Not too long ago, we introduced the photocentric HP Photosmart B8550 and noted its unique ability to print 13”x19” photos. It also owns a dedicated photo tray and features memory card and PictBridge ports for PC-free printing. Print speed comes out to a reported 31 ppm in color and 32 in black, and you get a modest 2.4” LCD screen for previewing your images. It definitely owns a solid overall feature set, but the $299.99 price tag made me wonder how much of a value the Photosmart B8550 could really be. Fortunately, the experts have spoken, and they agree that this specialized photo printer’s overall performance justifies the healthy MSRP.

 

M. David Stone of PC Magazine gives the Photosmart B8550 an Editors’ Choice Award winning 4.5/5 for its excellent photo quality, ability to print on photo paper up to 13”x19” in size, and its secondary photo tray. While text quality isn’t as good as a more document-oriented inkjet printer, it’s passable for school and everyday office applications. Fast print speed and easy setup earn the Photosmart B8550 a few extra brownie points to compensate. Overall, Stone seems to appreciate that this self-declared photo printer has made itself accessible to everyday consumers with its convenient PC-free ports and surprisingly high aptitude for the basic document printing that its photo-only competitors are too image-conscious to perform.

 

Mike Pasini of imaging resource brings up the interesting point that computers and digital photography have potentially made consumers more selective about what they print. In other words, passing around 4”x6” prints at a party or developing and mailing a stack out to friends doesn’t make as much sense when you can quickly click through a digital photo album from the comfort of home, whether it’s on a CD, a memory card, or a photo-sharing website. As a result, if we print anything at all these days, it needs to be big and frameable so we can show it off proudly in our home or office. That’s what makes the Photosmart B8550’s 13”x19” max photo size appealing to Pasini. He also likes the compact design, fast print speed, and memory card connectivity. The LCD is a bit small and the lack of Wi-Fi precludes families from efficiently sharing a single printer from multiple computers, but Pasini considers the Photosmart B8550 a relative bargain for its lightweight frame and heavyweight photo printing ability.