Rating: 
Summary: Great Linux printer with USB, ethernet & WiFi interfaces
Review: After a series of cheap, good-printing, refillable, but fragile, and clog-prone Epson 850 and 900 printers (and several hours trying to resusitate the print heads including disassembling the bloody things because the print heads are part of the printer, not part of the cartridge), I decided to try an HP again. My first inkjet was the 1st one HP ever made and it only recently stopped working, not because it broke, but because we could no longer find drivers for it. That and my trusty HPLJ 6MP which has churned continuously for several years seem to bode well for the 5850.
Also, I use Linux exclusively and according to Linuxprinting.org, it's a tossup between Epson and HP (Canon make some very nice machines - actually they look better-made than either Epson or HP, but they provide zero support for Linux, so they were discounted as soon as I realized that).
HP is now actually supporting Linux quite well with its hpijs project (hpijs.sourceforge.net), and with the Debian distro, all you need to do to install all the needed HP Inkjet drivers is:
apt-get update
apt-get install hpijs cupsomatic-ppd
(assuming you've already installed the CUPS print system, which is usually installed by default).
The printer itself unpacked and set up quite easily. It felt much better put together than my previous Epsons - heavier, made of more substantial material. The kicker for this printer was that it came with not only a USB port, but also a built-in Ethernet connection AND a WiFi connection (it autosenses which is active). For my old Epsons, the ethernet module was more than the cost of this entire printer! I tried all 3 of the interfaces and each worked perfectly as far as I could tell. Debian 'unstable' grokked the printer correctly via the USB port, even tho it was 'Off' ('Off' is standby, but the electronics are active) and it came up perfectly as USB Printer 1 in the CUPS config page.
The printer did a DHCP request (logged in /var/log/syslog) for an ethernet address and the built-in web server gave me some useful information, including ink levels. It would have been useful if there was an LCD panel that gave some additional info, but hitting the info button spat out 3 pages of all the info in all the languages you could have wished for.
Once that info was got, the CUPS config is simply:
Device: AppSocket/HP JetDirect
Device URI: socket://192.168.1.224:9100
(don't forget the ':9100' and don't forget to mod your firewall rules to allow local net traffic on port 9100)
The WiFi connection is really nice and it found my local WiFi net and DHCP'ed an address in the same way as above. However, it does take a while longer to come online when it has to do a DHCP request - I'll probably assign it a static IP number soon.
The printer also comes with driver software for Windows of course and Mac. My wife uses Mac OSX and the included software seemed to work transparently as well. She already has access to it via my netatalk/CAP printer <-> CUPS sustems, but the HP software allows her to print even if my server burps.
This also allows us to place the printer ANYWHERE in the house and be able to print to it - for example if the kids want to take it upstairs where they're working on a school project - now that it's set up, they can yank it and take it anywhere and when it powers up again, it's ready.
Print quality is very good - text is not quite as tight, nor as fast as the HP Laserjet 6MP that it will soon replace, but very good and it auto-senses high quality paper for photos. It's not quite a pro-quality photo-printer, but even with the non-photo color cartridge, it's pretty darn good. To test it, I printed an 8x10 of a 2048x1536 image on the glossy paper and it came out ... well, breathtaking. Not like a Cibachrome print, but damn decent and quite fast for that size (tho I don't look forward to buying new photo cartridges at $25 per). On the other hand, it does use a relatively standard HP cartridge that is available at the discount ink houses refurbished and even in bulk ink (which I used for my previous inkjets - at least the black ink).
So overall, with only a few pages printed, I'm pretty happy and I'd be happy to rec HP, especially with their new advocacy and support of Linux.
Rating: 
Summary: Massive headache for Mac users
Review: Despite Apple's claim that the wireless HP 5850 color printer is "Apple-friendly," it took an entire Saturday on the phone with both HP and Apple to configure the printer for use with Airport Express. HP's instruction booklet is insanely complicated--a far cry from Apple's "Plug 'n' Play" ease of use--even for a computer savvy Ivy League grad. Under the best conditions, with optimal signal strength and a speedy internet connection, it can still take up to 3 minutes after turning on the printer for it to be ready to print. It made me rethink my insistence on wireless technology--what's a few cords compared to hours of headaches, troubleshooting, and waiting with fingers crossed?
Rating: 
Summary: Decent printing and very convenient
Review: For this price, you can't beat this printer. I am thrilled to have a printer that doesn't have to be nestled close to my PC. I'm fortunate to have computer experience, but I cringe at the thought of regular PC users having to set up the wireless network. Chances are most people had very little problem; mine had to do with static/dynamic IP address configurations. This wasn't necessarily the printer's fault, but would make the wireless feature insignificant if it didn't work.
If you don't care about the wireless, I had no trouble with just plugging the printer directly into my router.
The printing quality is decent. Nothing to rave about, but nothing to complain about either.
Rating:
Summary: problems printing PDF files
Review: I am a Mac user running OS 10.3. when this printer first arrived about a month ago, its included software does not support USB connection to a Mac. this is a bad start considering how common the USB connection is. Finally, I downloaded the latest 2.5 version of the software but it still does not fully support printing the PDF filfes. I am scientist and many scientific papers are now published in PDF format. I cannot recommend this to anyone who needs to print PDF files on a regular basis.
Rating:
Summary: Great Printer, Easy to Install, Good print quality
Review: I bought this printer 2 days ago. I have a Linksys wireless router at home (802.11G). I live in a relatively small apartment with no "office" space, and usually work on my laptop in the living room. So the wirless networking ability of this printer was really important to me since I can now hide the printer just about anywhere (it is in the closet of one of the bedrooms).Setting up the printer was a real breeze. In fact, I was a little bit sceptical in the beginning because the instructions seemed too easy. All I had to do was to connect the printer to my router, turn it on, and then install the software on my laptop. The software walked me through configring the printer so it could connect to the router (If you know how to connect your laptop to the router via your wireless card, you can connect the printer). The only glitch I had was that I had set up my router to only allow 802.11G, not 802.11B and G. The printer installation instructions do not mention this at all, so I had trouble connecting until I remembered to check my router configuration. The printer works like a charm and is really quiet. I have not tried photo prints yet but the print quality of everything else is great. Also, the printer looks good. It is relatively low-key in its design and also has a low form-factor. And it looks like it is built from quality material and does not look cheap. Which is good, because it isn't exactly cheap.
Rating:
Summary: Great Printer, Easy to Install, Good print quality
Review: I bought this printer 2 days ago. I have a Linksys wireless router at home (802.11G). I live in a relatively small apartment with no "office" space, and usually work on my laptop in the living room. So the wirless networking ability of this printer was really important to me since I can now hide the printer just about anywhere (it is in the closet of one of the bedrooms). Setting up the printer was a real breeze. In fact, I was a little bit sceptical in the beginning because the instructions seemed too easy. All I had to do was to connect the printer to my router, turn it on, and then install the software on my laptop. The software walked me through configring the printer so it could connect to the router (If you know how to connect your laptop to the router via your wireless card, you can connect the printer). The only glitch I had was that I had set up my router to only allow 802.11G, not 802.11B and G. The printer installation instructions do not mention this at all, so I had trouble connecting until I remembered to check my router configuration. The printer works like a charm and is really quiet. I have not tried photo prints yet but the print quality of everything else is great. Also, the printer looks good. It is relatively low-key in its design and also has a low form-factor. And it looks like it is built from quality material and does not look cheap. Which is good, because it isn't exactly cheap.
Rating:
Summary: Exactly what I needed!
Review: I bought this printer after my 5 year old Deskjet 930C died. I wanted an inkjet that had built-in network connectivity for use in my home network. I considered the Epson C84N, but it does not have a duplex accessory and the network connectivity is by way of a bundled print server device. Then I found the HP 5850. It had the features that I was looking for. It can be connected via USB cable, wireless 802.11b, Ethernet cable, or all three at once if you wish. The out of box experience was very good. Plugged in the power, inserted the ink carts, and connected it to my router with a CAT5 cable. The first time it is powered on with the ink carts installed it goes through a configuration that takes 2 or 3 minutes. After that, the printer easily found an IP address using DHCP. Installation of the software from the included CD was equally smooth on both of my Win XP Pro pcs, the software found the printer and was ready to use within a couple minutes. Best of all, the duplex accessory from my old 930C also fits the 5850, saving the expense of having to buy a new one. Print quality is very good, and is quicker than my 930C. Picture quality is much better and that is with the normal tri-color cartridge, I have not yet tested using the photo cart. Overall, I am extremely happy with this printer, it is a very nice upgrade from my previous inkjet and just the thing for those of us needing to easily share a printer on a small network.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a home with multiple Computers
Review: I bought this printer beacuse I have several computers at home (both Mac and PC) and I needed something I could put in a shelf and print from whichever computer. It works GREAT!!!
It is easy to install and setup. The driver installation is easy on both platforms. And it is quite fast. No extra are cables needed just plug it to the power outlet and you are all set. It also has an ethernet port if you do not have wireless or prefer to have it plugged into your network hardware.
Rating: 
Summary: Works, but not easy to set up
Review: I bought this printer because of its wireless potential. And it works great, once it is set up. I run OS X, and I always argue that things works so well on the Mac, and they typically do. This printer set up, however, seems to have been written for Windows users. There are several steps, installing this, plugging in that, restarting the computer. This is insane for OS X, which is why it appears to me to be a Windows port. Apple uses the incredibly easy to use networking protocol Rendezvous, which in theory doesn't need any driver installed (or perhaps the driver is installed by Apple in the OS, and this one is not, yet.) At least that's my limited knowledge and experience with Rendezvous using an HP 4600 Color Laser at my work location. Just plug the ethernet cable into the printer and there it is in the Add Printer box. However, this printer required me not only to install a driver, but then follow a complicated set up procedure, plugging in a network cable, turning on/off the printer. When that didn't work, I had to restart the computer; finally, I reinstallled the software, and then it worked. This is rediculous. This is exactly the reason I do not use the Windows OS. Perhaps I do not know enough about wireless connectivity, and this may be the only way to set up a wireless printer to work with an 802 network. If true, then I appologize to Windows users and HP. If this is as easy as it gets, then there needs to be more thought put into the install process, because it sure wasn't easy at all. Second, the printer is pretty loud. It runs like an Epson inkjet that this is replacing. When you go to print, there is an inordinate amount of clacking, and the paper feed is part of the problem. Fortunately, the printer does work wirelessly, which is the only reason I will keep this. And I like the paper feed in front of the printer, as opposed to on top like Epson made in the past. Perhaps after working with this printer for a few weeks I will up my rating, but for now, this gets 3 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Makes print servers obsolete
Review: I bought this printer for my home network of 3 computers. Two are old desktops, running windows 98 and one is a wifi laptop running xp. The wifi laptop connected wirelessly with the printer with no problem, but I had trouble getting the printer software to run on the old desktops. When I tried to load the software on the desktops, I got this major error message saying I had to reset the printer to factory settings (whatever that means?!). The solution was that I had to hard wire the printer to the wireless router. That's not a problem, though since I don't need to move the printer around anyway. The beauty of this setup now is that all 3 computers can print off the same printer independently of each other, just as if you had a print server. And the laptop can be moved to anywhere in the house and still be print ready. I would highly recommend this product if you seek this kind of functionality. The only downside is the software is a little quirky, especially on old computers
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