HP Photosmart C7180 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, and Copier
I bought this printer to replace a hp psc 2100. The automated 4 by 6 picture paper tray is great, no having to take the letter paper out and worrying about getting the picture paper lined up correctly. The printer also is 802.11g wireless, I have the printer connected to my home pc with the usb cable, and I have setup my laptop with the wireless, and it works very well. I printed pictures and documents off of my laptop and the quality was great. the c7180 also is bluetooth ready, I have it paired with my cell phone and have printed pictures that I took with it. I tried out the negative processing on the printer. It takes about a minute to convert the printer over and get the film loaded in the special tray. It took about 5 minutes for the printer to scan and process the 5 pictures that was on the negative. I had a friend come over with a memory card, we put the card in the printers built in card reader, then viewed, edited, and printed the pictures without even turning my computer on. The included photosmart software is ok, it is not the easiest to use and does not have a ton of features but if you are just doing basic editing then it will be just fine. I have not tried the fax, since I already had a fax machine. The price may seem a little steep but with all of the features and how long that hp printer last for me(this is my 3rd hp printer in 15 years.) I would recommend this printer to anyone that does photo printing
So far, this printer is a delight. UPS delivered the unit to me without issue, and a day earlier than Amazon anticipated. Unbox and setup proceeded smoothly and almost without incident on both my MacBook Pro and my wife's Dell Inspiron E1705 (although it ran **very** slowly on the Dell). At first, the PC Setup Wizard wouldn't find the printer. I found C7180's MAC address and had it find the printer manually. True to form, the printer set-up on the Mac was quick and easy.
I was initially worried that printing wireless to the C7180 would be slow, laborious and error-prone. Not so. From both the Dell and the Mac, I noticed little difference between USB and 802.11g printing modes.
The first few prints on the provided 4x6 HP Advanced Photo paper were a little off, both Mac and PC. Black and white prints were flawless, although drying times were longer than I'm used to from my previous HP Photosmart 7520. Looks as if the nozzles needed some cleaning (not uncommon with a new Photo printer), as a single cleaning cycle fixed issue with colour prints.
Normal fast prints to regular paper from Word and Excel (both Mac and PC) were very sharp. Not quite laser quality, but very legible at 5 points.
When trying to print from iPhoto to 4x6 paper, I'm having to use the Advanced print option to choose the print tray, otherwise the photo prints to normal paper. Maybe that could be considered an "Advanced" setting, but that's not something I had to do with the old Photosmart 7520.
I haven't done much scanning, but I'm please with what I have done so far (some slides). For some reason, the light bar on the scanner **never turns off** and I plan to call HP about it tomorrow. The last thing I need is for that light bar to burn out. Additionally, the 3.5" screen is always lit up. Could be a function of being on a wireless network - the screen gives you feedback on the strength of the wireless signal and whether or not you are receiving messages or shared photos via HPs photosharing service.
So far, I'm impressed. I love the ability to print wirelessly from...well, whereever I want to be. I'm sure my mother-in-law will love the internet photosharing function. I'm docking a single star for the light bar and color screen remaining on for hours at a time.
edit - Duh. An option in the printer setup will allow you to shut off the scanner lamp if unused for an hour. Still no solution for the printer LCD remaining backlit.
I got this printer the other day to replace my HP PSC 950 all-in-one printer but found it to be a very mediocre printer compared to mine. The printer is nice and compact at a hefty 26-27 pounds. The screen menus are straight-forward and easy to use.
The setup was a snap. The printer offers several setup configurations. You can connect it to your computer via USB, router or just plain wireless. I choose to connect it via my Linksys Router since I didn't want to put my desktop on a wireless network. At lease this way my other three other computers (connected to the network via wireless) could still access the printer. I didn't have any problems with the printer recieving the data from the wireless computers--it took a little time but it was acceptable. If you allow the printer to be standalone, it might take a little longer to print a document or have a couple more issues (dropped network connectivity) since you're relying on HP's wireless hardware to connect your computers to it. Don't know how long HP has been in the business of making wireless hardware--that could be a issue. It worked ok for me, but I'd rather rely on my Linksys router for connectivity since I've rarely had a dropped connection.
I tried scanning a printed text document (without pictures) and have to say that it was much slower compaired to my printer. The only reason I can think of is that it's trying to also generate (and save) a preview on its small screen which I think is useless. The screen is too small to use as a preview for text. It also took its sweet time printing the copy (text only). They result was also below average print quality. I found better quality on my HP 722C injet printer. I tried printing a color photo and the print quality wasn't as good as some of the Epson printers. You still have to be careful how you handle the pictures--it probably has a lot to do when the quality of HP's paper. I think Epson ink and paper are better then HP. I'd actually look at buying one of those picturemate printers to print my photos before I relied on these all-in-one printers. When you start cramming a lot of features into my printer--you're bound to run into some technical issues in other areas.
Yes--cartridges for this printer can be purchased individually compared to many older printers so you don't have to replace those that have three-in-one color cartridges. That really didn't matter to me since I really don't print in color very often. I tend to go through black (for text printing) anyway. The 10ml black cartridge ($18)for the C7180 is pretty small compared to the 25ml black cartridge ($14-$25) on my old printer. If you do the math--these newer cartridges (costs per page) will turn out to be more expensive (especially if you print in color). When I printed a test page and compared it to other HP printers, frankly the quality wasn't that great. I expected more from this printer.
I didn't try the faxing capability since I use my computer to send/receive my faxes--besides I get a better size preview screen (for my text/graphics documents) on my computer. The one thing that really disappointed me was the mechanism for feeding paper into the printer. The entire tray is made of much softer/flimsy plastic (especially the small embedded tray for 4x6 pictures. The paper didn't fit in it smoothly. When I tried adjusting the width, it took some doing and highlighted how cheap it was. My 950's paper tray is much more sturdier than the one on this printer. Additionally--it seems you have to remove the 8.5x11 paper from the tray if you want to print envelopes. I didn't see a seperate tray/slot for inserting individual envelopes for printing. These couple things turned me off to this printer in a hurry--that's why I decided to keep my HP PSC 950 and yes--my HP 722C inkjet for now and return the C7180.
Don't be roped into this printer because of the fancy screen. Don't waste your money if you plan to use this printer to print a lot of pictures--you'll go through these small cartridges in a hurry. Get yourself one of those portable picturemate printers (with a preview screen)--like Epson. They work great. The scanner on this printer is not that good either--it's the same as my PSC 950. It probably has a lot to do with the scanning software the HP provides with this unit. HP hasn't made a lot of improvements since they started packaging it with older printers (like my PSC 950). I've also heard people having problems using other scanning software (like Paperport) with this unit but I wouldn't know.
Three stars--for the compact unit, screen menues, network connectivity and fax feature.
I have been an HP owner/user for many years. My Officejet G85xi died after years of loyal service. After searching and testing just about every multifunction available, I purchased the 7180. In my opinion, don't waste your time reading the reviews. Go to your local office supply or electronics store...ask the salesperson to print a photo-quality print...time the printing...compare the quality. I'll bet you choose the 7180. If you need a multifunction, this is the best choice hear and now.
I bought this AIO printer and returned it a day after giving it a pretty thorough testing. The prints and scans that I made looked great. The print speed was also very good, but, I bought this with the idea of doing some high quality scans of my negatives and slides, along with using all the other features. The scanning process was particularly slow and tedious. I did bump up the settings, beyond the default mode, but the entire process seemed too slow for me to consider keeping this machine. The controls for scanning seemed limited and not very intuitive.
All-in-all, it has great possibilities, if you are willing to wait quite a few minutes for a scanned negative or slide or if you do not need it for scanning transparencies.
We bought this printer for general use between school and work. Looked very nice and clean cut. When I took it home I printed out two photos and they came out with streaks. I went back into stapels where I bought it and the guy knew something was wrong and told me to get some updates online. I did that. Well I tried printing out a page for school and the paper was jammed and after taking all the paper out and trying to do it agian I kept getting a cartliage jamm screen. Ends up being the printer had hardware problems and hense I had to return it and get a new one. I didnt get the same printer because i thought it was weird I gotten one already broken. Needless to say, Stapels is a awsome place to buy from. very helpful and quick to please while taking care of all the little details.
I'm having problem to read the numbers (eg 1,6 ect) and name of functions keys (eg setup ect) on faceplate due to poor background and color contrast
If I need to fax and dial a phone I need to get very close to All in 1
The wireless connection is not well developed as the photosmart 2170
the printer can't recognized my IP either manual or automatic IP
I prefer the C6180
Thanks
Well after using an HP psc 2210 all in one. I would have to say hands down the hp c7180 is an awesome printer. I just bought this printer about 2 weeks ago and so far i have not had any problems with it. My mother actually had some old negatives from the 60s that we scanned and printed out they printed fantastic and the detail was really impressive. The set up was very easy and using an sd memory card to print out photos works great as well. The prints come out in very quickly. As far as faxing copying scanning and regular document prints. I have no complaints and after researching a ton of printers i would definitally recommend this one!
Amazon's list of color specifications is incorrect and indicates that it is a 4800 x 4800 dpi printer.
Here is a cut and paste from HP's website
Up to 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color (when printing from a computer and 1200 input dpi)
Nice resolution, but NOT 4800 x 4800 as listed at Amazon, all the other retailers have it correctly listed.
I bought this all in one recently and i have it set up and working wirelessly with my Mac and PC's. I research my items alot before i buy and then go to stores and get demos and let me tell you this thing is brilliant! If your after a wireless printer/scanner/fax this is for you, especially if you have different platforms. The photo print quality is excellent, I find it better than the ones in stores for some pictures.
I am not sure if my firmware is different to others here but my screen sleeps after inactivity and the lamp goes off after an hour of no use. The setup was really simple to do also, follow the brief instructions, first set up the printer and get it working, then install the software and it does the rest for you.
So far no problems with the unit and i think this could be up there with one of the best printers i have ever owned. I definitely recommend this product and am sure you won't be disappointed.
The C7180 Photosmart all in one has been a solid performer since I purchased about a month ago. I use for photos as an amateur Photographer. Photos are clear and chrisp. I also use for normal printing where it prints as fast as any printer I had previously.
Lost a start on the ink usage; I don't think its as good as advertised.
The product that I got was unable to print text. It scanned negatives and pictures fine and the printed pictures came out fine. However, it was unable to print an MS Word document correctly. I spent an entire day speaking to HP tech support in India and was told that there was an issue with my router. I was forced to purchase a USB cable (for some reason it was optional on this printer) and the problem did not go away.
Lives up to expectations for a moderate priced all-in-one inkjet printer.
Good: quick start up, easy menu system, decent print quality, makes a great scan, seems to use ink efficiently, fairly solid construction
Bad: a bit noisy, scan only to jpg format
I have not been able to print well in MS Word or Excel. I have also spent hours on the phone with technical support and they say it is a Microsoft problem. I am so disappointed and don't know what to replace this printer with. Other types of documents print just fine.
If you have aol safety and security on your computer it's difficult to setup this printer but after you do it's an high quality printer!
HP's printers get better each time around. Earlier models were flimsy, oversized and shook like crazy while printing. Noise also factored negatively into the process.
The C7180 manages to address most of HP's former faults and comes out a winner but only, so far, by a TKO.
The C7180 is a sturdy looking machine. Gone are the cheap, shoddy paper trays. It will fit in equally well at home, small office or large one. However, the machine is well built but not cumbersome or overly large. Compact in both width and height, it won't fit on a desk but you can find a spot for it in even the most limited of spaces.
Naturally, an overall concern, after stating that set up is easy, would be the quality of the output. Again, HP kept the quality in the product. Photo's and text print out flawlessly. The scanner "warms up" a lot faster than the stand-alone ones and generates great copies. The copier also performs like a pro.
In former models, the topic of the expensive cartridges and lack of a USB cord were addressed so I won't rehash that here; I'll just say that HP obviously is not going to amend that sin.
The only fault I found was is: I upgraded to WINDOWS Vista; the HP C7180 did not come with drivers for Vista. Furthermore, their website and technicans were unable to provide me with all the drivers I need. They promised this would be corrected shortly but as my notebook is HP, I find it strange that they could sell a "Vista loaded" product without having the peripherals. Once that obstacle is covered, assuming that the drivers will install quickly and correctly, I'm sure this will be a fantastic addition to the HP line.
UPDATE:
Although HP did not notify me, I found the 64 bit VISTA program on the web. It is big, took some time to load, slowed down the machine a bit but I have all the features you could possibly want and the printer is quite impressive.
I've had HP prnters ever since I bought my first computer many years ago. Either the C7180 is unusually "sensitive" or I had a string of bad luck compounded by an incompetent technician. I couldn't power up the first printer that arrived. I talked via the phone with a tech who arranged for a replacement. The second printer powered up, but I got an error message after I installed the ink cartridges. I have a Mac and it was on the weekend. I was out of town when the second printer arrived and I had 3 business days to return the first. Rather than wait and talk with a Mac tech on Monday, I tried an online tech chat, explaining that although I had a Mac, the problem didn't require connecting the printer to my computer; that I should be able to scan and copy without being connected to a computer. Nevertheless, the obviously canned instructions I received each step of the way included "re-connect to the computer". When I challenged the need to do so, the apparently off-shore tech agreed that it wasn't necessary. One instruction involved holding down a couple of keys whlle turnng the power on. The power "blew" during that operation. The next instruction was to be certain that I had the power turned on. Since there is no "off" key, and without power there is no light, there was no way to way know whether I had the power button on or off, other than trying it both ways, of course, which I did. At that point the tech was prepared to authorize me to return the printer, but I couldn't return it along with the first one, which I still had to take to a UPS pick up point. "No", the tech said, I had to wait until the replacement arrived to return the second printer. Since I live 25 miles from a UPS pickup point, I declined his offer of a replacement. I called Amazon on Monday and they had UPS pick the printer up on Wednesday. I'm now looking for a different wireless all-in-one printer.
I've only had the printer for a while. I've installed it on a wireless network with both a Mac and a PC. Installation went fine with one exception -- For some reason, HP requires a Mac to have the near-latest version of OSX, whereas it is backwards compatible all the way to Win98. (HP has done this with other printers I purchased.) Therefore, I had to upgrade the Mac OS before I could install the printer on the Mac. The only other negative I've noticed so far is that it takes a minute or two to power up. The printer has to go through all sorts of self checks and intializations of the print heads. Otherwise the printer performs as advertised.
Easy to use, and great speed on black and white print.Ink usage has been very satisfactory thus far. The cover should have a hinged stop to allow for partial opening of the cover without having to manually hold it.
I have used the copy and print features on this all-in-one and they have been very good. I have also printed pictures and they are outstanding. I would recommend this to anyone!
I was extremely disappointed/frustrated with this Printer from the moment I opened the box.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND HP BECAUSE OF THEIR POOR Customer Service/Tech Support; also located in India so Techs are very difficult to understand.
I spent literally 10hr+ on phone, 10 different Techs over a period of 4-5 days, none of the issues were resolved. Very frustrating when you spend over $300. expecting to receive a QUALITY product.
Scan quality is poor, no auto document feeder, & I could not get the Scan Menu to work w/o going thru my computer.
I have an HP932C printer (7 yr old) that has been a fantastic product, thus is why I wanted another HP.
BUT........I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER HP PRODUCT.
The HP C7180 is a well integrated product. All the functions are easy to use. I particularly like the ease of
printing 4 X 6 prints using the built in card readers. With it's individual color ink cartridges it's more economical to run than other printers with multicolor cartridges.
Love the wireless capabilities. Had some issues getting it up and running wireless, had to install twice. Once running does great pictures and works well. Quality product.
I've had outstanding results with this HP All-In-One device thus far. The device looks good, the software installed easily and the results have been all I was looking for. I've got this device installed in a Windows networked environment for my home use via a small, 4-port router. I've been able to unplug my previously used scanner and specific computer attached printers - we use this guy exclusively at this time. We are very pleased with this device.
I recently purchased the HP C7180 Photosmart printer. The printer it self is excellent. The print is crisp and clear. The photos print out as good as a photo shop. It has many excellent features, as noted - print, fax, scan and copy. You can even take slides and transfer then through the scanning function to JPEG files. The OCR function is excellent.
The biggest problem was getting the internal wireless network to work properly. I have considerable HRIS experience and followed the directions and the printer could not recognize the computer enven though it has the proper IP address. I had to spend almost two days with HP online chat technical help, having to go through multiple technical personnel before I was able to successfully get the computer and printer to be connect via the wireless network. I found their staff did not understand their own product and I finally realize the problem was a manual input of the IP address that had zeros, required the zeros manually entered to have the IP addressed recognized. HP's technical help didn't know this. In addition the network lost the connection and it wouldn't print. I finally permanently connected it with a network cable between the printer and the wireless router. This allows it to printer from any printer on the network and haven't had a dropped connection since.
This printer has it all. Not only does it print fabulous photos, but it also scans my old negatives and slides that I had lying around collecting dust. Setup was easy with the exception of the long software install time and a bit of a problem with the wireless network. Nothing that could not be overcome with a little research into the knowledge base at HP.
For sure this is worth the money.
I had heard about goofy software problems with this printer, but went ahead and bought it anyway. Set up was very easy. I set it up for a wireless network with both PC and Mac. It prints flawlessly from both computers as well as from my phone (bluetooth). Print quality I think, is supurb. I haven't tried scanning from mine, but in the store the photo scan and the document scan were very, very good. It was the ease of printing in the store a picture that was on my phone, that convinced me. I did it with no one there and no manual. I think HP has done a tremendous job with this printer and I have used Epson and Canon before this one (epson 2000P, 7600, Canon ip4000). Great printer, easy setup
In my home office I've have had a number of printers over the past 10 years. This is the best! I checked out 5 printers before deciding on this HP model. Why is it better? It's fast, quiet and compact. Ink cartridges install easily. Print quality is superb for photos and printed pages. Having 4 functions in one unit streamlines my desk and my tasks. The LCD screen is bright and easy to read. Controls are intuitive. Software (in spite of what I'd read) was a breeze to install and easy to use. The interface with my iMac is seamless and intuitive, as are control buttons on the unit itself. The purchase process from Amazon as well as their delivery was perfect.
I bought this printer because it does not make my home look like an office. It could ealiy pass for a piece of stereo equipment. I also really like the wire connectivity to give me freedom to put it anywhere. The drivers for Vista from HP can use some more work but the glitches are not showstoppers.
I'll admit I've always assumed HP printers were the best, but after some recent, less-than-stellar experiences (an OfficeJet that wouldn't share over a home network; an OEM'd HP my daughter uses that can't print straight, leading to some unnecessary tears), I began to wonder if they'd lost a step. I wonder no longer after buying my wife a Photosmart for Christmas. She'd been schlepping off to Walmart to print our digital pictures on an almost weekly basis (we have three small kids...this is what we do
The quality of the pictures is astounding. Even older analog shots that I scanned first, then reprinted look like they were produced at the camera shop. The fact that it has a 4"x6" photo-paper tray that is always at-the-ready means we can drop a quick print for a friend from any computer in the house without having to run and load separate paper (yes, we've done this more than once!) And it's fast enough that printing a best-quality photo at 8"x11" is not an all-afternoon event.
Setup was a snap. It recognized my Linksys home network right away. The menu system is self-evident and we spent VERY little time reading the manual. The multi-format disk access points are also a great addition. We've been able to grab photos from friends' cameras in a flash (pun intended).
Highly recommended.
Though limited to 4 slides at a time, even if in plastic or paper, excellent
scan of originals. worth the process of waitng. Over over 'all in one' product.
This is a great printer that does everything. I bought the two-sided printing attachment also, so now my documents are automatically two-sided. The only drawback at this time is that HP does not yet have full suport for Vista, although they do have the basic print/scan drivers.
I have been using this printer for over 2 months now, and I have to say that I am very impressed with it. The wireless feature is a must for anyone who has more than one computer on a wireless network. I am able to use all of the printer's funtionality from each computer on the network that has the HP Software installed. Unlike a traditional printer server that permits printing functions only, the wireless printer does not use a printer server and provides scanning and faxing features to each computer on the network. There are 3 different ways to hook this printer up:
Wireless
LAN Connection to Network
USB to PC
You can use the printer as a network device with all 3 configurations, but the USB to PC will only offer printing functionality to the other network PC's (also must have printer sharing enabled on the host PC).
I definately recommend using the wireless connection, as it supports WPA Security, as well as, WEP.
There is a slight lag with the wireless configuration, as it may take more time to send the document / photo over the network at a slower pace than if it were hard wired. But, as soon as the printer has the entire document and is ready to print, it is fast (not as fast as laser, but laser does not have the same photo capabilities).
I also fooled around with the bluetooth features by sending a picture of my daughter from my phone to the printer. The picture quality was as good as what was captured by the phone. It's a nice to have feature, but I could live without it.
Setting this up was very simple. Installing the HP Software was a little tough because of all of the new security in the latest PC's. It took quite a while, but once it finished, I was printing from all PC's.
I researched this and other products online before testing machines in person at a retail store. Price wasn't my first priority, but it helped that I was able to purchase it on sale.
I have used at least eight home printers in 20 years, including Epson, Canon and HP. I've had a couple of duds, but most have been adequate, and I'm partial to none. I've replaced only one printer due to failure. The others I've replaced as my needs changed and the technology improved. This is my second all-in-one.
As a scrapbooker, photo printing and scanning are important to me. My husband and grandson mostly print, copy and scan in black and white. Connecting our three Macs to one quality printer/scanner/copier made sense to us.
After seeing the machines in person I eliminated the Canon and went back and forth between the HP C7180 and the HP C6180. I considered the 6180 because of the lesser price and smaller footprint. The specs suggested both machines should be equal in speed and print quality, but I found the 7180 to be faster and quieter, with better photoprint quality. It also has a nice solid feel, and even with a little bigger footprint than I like, it fits easily where my old printer did.
As a longtime Mac user, I expect easy set-up, and I was not disappointed. The QuickStart Guide was enough to get me printing, copying and scanning. I was especially pleased that the printer immediately recognized my wireless network, even though we are still using our original Airport rather than the newer Airport Extreme. Connecting the other two Macs was as easy as installing software and going through the step-by-step set-up process. I don't know if this printer would be faster with a direct connection, but it is faster than my previous printer was with a USB connection, so that's good enough for me! I love the wireless connection. Love it.
I like the individual color ink tanks, three for regular color printing, five for photoprinting. The printer automatically knows when to use all five. The cartridges are color coded, easy to access and change -- no waiting for the printer carriage to align. Simply open the door, pop out the old and pop in the new. Cost was about $10 per color cartridge. For my previous printer, I was spending almost $50 for one black and one color cartridge, so this didn't seem bad to me, considering that I won't have to change a whole cartridge when my most used colors are gone. This is still an unknown, though, so I may have to report back later.
I also like the two paper trays -- one for regular paper and one for photo paper, with a special slot for 6x4 photo paper. All papers align perfectly for printing and copying.
While all the buttons on the control panel are a little initimidating at first, the functions are well-labeled and easy to use. Press one button to copy. Press another to scan, or scan from the HP Studio software. Borderless printing is a snap from iPhoto or card and the photoprint quality is the best I've gotten from any printer ever. So far the HP C7180 is well worth the cost (I paid $399) and deserving of five stars.
easy to use, it responds my needs of pictures printing beautifully, even when used as fax machine, wireless printer, it works much better than others
The HP C7180 is just terrible. I bought one from Amazon, and six months later it has been junked and replaced by a new Canon PIXMA MP960 All-In-One Photo Printer (1454B002) together with a Netgear USB Mini Print Server (PS121). The HP software drivers to install on every computer are gigantic, difficult and confusing, and never did work correctly (on Windows XP); they try to take over every function of your computer with half-designed "features". (The HP software has been dreadful on all their scanners and printers for the last several years.) This is intrinsically a network device, but network scanning never would work, and no fix was available from HP. Then after six months the yellow ink socket in the printer stopped working, and the printer would no longer print anything (not even in black). The replacement Canon MP960 and its print server installed very easily, and it provides higher-quality printing than the HP. Many details of the Canon MP960 design, software and hardware, are superior.
The HP PhotoSmart printer series is an extremely high value. It has been pretty much since its inception. However, it has typically been less of a bargain due to its much higher cost than the non-PhotoSmart equivalent. Finally, price meets value with the c7180. This printer is awesome! It has great networking capabilities with 10/100T Ethernet, 802.11b/g wireless and Bluetooth! The viewing screen is amazingly brilliant and large, and provides great onscreen instructions to perform any task.
I was having a problem choosing between this and the c6180. One of the deciding factors was the power plug. The c7180 uses a standard "computer" cable for power while the c6180 uses the proprietary 3-prong connector. This was a huge selling point for me because I may have a time where I need to replace the cable (puppy chews cables, kids pull on things, accidents happen...) and being able to replace it with any PC cable makes it considerably easier (and potentially cheaper).
Other factors that weighed in my decision were the auto document feeder, or ADF. The ADF is a very nice addon to any all-in-one printer. It sort of completes the package for copying and faxing. However, my point of realization for that feature was when I sat back and thought about why I was getting either of these printers. Primarily for photo printing, secondarily for document printing, and all other features are "bonus". I occasionally need a fax, sometimes need a scanner, and rarely need a copier. With this in mind, and knowing I was getting an inkjet, I decided the ADF was a cool, but unnecessary feature for my typical needs. Using the flatbed scanner in its place would prove to be an easy task when it came up. If you really need this feature, I would recommend a laser printer instead.
The added features that really offset the ADF were the photo gadgets that came with the printer. The slide and negative brackets are a nice plus. In addition the Bluetooth is truly the way of the future. Bluetooth is still in its relative infancy even though it has been out for several years. Because of its late adoption, only the newest of computers and accessories are realizing its potential. As we move forward Bluetooth will be how a product is judged on whether its life will continue or if it will be replaced with a newer (Bluetooth enabled) component.
And last, but probably the most 'valuable' part, the ink. The last printer I bought was also an HP. The 932C. It was a very good printer, even by today's standards. However, it had lived its life and was ready to be retired. One of the biggest downfalls of that printer was ink. The cost of the cartridges was extremely high, and the number of pages was increasingly low. With the c7180 you get individual cartridges for each color! Replacing only the color you need saves you a ton of money by not having to throw out a cartridge not completely empty. In addition, the cost of replacement colors is extremely cheap. Doing some window shopping I found them for as low as ten bucks USD. I am very pleased to see some standardization with the new cartridges and the cost finally becoming a reality for everyday people.
In the box you get a telephone cord for the Fax, a power cable, a packet of paper that includes photo paper and brochure paper, your first set of ink cartridges and a lot of tape. You also get a Windows and Mac install CD if you are so inclined to be that mainstream. If you are ahead of your time and run Linux you can rest assured that CUPS as well as HP themselves, directly both support this product in its full capacity (not just a driver, but full utility tools as well).
Finally, a purchase well worth making in the printer arena.
I just got this machine and have realized that a very large drawback is that their is no automatic feed for the fax. You have to fax 1 page at a time. big inconvenience. also the software that came with the 7180 is for a different machine a posed some big problems getting it going.
I was surprised to find there was no paper feed on this machine. I guess I could have checked ahead of time, but why? Isn't that something you assume? Anyway, the quality is great, but what a world class hassle to have to put each individual page on the glass, especially for faxing multiple page docs!!
Despite its small footprint, the HP C7180 printer is well-rounded in providing a comprehensive set of convencience features. Installation is straightforward, including its wireless setup. Network or wireless makes it possible to share this printer with all PCs in the house. I expect the multi-cartridge configuration (one for each ink color) will optimize ink usage and result in cost savings in the future. Color photo comes out spectacular, just like traditional Kodak photo wet-processing. The price at amazon.com was also great.
We are impressed. Purchased the four in one to upgrade from an HP 490 photo type printer. We had tried several wireless print servers during past several years and returned them all. The new HP C7180 found our home wireless network right out of the box as soon as I turned the power on. My wife does a LOT of color photos and she is very happy with the unit. She has scanned and faxed from her lap top with little effort. I have to spend some more time to get my computer to scan and fax. I'm sure this will take only a little time.
Overall, the unit has a lot of nice features and operates very quitely.
Works well and is well designed -- tilt out control board. Gave it a 4 because once in a while it will disconnect from the computer. This is easy to fix by turning the printer off then on or restarting the software. If those fail you have to reboot. The same thing goes for scan functions but that is addressed in the manual.
Great product, had a problem with the wireless set up but HP tech support is great!
I recommend this product 100%
The driver software that comes with the printer will not install on Windows Vista operating system. No where in their specs or description of this printer does HP mention this fact. As a result I had to search the internet for a driver that would allow my Windows Vista to print. If I want to fax or copy, you cannot do this from the bottom task bar as Windows Vista will not allow you to launch the printer capabilies since it does not recognize the launch buttons. Instead you have to fax or copy from the "Paint" feature in the "Accessories" menu. If you happen to own the Business edition of Windows Vista you can use their "Fax view and scanner option". This inability to place an icon on the task bar is very annoying and had the HP description mentioned that it was not compatable with Window Vista I would not have purchased this printer. I would have purchased the Lexmark X5470 for $250 less money.
HP does not mention, but c7180 is not really compatable with vista, even the hp update on the web site may not work. Printer top is very poorly made and can break off the weak plastic hinges. Printing is good and pictures are very good, but the lack of vista support makes this only a decent printer until HP figures out a good driver and software for the vista operating system. Works great in XP and Media system.
Extremely easy to use...I have Windows XP..works great with that. Software setup takes several minutes, but it installs programs to use with the printer also. Works hardwired to my desktop computer and wireless to my laptop. I've used it on a daily basis for nearly a month, and ink levels are still near 100%.
The Photosmart C7180 does exactly what HP says it does and it does it with acceptable speed and ease. As other reviewers have noted, if you want to use it with Vista, an extra step is needed. My printer did contain a prominant notice to check the HP website if you want to use Vista. The CD ROM that comes with the printer will not load on a Vista machine. I've seen the work of other manufacturers who will let their software load on systems that they are not fully compatible with, so I give credit to HP for its approach. The Vista compatible software for the C7180 was easy to find on HP's website (just do a search for Photosmart 7180). After downloading it, it installed with ease. Before loading the software, the printer had been found by my network and connecting it was a breeze.
Installing the software completes the process. There is one more download you may need however. If you are like me, you might have earlier versions of HP software on your computer (this will likely be the case if you have an HP computer or your previous printer was an HP). These earlier versions may interfere with the scanning feature of the 7180. A small patch available at the same place as the Vista download is designed to take care of that. Sure enough, before loading that patch, my printer would not scan to the computer though it would scan to print or to a memory card stored in the printer. After installing the patch, the scanner scanned to the computer as well. The 7180 also connected without problem to my Bluetooth phone. The printer produces beautiful prints and I find the text to be every bit as good as my previous regular HP printer. I like the layout of the controls and the fact I can tilt them to the angle I prefer. The LCD is bright and clear and it does shut off on its own after an idle period, as does the scanner light. The printer seems to go through a series of adjustments after each project, but I am told this is common to the new HP print technology. I have only two quibbles: I wish the printer had native two-sided printing without requiring me to purchase an overpriced accessory. And because the 7180 uses TWAIN drivers rather than WIA drivers, Vista Ultimate's Scan and Fax program can't see the scanner or fax. I can use the HP programs that come with the download, but I like Vista's Scan and Fax feature better. Here is hoping HP will make this adjustment.
We are very pleased with the quality of both the printer and the scanner. We previously owned a HP Photosmart printer and were very satisfied with it. The 7180 has proven to be a wonderful replacement. We were able to scan slides that were taken thirty years ago and the clarity and color were outstanding!
I bought two of these priners--one for me and one for a family member. The printers are great and work well with our iMac computers. The printers were shipped out immediately even though I selected the free shipping option. The instruction booklets were very simple making connections to our individual networks quite easy. The print quality is great.
The HP Photosmart C7180 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner and Copier offers a compact convenient solution for the home-office. After comparing this model to similar products produced by Cannon and Kodak, this model was the allover winner. This all-in-one scans with excellent picture clarity and the colors are truer than the other machines. Pictures printed from a memory card or from the computer are of high quality. The printer has a superior user interface which allows printing from a memory card or scanning of documents without computer assistance. The CD included with the printer did not have a Vista version of the drivers; however, the drivers were automatically downloaded from the internet after the computer detected "new equipment". A potential drawback is that the printer does shake as it rapidly prints; therefore, I would suggest that this machine be placed on a sturdy printer stand that can support the movement. Overall, I would highly recommend this product for anyone seeking all-in-one technology in a compact machine.
We are very pleased with the quality of both the printer and the scanner. We previously owned a HP Photosmart printer and were very satisfied with it. The 7180 has proven to be a wonderful replacement. We were able to scan slides that were taken thirty years ago and the clarity and color were outstanding!
I bought two of these priners--one for me and one for a family member. The printers are great and work well with our iMac computers. The printers were shipped out immediately even though I selected the free shipping option. The instruction booklets were very simple making connections to our individual networks quite easy. The print quality is great.
The HP Photosmart C7180 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner and Copier offers a compact convenient solution for the home-office. After comparing this model to similar products produced by Cannon and Kodak, this model was the allover winner. This all-in-one scans with excellent picture clarity and the colors are truer than the other machines. Pictures printed from a memory card or from the computer are of high quality. The printer has a superior user interface which allows printing from a memory card or scanning of documents without computer assistance. The CD included with the printer did not have a Vista version of the drivers; however, the drivers were automatically downloaded from the internet after the computer detected "new equipment". A potential drawback is that the printer does shake as it rapidly prints; therefore, I would suggest that this machine be placed on a sturdy printer stand that can support the movement. Overall, I would highly recommend this product for anyone seeking all-in-one technology in a compact machine.
The Photosmart C7180 does exactly what HP says it does and it does it with acceptable speed and ease. As other reviewers have noted, if you want to use it with Vista, an extra step is needed. My printer did contain a prominant notice to check the HP website if you want to use Vista. The CD ROM that comes with the printer will not load on a Vista machine. I've seen the work of other manufacturers who will let their software load on systems that they are not fully compatible with, so I give credit to HP for its approach. The Vista compatible software for the C7180 was easy to find on HP's website (just do a search for Photosmart 7180). After downloading it, it installed with ease. Before loading the software, the printer had been found by my network and connecting it was a breeze.
Installing the software completes the process. There is one more download you may need however. If you are like me, you might have earlier versions of HP software on your computer (this will likely be the case if you have an HP computer or your previous printer was an HP). These earlier versions may interfere with the scanning feature of the 7180. A small patch available at the same place as the Vista download is designed to take care of that. Sure enough, before loading that patch, my printer would not scan to the computer though it would scan to print or to a memory card stored in the printer. After installing the patch, the scanner scanned to the computer as well. The 7180 also connected without problem to my Bluetooth phone. The printer produces beautiful prints and I find the text to be every bit as good as my previous regular HP printer. I like the layout of the controls and the fact I can tilt them to the angle I prefer. The LCD is bright and clear and it does shut off on its own after an idle period, as does the scanner light. The printer seems to go through a series of adjustments after each project, but I am told this is common to the new HP print technology. I have only two quibbles: I wish the printer had native two-sided printing without requiring me to purchase an overpriced accessory. And because the 7180 uses TWAIN drivers rather than WIA drivers, Vista Ultimate's Scan and Fax program can't see the scanner or fax. I can use the HP programs that come with the download, but I like Vista's Scan and Fax feature better. Here is hoping HP will make this adjustment.
Extremely easy to use...I have Windows XP..works great with that. Software setup takes several minutes, but it installs programs to use with the printer also. Works hardwired to my desktop computer and wireless to my laptop. I've used it on a daily basis for nearly a month, and ink levels are still near 100%.
HP does not mention, but c7180 is not really compatable with vista, even the hp update on the web site may not work. Printer top is very poorly made and can break off the weak plastic hinges. Printing is good and pictures are very good, but the lack of vista support makes this only a decent printer until HP figures out a good driver and software for the vista operating system. Works great in XP and Media system.
Works well and is well designed -- tilt out control board. Gave it a 4 because once in a while it will disconnect from the computer. This is easy to fix by turning the printer off then on or restarting the software. If those fail you have to reboot. The same thing goes for scan functions but that is addressed in the manual.
Great product, had a problem with the wireless set up but HP tech support is great!
I recommend this product 100%
The driver software that comes with the printer will not install on Windows Vista operating system. No where in their specs or description of this printer does HP mention this fact. As a result I had to search the internet for a driver that would allow my Windows Vista to print. If I want to fax or copy, you cannot do this from the bottom task bar as Windows Vista will not allow you to launch the printer capabilies since it does not recognize the launch buttons. Instead you have to fax or copy from the "Paint" feature in the "Accessories" menu. If you happen to own the Business edition of Windows Vista you can use their "Fax view and scanner option". This inability to place an icon on the task bar is very annoying and had the HP description mentioned that it was not compatable with Window Vista I would not have purchased this printer. I would have purchased the Lexmark X5470 for $250 less money.
We are impressed. Purchased the four in one to upgrade from an HP 490 photo type printer. We had tried several wireless print servers during past several years and returned them all. The new HP C7180 found our home wireless network right out of the box as soon as I turned the power on. My wife does a LOT of color photos and she is very happy with the unit. She has scanned and faxed from her lap top with little effort. I have to spend some more time to get my computer to scan and fax. I'm sure this will take only a little time.
Overall, the unit has a lot of nice features and operates very quitely.
I just got this machine and have realized that a very large drawback is that their is no automatic feed for the fax. You have to fax 1 page at a time. big inconvenience. also the software that came with the 7180 is for a different machine a posed some big problems getting it going.
I was surprised to find there was no paper feed on this machine. I guess I could have checked ahead of time, but why? Isn't that something you assume? Anyway, the quality is great, but what a world class hassle to have to put each individual page on the glass, especially for faxing multiple page docs!!
Despite its small footprint, the HP C7180 printer is well-rounded in providing a comprehensive set of convencience features. Installation is straightforward, including its wireless setup. Network or wireless makes it possible to share this printer with all PCs in the house. I expect the multi-cartridge configuration (one for each ink color) will optimize ink usage and result in cost savings in the future. Color photo comes out spectacular, just like traditional Kodak photo wet-processing. The price at amazon.com was also great.
The HP PhotoSmart printer series is an extremely high value. It has been pretty much since its inception. However, it has typically been less of a bargain due to its much higher cost than the non-PhotoSmart equivalent. Finally, price meets value with the c7180. This printer is awesome! It has great networking capabilities with 10/100T Ethernet, 802.11b/g wireless and Bluetooth! The viewing screen is amazingly brilliant and large, and provides great onscreen instructions to perform any task.
I was having a problem choosing between this and the c6180. One of the deciding factors was the power plug. The c7180 uses a standard "computer" cable for power while the c6180 uses the proprietary 3-prong connector. This was a huge selling point for me because I may have a time where I need to replace the cable (puppy chews cables, kids pull on things, accidents happen...) and being able to replace it with any PC cable makes it considerably easier (and potentially cheaper).
Other factors that weighed in my decision were the auto document feeder, or ADF. The ADF is a very nice addon to any all-in-one printer. It sort of completes the package for copying and faxing. However, my point of realization for that feature was when I sat back and thought about why I was getting either of these printers. Primarily for photo printing, secondarily for document printing, and all other features are "bonus". I occasionally need a fax, sometimes need a scanner, and rarely need a copier. With this in mind, and knowing I was getting an inkjet, I decided the ADF was a cool, but unnecessary feature for my typical needs. Using the flatbed scanner in its place would prove to be an easy task when it came up. If you really need this feature, I would recommend a laser printer instead.
The added features that really offset the ADF were the photo gadgets that came with the printer. The slide and negative brackets are a nice plus. In addition the Bluetooth is truly the way of the future. Bluetooth is still in its relative infancy even though it has been out for several years. Because of its late adoption, only the newest of computers and accessories are realizing its potential. As we move forward Bluetooth will be how a product is judged on whether its life will continue or if it will be replaced with a newer (Bluetooth enabled) component.
And last, but probably the most 'valuable' part, the ink. The last printer I bought was also an HP. The 932C. It was a very good printer, even by today's standards. However, it had lived its life and was ready to be retired. One of the biggest downfalls of that printer was ink. The cost of the cartridges was extremely high, and the number of pages was increasingly low. With the c7180 you get individual cartridges for each color! Replacing only the color you need saves you a ton of money by not having to throw out a cartridge not completely empty. In addition, the cost of replacement colors is extremely cheap. Doing some window shopping I found them for as low as ten bucks USD. I am very pleased to see some standardization with the new cartridges and the cost finally becoming a reality for everyday people.
In the box you get a telephone cord for the Fax, a power cable, a packet of paper that includes photo paper and brochure paper, your first set of ink cartridges and a lot of tape. You also get a Windows and Mac install CD if you are so inclined to be that mainstream. If you are ahead of your time and run Linux you can rest assured that CUPS as well as HP themselves, directly both support this product in its full capacity (not just a driver, but full utility tools as well).
Finally, a purchase well worth making in the printer arena.
The HP C7180 is just terrible. I bought one from Amazon, and six months later it has been junked and replaced by a new Canon PIXMA MP960 All-In-One Photo Printer (1454B002) together with a Netgear USB Mini Print Server (PS121). The HP software drivers to install on every computer are gigantic, difficult and confusing, and never did work correctly (on Windows XP); they try to take over every function of your computer with half-designed "features". (The HP software has been dreadful on all their scanners and printers for the last several years.) This is intrinsically a network device, but network scanning never would work, and no fix was available from HP. Then after six months the yellow ink socket in the printer stopped working, and the printer would no longer print anything (not even in black). The replacement Canon MP960 and its print server installed very easily, and it provides higher-quality printing than the HP. Many details of the Canon MP960 design, software and hardware, are superior.
easy to use, it responds my needs of pictures printing beautifully, even when used as fax machine, wireless printer, it works much better than others
I researched this and other products online before testing machines in person at a retail store. Price wasn't my first priority, but it helped that I was able to purchase it on sale.
I have used at least eight home printers in 20 years, including Epson, Canon and HP. I've had a couple of duds, but most have been adequate, and I'm partial to none. I've replaced only one printer due to failure. The others I've replaced as my needs changed and the technology improved. This is my second all-in-one.
As a scrapbooker, photo printing and scanning are important to me. My husband and grandson mostly print, copy and scan in black and white. Connecting our three Macs to one quality printer/scanner/copier made sense to us.
After seeing the machines in person I eliminated the Canon and went back and forth between the HP C7180 and the HP C6180. I considered the 6180 because of the lesser price and smaller footprint. The specs suggested both machines should be equal in speed and print quality, but I found the 7180 to be faster and quieter, with better photoprint quality. It also has a nice solid feel, and even with a little bigger footprint than I like, it fits easily where my old printer did.
As a longtime Mac user, I expect easy set-up, and I was not disappointed. The QuickStart Guide was enough to get me printing, copying and scanning. I was especially pleased that the printer immediately recognized my wireless network, even though we are still using our original Airport rather than the newer Airport Extreme. Connecting the other two Macs was as easy as installing software and going through the step-by-step set-up process. I don't know if this printer would be faster with a direct connection, but it is faster than my previous printer was with a USB connection, so that's good enough for me! I love the wireless connection. Love it.
I like the individual color ink tanks, three for regular color printing, five for photoprinting. The printer automatically knows when to use all five. The cartridges are color coded, easy to access and change -- no waiting for the printer carriage to align. Simply open the door, pop out the old and pop in the new. Cost was about $10 per color cartridge. For my previous printer, I was spending almost $50 for one black and one color cartridge, so this didn't seem bad to me, considering that I won't have to change a whole cartridge when my most used colors are gone. This is still an unknown, though, so I may have to report back later.
I also like the two paper trays -- one for regular paper and one for photo paper, with a special slot for 6x4 photo paper. All papers align perfectly for printing and copying.
While all the buttons on the control panel are a little initimidating at first, the functions are well-labeled and easy to use. Press one button to copy. Press another to scan, or scan from the HP Studio software. Borderless printing is a snap from iPhoto or card and the photoprint quality is the best I've gotten from any printer ever. So far the HP C7180 is well worth the cost (I paid $399) and deserving of five stars.
I have been using this printer for over 2 months now, and I have to say that I am very impressed with it. The wireless feature is a must for anyone who has more than one computer on a wireless network. I am able to use all of the printer's funtionality from each computer on the network that has the HP Software installed. Unlike a traditional printer server that permits printing functions only, the wireless printer does not use a printer server and provides scanning and faxing features to each computer on the network. There are 3 different ways to hook this printer up:
Wireless
LAN Connection to Network
USB to PC
You can use the printer as a network device with all 3 configurations, but the USB to PC will only offer printing functionality to the other network PC's (also must have printer sharing enabled on the host PC).
I definately recommend using the wireless connection, as it supports WPA Security, as well as, WEP.
There is a slight lag with the wireless configuration, as it may take more time to send the document / photo over the network at a slower pace than if it were hard wired. But, as soon as the printer has the entire document and is ready to print, it is fast (not as fast as laser, but laser does not have the same photo capabilities).
I also fooled around with the bluetooth features by sending a picture of my daughter from my phone to the printer. The picture quality was as good as what was captured by the phone. It's a nice to have feature, but I could live without it.
Setting this up was very simple. Installing the HP Software was a little tough because of all of the new security in the latest PC's. It took quite a while, but once it finished, I was printing from all PC's.
Though limited to 4 slides at a time, even if in plastic or paper, excellent
scan of originals. worth the process of waitng. Over over 'all in one' product.
This is a great printer that does everything. I bought the two-sided printing attachment also, so now my documents are automatically two-sided. The only drawback at this time is that HP does not yet have full suport for Vista, although they do have the basic print/scan drivers.
In my home office I've have had a number of printers over the past 10 years. This is the best! I checked out 5 printers before deciding on this HP model. Why is it better? It's fast, quiet and compact. Ink cartridges install easily. Print quality is superb for photos and printed pages. Having 4 functions in one unit streamlines my desk and my tasks. The LCD screen is bright and easy to read. Controls are intuitive. Software (in spite of what I'd read) was a breeze to install and easy to use. The interface with my iMac is seamless and intuitive, as are control buttons on the unit itself. The purchase process from Amazon as well as their delivery was perfect.
I bought this printer because it does not make my home look like an office. It could ealiy pass for a piece of stereo equipment. I also really like the wire connectivity to give me freedom to put it anywhere. The drivers for Vista from HP can use some more work but the glitches are not showstoppers.
I'll admit I've always assumed HP printers were the best, but after some recent, less-than-stellar experiences (an OfficeJet that wouldn't share over a home network; an OEM'd HP my daughter uses that can't print straight, leading to some unnecessary tears), I began to wonder if they'd lost a step. I wonder no longer after buying my wife a Photosmart for Christmas. She'd been schlepping off to Walmart to print our digital pictures on an almost weekly basis (we have three small kids...this is what we do
The quality of the pictures is astounding. Even older analog shots that I scanned first, then reprinted look like they were produced at the camera shop. The fact that it has a 4"x6" photo-paper tray that is always at-the-ready means we can drop a quick print for a friend from any computer in the house without having to run and load separate paper (yes, we've done this more than once!) And it's fast enough that printing a best-quality photo at 8"x11" is not an all-afternoon event.
Setup was a snap. It recognized my Linksys home network right away. The menu system is self-evident and we spent VERY little time reading the manual. The multi-format disk access points are also a great addition. We've been able to grab photos from friends' cameras in a flash (pun intended).
Highly recommended.
I had heard about goofy software problems with this printer, but went ahead and bought it anyway. Set up was very easy. I set it up for a wireless network with both PC and Mac. It prints flawlessly from both computers as well as from my phone (bluetooth). Print quality I think, is supurb. I haven't tried scanning from mine, but in the store the photo scan and the document scan were very, very good. It was the ease of printing in the store a picture that was on my phone, that convinced me. I did it with no one there and no manual. I think HP has done a tremendous job with this printer and I have used Epson and Canon before this one (epson 2000P, 7600, Canon ip4000). Great printer, easy setup
This printer has it all. Not only does it print fabulous photos, but it also scans my old negatives and slides that I had lying around collecting dust. Setup was easy with the exception of the long software install time and a bit of a problem with the wireless network. Nothing that could not be overcome with a little research into the knowledge base at HP.
For sure this is worth the money.
I recently purchased the HP C7180 Photosmart printer. The printer it self is excellent. The print is crisp and clear. The photos print out as good as a photo shop. It has many excellent features, as noted - print, fax, scan and copy. You can even take slides and transfer then through the scanning function to JPEG files. The OCR function is excellent.
The biggest problem was getting the internal wireless network to work properly. I have considerable HRIS experience and followed the directions and the printer could not recognize the computer enven though it has the proper IP address. I had to spend almost two days with HP online chat technical help, having to go through multiple technical personnel before I was able to successfully get the computer and printer to be connect via the wireless network. I found their staff did not understand their own product and I finally realize the problem was a manual input of the IP address that had zeros, required the zeros manually entered to have the IP addressed recognized. HP's technical help didn't know this. In addition the network lost the connection and it wouldn't print. I finally permanently connected it with a network cable between the printer and the wireless router. This allows it to printer from any printer on the network and haven't had a dropped connection since.
Love the wireless capabilities. Had some issues getting it up and running wireless, had to install twice. Once running does great pictures and works well. Quality product.
I've had outstanding results with this HP All-In-One device thus far. The device looks good, the software installed easily and the results have been all I was looking for. I've got this device installed in a Windows networked environment for my home use via a small, 4-port router. I've been able to unplug my previously used scanner and specific computer attached printers - we use this guy exclusively at this time. We are very pleased with this device.
The HP C7180 is a well integrated product. All the functions are easy to use. I particularly like the ease of
printing 4 X 6 prints using the built in card readers. With it's individual color ink cartridges it's more economical to run than other printers with multicolor cartridges.
I was extremely disappointed/frustrated with this Printer from the moment I opened the box.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND HP BECAUSE OF THEIR POOR Customer Service/Tech Support; also located in India so Techs are very difficult to understand.
I spent literally 10hr+ on phone, 10 different Techs over a period of 4-5 days, none of the issues were resolved. Very frustrating when you spend over $300. expecting to receive a QUALITY product.
Scan quality is poor, no auto document feeder, & I could not get the Scan Menu to work w/o going thru my computer.
I have an HP932C printer (7 yr old) that has been a fantastic product, thus is why I wanted another HP.
BUT........I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER HP PRODUCT.
Lives up to expectations for a moderate priced all-in-one inkjet printer.
Good: quick start up, easy menu system, decent print quality, makes a great scan, seems to use ink efficiently, fairly solid construction
Bad: a bit noisy, scan only to jpg format
I have not been able to print well in MS Word or Excel. I have also spent hours on the phone with technical support and they say it is a Microsoft problem. I am so disappointed and don't know what to replace this printer with. Other types of documents print just fine.
If you have aol safety and security on your computer it's difficult to setup this printer but after you do it's an high quality printer!
The C7180 Photosmart all in one has been a solid performer since I purchased about a month ago. I use for photos as an amateur Photographer. Photos are clear and chrisp. I also use for normal printing where it prints as fast as any printer I had previously.
Lost a start on the ink usage; I don't think its as good as advertised.
The product that I got was unable to print text. It scanned negatives and pictures fine and the printed pictures came out fine. However, it was unable to print an MS Word document correctly. I spent an entire day speaking to HP tech support in India and was told that there was an issue with my router. I was forced to purchase a USB cable (for some reason it was optional on this printer) and the problem did not go away.
I bought this all in one recently and i have it set up and working wirelessly with my Mac and PC's. I research my items alot before i buy and then go to stores and get demos and let me tell you this thing is brilliant! If your after a wireless printer/scanner/fax this is for you, especially if you have different platforms. The photo print quality is excellent, I find it better than the ones in stores for some pictures.
I am not sure if my firmware is different to others here but my screen sleeps after inactivity and the lamp goes off after an hour of no use. The setup was really simple to do also, follow the brief instructions, first set up the printer and get it working, then install the software and it does the rest for you.
So far no problems with the unit and i think this could be up there with one of the best printers i have ever owned. I definitely recommend this product and am sure you won't be disappointed.
Amazon's list of color specifications is incorrect and indicates that it is a 4800 x 4800 dpi printer.
Here is a cut and paste from HP's website
Up to 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color (when printing from a computer and 1200 input dpi)
Nice resolution, but NOT 4800 x 4800 as listed at Amazon, all the other retailers have it correctly listed.
We bought this printer for general use between school and work. Looked very nice and clean cut. When I took it home I printed out two photos and they came out with streaks. I went back into stapels where I bought it and the guy knew something was wrong and told me to get some updates online. I did that. Well I tried printing out a page for school and the paper was jammed and after taking all the paper out and trying to do it agian I kept getting a cartliage jamm screen. Ends up being the printer had hardware problems and hense I had to return it and get a new one. I didnt get the same printer because i thought it was weird I gotten one already broken. Needless to say, Stapels is a awsome place to buy from. very helpful and quick to please while taking care of all the little details.
I'm having problem to read the numbers (eg 1,6 ect) and name of functions keys (eg setup ect) on faceplate due to poor background and color contrast
If I need to fax and dial a phone I need to get very close to All in 1
The wireless connection is not well developed as the photosmart 2170
the printer can't recognized my IP either manual or automatic IP
I prefer the C6180
Thanks
Well after using an HP psc 2210 all in one. I would have to say hands down the hp c7180 is an awesome printer. I just bought this printer about 2 weeks ago and so far i have not had any problems with it. My mother actually had some old negatives from the 60s that we scanned and printed out they printed fantastic and the detail was really impressive. The set up was very easy and using an sd memory card to print out photos works great as well. The prints come out in very quickly. As far as faxing copying scanning and regular document prints. I have no complaints and after researching a ton of printers i would definitally recommend this one!
I have been an HP owner/user for many years. My Officejet G85xi died after years of loyal service. After searching and testing just about every multifunction available, I purchased the 7180. In my opinion, don't waste your time reading the reviews. Go to your local office supply or electronics store...ask the salesperson to print a photo-quality print...time the printing...compare the quality. I'll bet you choose the 7180. If you need a multifunction, this is the best choice hear and now.
I bought this AIO printer and returned it a day after giving it a pretty thorough testing. The prints and scans that I made looked great. The print speed was also very good, but, I bought this with the idea of doing some high quality scans of my negatives and slides, along with using all the other features. The scanning process was particularly slow and tedious. I did bump up the settings, beyond the default mode, but the entire process seemed too slow for me to consider keeping this machine. The controls for scanning seemed limited and not very intuitive.
All-in-all, it has great possibilities, if you are willing to wait quite a few minutes for a scanned negative or slide or if you do not need it for scanning transparencies.
I got this printer the other day to replace my HP PSC 950 all-in-one printer but found it to be a very mediocre printer compared to mine. The printer is nice and compact at a hefty 26-27 pounds. The screen menus are straight-forward and easy to use.
The setup was a snap. The printer offers several setup configurations. You can connect it to your computer via USB, router or just plain wireless. I choose to connect it via my Linksys Router since I didn't want to put my desktop on a wireless network. At lease this way my other three other computers (connected to the network via wireless) could still access the printer. I didn't have any problems with the printer recieving the data from the wireless computers--it took a little time but it was acceptable. If you allow the printer to be standalone, it might take a little longer to print a document or have a couple more issues (dropped network connectivity) since you're relying on HP's wireless hardware to connect your computers to it. Don't know how long HP has been in the business of making wireless hardware--that could be a issue. It worked ok for me, but I'd rather rely on my Linksys router for connectivity since I've rarely had a dropped connection.
I tried scanning a printed text document (without pictures) and have to say that it was much slower compaired to my printer. The only reason I can think of is that it's trying to also generate (and save) a preview on its small screen which I think is useless. The screen is too small to use as a preview for text. It also took its sweet time printing the copy (text only). They result was also below average print quality. I found better quality on my HP 722C injet printer. I tried printing a color photo and the print quality wasn't as good as some of the Epson printers. You still have to be careful how you handle the pictures--it probably has a lot to do when the quality of HP's paper. I think Epson ink and paper are better then HP. I'd actually look at buying one of those picturemate printers to print my photos before I relied on these all-in-one printers. When you start cramming a lot of features into my printer--you're bound to run into some technical issues in other areas.
Yes--cartridges for this printer can be purchased individually compared to many older printers so you don't have to replace those that have three-in-one color cartridges. That really didn't matter to me since I really don't print in color very often. I tend to go through black (for text printing) anyway. The 10ml black cartridge ($18)for the C7180 is pretty small compared to the 25ml black cartridge ($14-$25) on my old printer. If you do the math--these newer cartridges (costs per page) will turn out to be more expensive (especially if you print in color). When I printed a test page and compared it to other HP printers, frankly the quality wasn't that great. I expected more from this printer.
I didn't try the faxing capability since I use my computer to send/receive my faxes--besides I get a better size preview screen (for my text/graphics documents) on my computer. The one thing that really disappointed me was the mechanism for feeding paper into the printer. The entire tray is made of much softer/flimsy plastic (especially the small embedded tray for 4x6 pictures. The paper didn't fit in it smoothly. When I tried adjusting the width, it took some doing and highlighted how cheap it was. My 950's paper tray is much more sturdier than the one on this printer. Additionally--it seems you have to remove the 8.5x11 paper from the tray if you want to print envelopes. I didn't see a seperate tray/slot for inserting individual envelopes for printing. These couple things turned me off to this printer in a hurry--that's why I decided to keep my HP PSC 950 and yes--my HP 722C inkjet for now and return the C7180.
Don't be roped into this printer because of the fancy screen. Don't waste your money if you plan to use this printer to print a lot of pictures--you'll go through these small cartridges in a hurry. Get yourself one of those portable picturemate printers (with a preview screen)--like Epson. They work great. The scanner on this printer is not that good either--it's the same as my PSC 950. It probably has a lot to do with the scanning software the HP provides with this unit. HP hasn't made a lot of improvements since they started packaging it with older printers (like my PSC 950). I've also heard people having problems using other scanning software (like Paperport) with this unit but I wouldn't know.
Three stars--for the compact unit, screen menues, network connectivity and fax feature.
So far, this printer is a delight. UPS delivered the unit to me without issue, and a day earlier than Amazon anticipated. Unbox and setup proceeded smoothly and almost without incident on both my MacBook Pro and my wife's Dell Inspiron E1705 (although it ran **very** slowly on the Dell). At first, the PC Setup Wizard wouldn't find the printer. I found C7180's MAC address and had it find the printer manually. True to form, the printer set-up on the Mac was quick and easy.
I was initially worried that printing wireless to the C7180 would be slow, laborious and error-prone. Not so. From both the Dell and the Mac, I noticed little difference between USB and 802.11g printing modes.
The first few prints on the provided 4x6 HP Advanced Photo paper were a little off, both Mac and PC. Black and white prints were flawless, although drying times were longer than I'm used to from my previous HP Photosmart 7520. Looks as if the nozzles needed some cleaning (not uncommon with a new Photo printer), as a single cleaning cycle fixed issue with colour prints.
Normal fast prints to regular paper from Word and Excel (both Mac and PC) were very sharp. Not quite laser quality, but very legible at 5 points.
When trying to print from iPhoto to 4x6 paper, I'm having to use the Advanced print option to choose the print tray, otherwise the photo prints to normal paper. Maybe that could be considered an "Advanced" setting, but that's not something I had to do with the old Photosmart 7520.
I haven't done much scanning, but I'm please with what I have done so far (some slides). For some reason, the light bar on the scanner **never turns off** and I plan to call HP about it tomorrow. The last thing I need is for that light bar to burn out. Additionally, the 3.5" screen is always lit up. Could be a function of being on a wireless network - the screen gives you feedback on the strength of the wireless signal and whether or not you are receiving messages or shared photos via HPs photosharing service.
So far, I'm impressed. I love the ability to print wirelessly from...well, whereever I want to be. I'm sure my mother-in-law will love the internet photosharing function. I'm docking a single star for the light bar and color screen remaining on for hours at a time.
edit - Duh. An option in the printer setup will allow you to shut off the scanner lamp if unused for an hour. Still no solution for the printer LCD remaining backlit.
I bought this printer to replace a hp psc 2100. The automated 4 by 6 picture paper tray is great, no having to take the letter paper out and worrying about getting the picture paper lined up correctly. The printer also is 802.11g wireless, I have the printer connected to my home pc with the usb cable, and I have setup my laptop with the wireless, and it works very well. I printed pictures and documents off of my laptop and the quality was great. the c7180 also is bluetooth ready, I have it paired with my cell phone and have printed pictures that I took with it. I tried out the negative processing on the printer. It takes about a minute to convert the printer over and get the film loaded in the special tray. It took about 5 minutes for the printer to scan and process the 5 pictures that was on the negative. I had a friend come over with a memory card, we put the card in the printers built in card reader, then viewed, edited, and printed the pictures without even turning my computer on. The included photosmart software is ok, it is not the easiest to use and does not have a ton of features but if you are just doing basic editing then it will be just fine. I have not tried the fax, since I already had a fax machine. The price may seem a little steep but with all of the features and how long that hp printer last for me(this is my 3rd hp printer in 15 years.) I would recommend this printer to anyone that does photo printing