HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 2545 Software & Network Installation

As part of a long-term test, we unboxed and set-up the the Deskjet Ink Advantage 2545 AiO from HP. This A4 color inkjet printer is available in non English-speaking countries for ~$89.00 and comes replete with a USB cable--an $8-$20 value that is not included with US models. Essentially a Deskjet 1010hc with a platen, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct Printing, it is easy to set-up and use. It is also lightweight and easily transportable. Yet we found that in spite of its relatively low price and basic feature set, print quality samples were competitive with most desktop inkjet printers and AiOs. On the downside, its tri-color ink cartridge can be an inconvenience once a color is depleted. However, the cost of ink cartridges are astonishingly low as is its Cost Per Page. The Deskjet Ink Advantage 2545 uses HP 678 Black and Tri-Color cartridges, and XL cartridges are not available. Prices were located on HP India's Web site and converted to USD from Rupees so here goes: an HP 678 black cartridge costs $8.24 and yields 480 ISO pages (1.72¢); an HP 678 Tri-color cartridge also costs $8.24 and yields 150 ISO pages (5.49¢). This translates into an ISO color Cost Per Page of 7.21¢. This is considerably lower (~13¢!) than the Cost Per Page of non-Ink Advantage HP printers. Compare this to its North American counterpart the Deskjet 1010 and its obscene 20¢+ Cost Per Page and it's a travesty. All printers should be priced like this. Never mind the tired old "give 'em the razor, then sell them the blades" paradigm that we continue to endure in North America. We are sure that even in "wealthy" countries (i.e.: gullible and English-speaking) consumers would gladly pay more for the printer up front and a pittance for ink afterwards. If you are able to purchase one of these printers and supply it with genuine HP ink, get one ASAP if you don't need scanning or networking. Even if you need scanning and networking, there are several Ink Advantage AiOs available. Moreover, since ink is so inexpensive there's no reason to gamble with third-party ink cartridges, refill your cartridges with ink of unknown quality or install a messy CISS conversion. That said, be sure to visit our Web site (www.wirthconsulting.org) for news, reviews and Hands-On Test Reports.