HP Photosmart C4780

The Photosmart C4780's paper handling is adequate for light use, but it's a klunky design. The thick, plastic 80-sheet input tray drops open from the front of the printer; a sturdy plastic extension folds out to accommodate legal-size paper. Printed or copied output (up to 15 sheets) falls right on top of the input stack, which looks and feels awkward. Automatic duplexing is not available, but the driver will walk you through the steps manually.

Replacement inks for the C4780 were among the most expensive on the market at the time of this review. A 600-page, high-yield black cartridge costs $35, or 5.8 cents a page for black output. A 440-page, high-yield tricolor cartridge costs $42, or 9.3 cents a page. A graphics page using all four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) costs 15.1 cents a page. Standard cartridges aren't worth considering unless you print or copy only occasionally, as the cost per page is 7.5 cents for black and 19.6 cents for four-color cartridges, respectively.

Attractive, easy-to-use controls and decent output quality might be enough to recommend the HP Photosmart C4780--if the cost of ink weren't so high. It could be a passable choice if you need wireless and don't print much.

For other choices, see our Top 10 Inkjet Multifunction Printers.

--Susan Silvius