful camera," they found it to be on the slow side in terms of performance and, most importantly, less than impressive when it came to image quality, with both still images and video displaying noticeable problems. On the upside, they did find the camera to be easy to use, and they had no complaints about the price. Given the competition form the likes of Casio's Exilim EX-S770, however, they were hard pressed to recommend the camera, slapping it with a mere 2.5 out of 5 rating.
HP's Photosmart M537 and M437 low-end shooters
In addition to their R837 pet shooter, HP also unveiled their Photosmart M537 and M437 point-and-shoot cams this morning. The M537 brings a 6 megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD and HP's steady photo anti-shake technology. The M437 drops the sensor to 5 megapixels and scales back the LCD to a wee 2-inches, otherwise it's the M537's feature equivalent. Both cameras can run off standard AA batteries if you want to make the little babies and Al Gore cry. Expected to hit the virgin hands of digicam noobs this April for $130 and $110 for the M537 and M437, respectively. Yeah, that's pretty cheap.
HP's Photosmart R837 makes you and your pets pretty
Prepare for an onslaught of digital camera news today as the big PMA show officially swings its doors wide. Out bright and early comes HP's new Photosmart R837. It packs a 7.2 megapixel CCD, 3x zoom, anti-shake, and 3-inch LCD with SD expansion and the ability to shoot VGA quality video at 24fps -- nothing less than ordinary in today's marketplace. However, this cam is here to take your desolate insecurities to a new level by offering a full range of HP touch-up technologies such as blemish removal, slimming effects, and get this: a new "pet-eye fix." Does it work? Oddly, yes. According to Laptop Magazine's review, the pet-eye fix made they eyes of their cats appear "lifelike, without the eerie glow." They go on to call the R837 a "solid choice" for first time digital shooters... and readers of Cosmo who compulsively frame photos of their cats, naturally. For just $229, even your lonely Aunt Betty can find friends on MySpace after the R837's April launch.
HP "recalls" 679,000 cams, issues firmware update
So even though Hewlett-Packard is "recalling" some 679,000 Photosmart R707 digital cameras (224,000 of which are in the US), there's no real need to panic, because instead of having to send your model back, performing a simple DIY firmware update will keep your shooter from becoming a flame thrower. Like so many other recalls of the past, this one also involves batteries that can potentially overheat and start a fire, but the problem only occurs if you feed power to the camera when it contains non-rechargeable batteries. Therefore, if you always use rechargeables in your R707, it sounds like you have nothing to worry about, but you single-use AA users shouldn't plug in your cams until you've completed the update, 'kay?
HP intros four new Photosmarts: R967, R827, M627, E427
Among the 100 new products HP introduced today (we're not joking) are these four new Photosmart digital cameras, the R967, R827, M227, and E427. The R967 is the highest-end of the bunch, a 10 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom, 3-inch LCD, an anti-shake, and 32MB of internal memory -- price is $449. Next up is the $299 7.2 megapixel R827, packing an internal 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD in an ultracompact body. Rounding out the entry-level side of things are the $229 7 megapixel M627 with a 3x optical zoom, and the $129 E427 with six megapixels and no optical zoom. All four will be available in September.
HP's 8 megapixel Photosmart R927 reviewed
It's still seems a bit silly to be shooting 8 megapixel shots out of such a compact camera, but we're not going to stand in your way, and neither will HP with their flagship compact offering, the Photosmart R927. Besides the 8 megapixel CCD, the camera has a 3-inch LCD, along with HP specific software enhancements to help you get the most out of those 8 million pixels. The reviewer found the image quality solid, with "controlled noise" at ISO 400, good low light focusing, and HP's adaptive lighting functionality, though there were purple fringing problems that are evident when making large prints. The interface is easy enough for a grandparent to use, along with being easy to see on the 3-inch LCD. HP's image undelete, in-camera panorama stitching, and automatic red eye reduction software enhancements were all easy to use and fairly functional. After a brisk startup, the camera is a bit sluggish shot to shot, which is worsened by the red eye processing, but if you can deal with that, and the lack of an optical viewfinder or optical image stabilization, you might find this to be a pretty good cam for the roughly $400 price.
