HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless review

Back in March when I first saw the Officejet Pro 8500 print documents, I was sold on HP's claim that the Pro 8500 series can gives users laser quality prints at half the cost of a laser printer. 

But it's August now, and we have an Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless in for review.  Can the Pro 8500 really give users the laser quality they demand for half the cost over the long run?  And can an all-in-one inkjet really find a place in your home office or small business?  Read our full review and find out!

HP OFFICEJET PRO 8500 SPECIFICATIONS

• Multifunction device: print, scan, copy and fax
• Print speeds: up to 35 ppm in black, 34 ppm in color
• First page out: as fast as 15 seconds
• Print resolution: up to 1200 x 4800 dpi (optimized color)
• 3.4 inch touch LCD
• 250-sheet paper drawer (upgradeable to 500 sheets)
• 50-sheet ADF
• Monthly duty cycle: up to 15,000 pages
• Automatic duplexing
• 384 MHZ processor with 128 MB memory
• Scan to, Fax to E-mail
• Built-in memory card reader
• Energy Star qualified

BUILD AND DESIGN
HP wasn’t messing around when they designed the flagship of their Officejet lineup, launched in February 2009.  The Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless is one big printer and that’s without the optional 250-sheet drawer addition that’s standard on the Officejet Pro 8000 Premier.

The Pro 8500 Wireless configuration measures out to approximately 19.5 x 18 x 13 inches without the output tray extended or the scanner lid up.  In that case, measurements are more like 19.5 x 24.5 x 20 inches.  Of course, users will only need the additional space when those features are in use.

I’m a big fan of HP’s recent, more modern designs in the printer space.  The Officejet Pro 8500 series is done in a mixture of matte black, glossy black and white gray (for lack of better color term) although I would like to point out that the glossy black panels make it difficult to take product shots without seeing my image reflected back at me.

Starting from the top, you’ll find the 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) attached to the lid of the 48-bit flatbed scanner.  There are adjustable paper clasps for a variety of media and the ADF is great for copying large documents.  If you have a jam, the ADF does have an access panel.

Below the lid, you’ll find the legal-size scanner glass.  The scanner on the Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless has a resolution up to 4800 optical dpi.

The control panel on the Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless configuration features a 3.4 inch LCD touchscreen.  To the left of the colorful display are the scan and fax options including the Scan to E-mail, Fax to E-mail and Junk Fax Blocker buttons.  To the right of the LCD, there is a numeric keypad, copy options and a cancel button.

Access the printheads by lifting the entire unit up before the control panel.  The four individual pigment based ink cartridges can be found to the left of the paper tray.  The door is marked with a small ink drop icon.

The 250-sheet paper drawer expands out to fit legal sized paper and has two adjustable paper clasps on either side for printing on media as small as 3 x 5 inches.  Acceptable media types include: three varieties of paper, photo paper, envelopes, index cards and transparencies.

As I mentioned earlier, users can add an extra 250-sheet drawer to the Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless or purchase the Officejet Pro 8500 Premier which features two 250-sheet drawers standard.

The built-in memory card reader can found to the right of the paper drawer.  The five slot card read supports the following media: CompactFlash Type I and II, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SD, SDHC, MultiMediaCard, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Duo, and Memory Stick Pro Duo.

On the back of the Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless, you’ll find all the connection ports: Ethernet, USB, two fax extensions and the power adapter.   The duplexing accessory is also located on the back of the machine and is included in the dimensions I listed previously.