Rating: 
Summary: a disappointment, compared to my previous HP printers
Review: I'm a SOHO user, with an IT background. As a result I don't want to compromise on my computer equipment. I've only bought HP printers for the last 12 years, and I've been *very* satisfied ... UNTIL I bought this 4550 Color Printer two months ago. I bought this printer with the hope to do all my printing work myself, also in color (my 4050 satisfied my needs, except that is was Black & while only). Compared to the HP 4050 it replaces, the thing is *very* bulky, the duplex keeps having paper jam problems if I start to re-use paper which was already printed on (which I never had with the 4050) and the warming up time is TERRIBLE (even after a paper jam, it takes AGES to warm up again). Also, having used the 4050, which was a 1200dpi printer, the 600 dpi of the 4550 is rather disappointing. Finally, the large drawer only takes 250 pages, compared to 500 pages for the 4050 - this means refilling the printer twice as often (and waiting for warming up again). OK, my business cards coming out of the printer on 220 gr. look professional in color, but my pictures are less good than they would be on an Epson Deskjet with 1440 dpi. Finally, I was really disappointed by the worth my "old" 4050 had - I got only 33% of it's value for a printer that was as good as new - HP only offered 16% of the initial value. Conclusion? For SOHO users - don't buy a HP printer that is bigger than what you *really* need - if you would resell it "as good as new" it will have lost it's value. For other users: maybe you should spend a bit more to get a better color printer than this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Craftspeople Need the Best Tools
Review: The HP-4550 Color LaserJet Printer is a great tool. We live in a color world. Our television, magazines and newspapers are in full color. It only makes sense to be able to reproduce what we see on our computer screen in color. Black/White output is only a poor representation, not an accurate reproduction. Since many people are considering trading up from a LaserJet 4 as I did, I will compare the two. The 4550 is heavier. You will need two people carry it and to move it from its shipping carton to a table. The 4550 is larger. Check the measurements. Make sure you have room for it. The 4550 is noisier but the fan shuts off after a few minutes of nonuse and it goes into a sleep mode after 30 minutes (adjustable). The 4550 is slower. It is first-page-out rated at 26 seconds in b/w while the HP-4050 is rated at 13 seconds. The printer cable is rather short. You may need an extension. If you have a small office and require more speed, you may be better off with an HP-4050 (b/w) printer and a small color inkjet printer. The manual is excellent, the setup is easy and the color is great. As a publisher, author of 26 Books, 109 revised editions, six translations and over 500 magazine articles as well as a consultant to the book publishing industry, I spend a lot of time using my computer. I need the best tools. The 4550 is a great tool. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.
| 
