Lexmark Impact S305 printer

Key Specs

Print Technology: Color inkjet Interface: USB 2.0, memory-card reader, USB/PictBridge port Maximum Paper Size: 8.5x14 inches Maximum Resolution (Color): 4,800x1,200dpi Maximum Resolution (Monochrome): 2,400x1,200dpi Scan Resolution: 1,200x2,400dpi Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) Included: No LCD Size (Diagonal): 2 inches Dimensions (HWD): 9.7x21.2x15.9 inches Weight: 14.3 pounds

Lexmark Impact S305 Review

Reviewed by: Jonathan Rougeot Review Date: October 2009

At first glance, the $99 Lexmark Impact S305 calls to mind discounted sushi: It looks perfectly fine, but you're wary why it's so cheap. This printer didn't leave us queasy once we tested it out, however; indeed, this inkjet all-in-one (AIO) can keep up with pricier models in some areas. Its design may be a bit staid, and it doesn’t include some features that many of its sister models do, but home users who need quality prints at respectable speeds will not be disappointed. The Impact S305 is simple from the get-go. Made mostly of matte-black plastic, with silver edging around the scanner top, it's not going to turn heads, but it does have a nice, sturdy body. At 10x21x16 inches, it’s a little bigger than its sister models, but it still won’t take up a great deal of real estate on your desktop. A control panel juts out from the front of the printer. (It's not finely adjustable, however; it can be left recessed into the body, or pulled out to about a 60-degree angle.) The panel is simple, with just a few buttons to navigate the operation of the printer. Power and setup buttons are on the left side of the panel. In the center is a two-line, 2-inch LCD; copy, scan, and photo buttons; forward, back, and OK controls; and a return button to navigate through the printer’s menus. On the right are buttons to toggle between monochrome and color printing, and to start and stop the printer’s operation. The Impact S305's control panel juts out from the front of the printer and features a 2-inch, two-line LCD. On the right side of the printer is a unified slot for reading flash-memory cards (supporting the SD, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, and xD-PictureCard formats), as well as a USB 2.0 PictBridge port for connecting a camera or flash drive directly to the printer. Another USB port (which serves as the PC interface) and the recessed, brickless power cord are located on the back. The power cord protrudes a bit from the rear, meaning you'll have to leave a little bit of clearance behind the unit, wherever you place it. The Impact S305 has an adjustable paper tray at the back that can hold up to 100 sheets of plain paper. Paper ejects into a pull-out tray in front. In our tests, we did not experience any jams or misfeeds. Worth noting, though: This model does not come with an automatic document feeder, and it cannot print double-sided (unless you manually flip the paper and figure out the orientation yourself). Those limitations are something of a minus if you intend to use this printer to handle small-office tasks, but they're not surprising considering the price. Lifting up the cover provides access to the Impact S305’s printhead and ink cartridges. (This model uses three color tanks and one black.) The printhead automatically moves into place when you lift the lid, providing easy access to change the ink, and the design keeps you from inserting the color ink tanks in the wrong slots. Setup is easy: Just insert the setup CD into your PC, and it walks you through everything, from installing the ink to connecting the printer via Wi-Fi. Once you're ready to print, you shouldn't run across many problems; printing, scanning, and copying on the Impact S305 are simple. Three modes are available when printing: Quick Print, Normal, and Best. When copying, you only have the choice of switching between black-and-white and color. When the printer is working, the progress of the job is displayed on the lower-right corner of your PC screen, and the time-to-completion estimates that we observed were accurate. Besides printing from your PC, you also have the option of printing directly from a flash drive, memory card, or PictBridge-enabled camera. As for scanning, you have the option of scanning to a computer, to a removable memory device, or to e-mail in up to 600dpi. You can also choose between scanning in black and white or color. Paper enters through the 100-page feeder at the top of the printer and exits in front. The Impact S305 isn’t just easy to use, it’s also speedier than many other models in its class when doing certain jobs. It printed our standard 20-page text document in Normal mode in 2 minutes and 27 seconds, about 40 seconds faster than the HP Photosmart C4780, although it lagged behind the Epson Stylus NX515, which did the job about a minute faster. (The Photosmart C4780 and Stylus NX515 are both comparably priced AIOs.) In Best mode, the Impact S305 did the job in 8 minutes and 24 seconds, besting the Photosmart C4780 by about 45 seconds and the Stylus NX515 by 20 seconds. The Impact S305 also showed it could handle text and graphics on the quick. It printed our 10-page text-and-graphics document in Normal mode in 1 minute and 54 seconds, beating the Photosmart C4780 by more than a minute, but falling behind the Stylus NX515 by about 30 seconds. In Best mode, it did the job in 4 minutes and 17 seconds, about on par with the Stylus NX515 and more than 2 minutes faster than the PhotoSmart C4780. The printhead moves into place when you lift the lid, allowing easy access to change the ink. The Impact S305 was surprisingly fast dealing with photos. It printed our 4x6-inch color print in Normal mode in 33 seconds, about one-third the time of the Photosmart C4780 and the Stylus NX515. It printed our 8.5x11-inch color photo in Best mode in 1 minute and 20 seconds, about one-fifth the time it took the Stylus NX515 to do the job. (An interesting note: The Impact S305’s print times were almost identical to those of its $199 sister model, the Interact S605. As a result, if you can do without the bells and whistles of the pricier model, you can save $100 by going with the S305 and not sacrifice speed.) Scanning was where the Impact S305 lost some of its speed advantage. It took 18 seconds to scan our one-page text document, a job that the Photosmart C4780 did 2 seconds faster and the Stylus NX515 did 7 seconds faster. It handled color photos much better, however, scanning our 8.5x11-inch photo in 18 seconds, a job that took the Photosmart C4780 twice as long to do, and the Stylus NX515 about 10 seconds longer. Copy-speed results were a wholly mixed bag. A copy of our one-page text document took 20 seconds, a job that the Photosmart C4780 did about 7 seconds faster and the Stylus NX515 about 12 seconds faster. We saw some mixed results when it came to photos. It copied our 8.5x11-inch photo in 1 minute and 25 seconds. The Photosmart C4780 did it about a minute faster; the Stylus NX515, more than a minute slower. On the right side of the printer is a flash-card slot and a USB 2.0 PictBridge port. Considering that this is a $99 AIO, we were pleasantly surprised by the Impact S305’s output quality. Text was crisp and clear down to 3 points, and graphics reproduced respectably. What we were really surprised to find, though, was that the Impact S305 printed some nice-quality photos. Our 4x6-inch test photo displayed accurate colors and contrast, with images appearing bright and crisp. Even our 8.5x11-inch photo, on which we usually note some quality loss, came out respectable. On the other hand, using the photocopy function on a budget AIO tends to yield middling-at-best results, so we didn’t expect too much of our test photocopy of our 8.5x11-inch photo. In this case, we were right. The copy’s colors were much more muted than the original’s. Copies of our text and text-and-graphics documents, however, fared much better. In most regards, it was difficult to tell the difference between the copies and their originals, though colored text was a bit more washed out. Color cartridges for the Impact S305 cost $9.99 for regular-size tanks and $17.99 for high-capacity; black cartridges cost $11.99 for regular, $24.99 for high-capacity. With the high-capacity cartridges, the cost per page works out to 5 cents for monochrome printing and 12 cents for color. This puts the Impact S305 at about average cost for both monochrome and color printing, but those figures are still good for a model that costs only $99 at the outset. You won't get many extra features with the Impact S305, but you will get a solid AIO that offers respectable speeds and quality prints. Its inability to duplex may make this model a no-go for some users, but those who need a simple home printer for everyday jobs won't be disappointed. * Editors’ Note: Parts of this review include excerpts from our review of the Lexmark Interact S605. Price (at time of review): $99 (mfr. est.) See all of our Lexmark Impact S305 coverage

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HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web

Key Specs

Print Technology: Color inkjet Interface: USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, memory-card slots, USB/PictBridge, Bluetooth, Ethernet, RJ-11 Maximum Paper Size: 8.5x14 inches Maximum Resolution (Color): 9,600x2,400dpi Maximum Resolution (Monochrome): 600x600dpi Scan Resolution: 4,800x4,800ppi Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) Included: No LCD Size (Diagonal): 4.3 inches Dimensions (HWD): 18x19.3x7.8 inches Weight: 16.5 pounds

HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web Review

Reviewed by: Sally Wiener Grotta and Daniel Grotta Review Date: October 2009

Lincoln Steffens once famously said, "I have seen the future, and it works!" That same aphorism could be applied to the new generation of all-in-one (AIO) color inkjet printers that come equipped with large, bright Web-enabled LCD touch-screen control panels. The latest of the lot is HP's Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web. It combines decent print speeds, a state-of-the-art display, very good image quality, and easy installation and setup—and yet, it stumbles over some important details that would otherwise have made this device a must-have printer. The TouchSmart is a handsome silver-and-black device that takes up a relatively small amount of space. The designers attempted to give it some style and panache by embedding geometric swirls and lines in the plastic. HP wanted to indicate that this device is somehow different from run-of-the-mill AIOs from the get-go; when we unpacked the printer, it came swaddled in an oversize, HP logo-emblazoned black canvas carry bag. This made it easy to remove it from the box, simply by lifting it by the straps (though the Styrofoam had to be lifted up at the same time, because the inserts were in the wrong direction to allow unimpeded access). Nice as it is, the bag is too light and skimpy to use as an everyday carrier, especially since it doesn't have a zipper or any other seal to protect the contents from the elements. But HP added even more class to the TouchSmart by conveniently stuffing all the cords and cables in a zippered, shaving-kit-like case, suitable for other uses once unpacked. All the cords and cables come in a small, zippered, shaving-kit-like case. Primarily a photo printer targeted at individual consumers rather than small-office or home-office users, the TouchSmart lacks an automatic document feeder. However, its nicely designed lid is easy to raise several inches, to accommodate oversize originals such as books. If that action doesn't provide enough clearance, the cover itself can also be removed for open-bed scanning. Conveniently clustered together at the left rear of the printer are USB, Ethernet, and RJ-11 ports, plus a detachable power cord (with an in-line brick). Because the automatic duplexer sticks out approximately three inches, the printer cannot be positioned flush against a wall. Paper handling is a mixed bag. The TouchSmart's primary, nonremovable paper cassette accommodates only 100 sheets at a time, and although the paper stop on the discharge tray is small and feels flimsy, it proved quite adequate for accumulating up to 100 printed sheets. For double-sided printing, the TouchSmart features an automatic duplexer. It also has a separate, nonremovable tray for photo papers. (The tray holds only up to 5x7-inch paper; if you want to print larger photos, you have to put the paper in the regular tray.) Unfortunately, the clear plastic cover has no automatic stop when you raise it, so you must hold it open with one hand while inserting blank photo paper with the other. And instead of manually pushing the photo paper into position, the TouchSmart automatically moves it when you press the print button. This not only adds 4 to 5 seconds to print times, but the complexity means more moving parts that can break down or wear out. You are able to connect to a limited number of Web apps through the Photosmart Premium’s 4.3-inch LCD. The TouchSmart's most prominent feature is its black-bezeled, high-resolution color touch screen. The 4.3-inch display folds flat against the silver front of the printer or swivels out approximately 60 degrees for more convenient viewing. Directly to its right are an assortment of memory-card slots and a USB port, for PictBridge-enabled digital cameras. When not in use, the slots and port are protected against dust by a sliding plastic cover. To the right and slightly below the memory slots are two status lights, indicating active Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth connectivity. And to the right of those lights is an illuminated power button. Setup and installation was simple and trouble-free. Unlike most inkjets, which require some sort of command or maneuver to move the printhead and ink cartridges into position for insertion or replacement, the unit doesn't even have to be turned on—you simply raise the cover and gently push the printhead into the correct position. There's nothing to assemble or install, except for the five ink cartridges, which slip easily into color-coded slots designed to prevent inserting the wrong cartridge in the wrong slot. After the ink cartridges are installed, the touch screen displays a digital time countdown of 12 minutes, while the printer initializes, aligns, and calibrates. It then leads the user through a simple-to-follow installation routine. Our initial Wi-Fi installation failed, but after the touch screen informed us that we should temporarily suppress our PC's firewall, we had no further difficulty. The only assembly that is required is installing the five ink cartridges. Before printing, we took the TouchSmart's touch screen for a brief test drive. Navigating through the menus and attractive pictorial icons was easy and intuitive, but at times, pressing on the screen was, well, touchy. Usually, a light fingertip push was sufficient to page through applications and options, but to activate a command, we sometimes had to press repeatedly or even use a fingernail. Like the Lexmark Platinum Pro905's touch screen, the TouchSmart can connect to a limited number of sites on the Web. Among the services it can currently access are the online version of USA Today, Snapfish, Disney Family, Google Maps, Coupons.com, Web Sudoku, and Fandango; HP promises that it will continue to add more apps. But unlike the Lexmark, which permits the user to magnify and read what's displayed on the touch screen, all content on the TouchSmart is "greeked" and cannot be read—you must print it out. We feel that the user should have both options—make a printout or read it on the touch screen—or, at the very least, be able to see a readable preview before printing to avoid wasting paper. Although this is a nice feature and an innovative idea, we were left pondering the true usefulness of it: How often are you really going to want to print a Sudoku puzzle or buy movie tickets direct from your printer? Of course, Web functionality like this is really just a sideshow in this or any printer; what matters is how well it prints. Here, printing is simple and straightforward, but not without a few small technical hiccups. Like other Photosmart printers, the TouchSmart offers three levels of quality: Fast Draft, Normal, and Best. When printing on HP Premium glossy photo paper, we would select the quality setting, print, and then prepare to make another print. Each time, the printer would automatically revert from Fast Draft or Best mode back to Normal mode, rather than retain the last printer selection. The difficulty may be in HP's otherwise convenient auto-detect feature, which senses the type of paper being used and selects what it thinks are the most the appropriate settings. Incidentally, while auto-sensing is designed to work with HP-encoded media, it can also automatically sense and select some, but not all, generic brands of paper. When printing, the touch screen displays a circular flashing light rotating around an HP logo, plus the message “Now Printing,” while on the PC, a brief box appears and then fades, with essentially the same message. We would much prefer seeing more useful information, such as a progress bar, the number of pages printed, or the percentage of the job remaining. On the other hand, both the touch screen and HP's Solution Center will automatically display a low-ink warning when required. (Predictably, the Solution Center allows you to order replacement ink directly from HP.) While we encountered no paper jams, the HP did occasionally eject extra, blank pages, and in one instance, dog-eared a page being printed. Prints eject from the front of the printer onto the top of the paper cassette, which doubles as the paper receiver. The copying and scanning functions were as simple to use as a dedicated desktop copier and flatbed scanner. The user has the option of customizing the settings (for instance, choosing Best mode rather than Normal), or simply pushing the color or monochrome button to begin copying. Scanning is easily triggered from the touch screen, or via HP's Solution Center. While Solution Center lacks advanced scanning tools appropriate for high-powered photo scanning, they are quite adequate for this class of photo AIO. Unlike its competitors, for which Bluetooth connectivity is optional and extra, the TouchSmart comes equipped with built-in Bluetooth. We took a few snapshots around the studio with our Palm Centro, and within 60 seconds, we easily connected to the TouchSmart and printed out a phone-quality snapshot photo. Print-speed-wise, the TouchSmart falls somewhere in the middle of its competitors. In Normal mode, it output our standard 20-page monochrome text file in 2 minutes and 1 second, slightly faster than the $299 Canon Pixma MP990 and the $399 Lexmark Platinum Pro905. However, in Best mode, it slowed to a sluggish 11 minutes and 38 seconds, three minutes slower than both its competitors. Our 10-page text-and-color-graphics file in Fast Draft mode took 42.6 seconds. The slower Canon took about 50 percent longer to do the job, while the Lexmark did it just a few seconds faster. The same file in Best mode completed the job in 5 minutes and 19 seconds, nearly a minute slower than the Lexmark but about 50 percent faster than the Canon. The TouchSmart also had mixed results outputting photos. In Fast Draft and Best modes, it cranked out 4x6-inch snapshots, respectively, in 30 seconds and 42 seconds. The Canon was only slightly slower, taking 2 seconds and 5 seconds longer, respectively, while the Lexmark was much faster, knocking down both times by about a third. Our 8.5x11-inch enlargement took a mere 44 seconds in Fast Draft mode, but extended to 2 minutes and 49 seconds in Best mode. Oddly, it was much faster than the Canon and Lexmark in their Normal modes on this test, but much slower than both in Best mode. Overall, because of variances we saw, we can't make any blanket assessment here regarding the TouchSmart's printing times, other than to say the printer was definitely in the ballpark for an all-in-one at its price. The TouchSmart's scanning and copying performance times, like its print speeds, were in between those of the Canon and the Lexmark. The TouchSmart was slightly faster in Fast Draft mode, marginally slower in Best mode, and about the same in Normal mode. What's crucial, though, is the print quality. Text quality was fair to good on our test text printouts. In Normal mode, characters are sharp, dark, and eminently legible. Fast Draft mode characters are slightly pixelated and thin, but dark and readable. In Fine mode, however, the characters are very dark but not particularly crisp or sharply delineated, because in laying down extra ink, they exhibit a slight fuzziness at the edges. While the print is legible down to 3 points, the spacing between characters is slightly irregular. Color text, however, is sharp, nicely saturated, and quite legible. Though text printing was slightly uneven, photo image quality is this model's forte. Colors are both accurate and pleasing, edges are sharp, and details are clear and crisp. While some bright areas are slightly blown out, there is very good depth and detail in the shadows. Color photocopies are somewhat duller and less sharp than the originals, but to put this in perspective, we rate the overall quality of the TouchSmart's photocopies higher than most made by an AIO printer. The TouchSmart's costs-per-page can't match the 10 cents per 4x6-inch snapshot that Kodak's AIO printers promise or meet the 1.6 cents per page for text we saw with the Lexmark Platinum Pro905. But its 4.4 cents per page for monochrome text and 11.6 cents per page for combined text and color graphics are fractions of a cent less than the Canon Pixma MP990. That makes the TouchSmart's costs about average for printers in its class. The HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web is a good choice for users who value simple setup, ease of use, and high-quality photo printing, and who are intrigued by its innovative (though limited) Web-enabled touch screen. But if you divide your printing between photos and text, and don't see yourself using the productivity apps available for the touch screen, look at the Lexmark Platinum Pro905 or the Canon Pixma MP990 instead. Price (at time of review): $399 (mfr. est.) www.hp.com See all of our HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web coverage

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