Deskjet Review

I am wondering what actually happens each time I do an auto-clean, intermediate clean, and/or prime on my printer. It’s a HP Deskjet 3740. I took it apart to clean it manually since it’s been being very streaky lately, and found two foam-like pads soaked full of ink. Does "auto-clean" merely squirt off some ink in a side compartment or what? How does this work? Thanks in advance!

The foam pads should be soaked in ink. Theyu pick up the excess ink when you have completed a print job, or when you have completed a cleaning.

A print head cleaning works by heating the print head and expelling a small amount of ink and any debris that may be causing a blockage. You should run a print head cleaning every two – three weeks. Intermediate clean and priming the printer are not necessary if you do a basic cleaning. INtermediate clean and prime work just like a basic cleaning, the biggest difference is going to be the ink volume expelled.

I need a driver for my Hewlett Packard Deskjet 660C Printer that can work vey well with my Win XP system.

There is no need to download a printer driver from the Web. The drivers for HP Deskjet printers are included in Windows XP.
The following instructions are for installing the basic driver that is preloaded on Windows XP. This document describes how to load the appropriate printer driver that is pre-installed in your Windows XP operating system. The preinstalled Windows XP driver supports basic printing features.
This document only addresses the Windows XP operating system.
Step one: Check to see if the printer driver is already installed
To find out if printer is already installed, do the following:
Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Printers and Faxes.
Check to see if the name of your printer shows next to a printer icon.
If the printer is there, you are done. The best printer driver is already installed. Proceed to Step four : Set the HP Deskjet driver as the default driver.
If the printer is not there, proceed to Step two : Connect the cables.
Step two: Connect the cables
With the computer and printer on, connect the USB or parallel cable to the printer and the computer. One of two things could happen:
The driver automatically installs when the printer is connected to the computer. Several small dialogue boxes will appear showing the progress of the driver installation. When the installation is finished, a message displays stating that the printer is installed and ready to use. You are done. The best printer driver available for your printer is installed. Proceed to Step four: Set the HP Deskjet driver as the default driver.
If the Found New Hardware Wizard displays, click Cancel and proceed to Step three.
Step three: Manually install the printer driver
Click Start, then Control Panel.
Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Printers and Faxes.
In Printer Tasks, click Add a printer.
Click Next.
Select Local, then remove the check mark from Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer.
Click Next.
Select Port
Parallel connection is usually LPT1
USB connection is usually USB001
Click Next.
Select HP from the Manufacturer list.
Select the printer model from the printer list, and then click Next.
Select Yes if this printer is the default printer, or select No if it is not.
Click Next to continue.
Select No to skip the test page, and then click Next.
Click Finish to complete the installation.
NOTE: If prompted for a Windows disk in Step 12, do not use the disk that came with the printer, use the Windows XP disk or the recovery disk that came with the computer.

If prompted for a Windows disk, insert the appropriate Windows or PC Recovery disk (not the disk that came with the printer) and follow the instructions on the screen. Once the driver has been installed, it will be listed in the Printers window ( Start, then Printers and Faxes).
Step four: Set the HP Deskjet driver as the default driver
Once you’ve installed the new HP driver, set it as the default printer.
Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Printers and Faxes.
Right-click the HP Deskjet driver then select Set as Default Printer.

I have a CD that says HP DeskJet 840C and the printer says DeskJet 842C. Will this make a difference? Please explain in very simple terms. Thank you.

The same driver will work for both printers. The following page, from the HP website, tells you this about the differences between the DeskJet 840c and the DeskJet 842c printers.

"The HP Deskjet 840C and the HP Deskjet 842C printers both have the same basic printing features and functions. The HP Deskjet 840C printer, however, is directed at the worldwide channel, and the HP Deskjet 842C printer is directed at the retail channel in the U.S. and Canada only."

If you wish to obtain the driver specific to the DeskJet 842c, try the second url below.

HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2010 Printer Series K010 is the most popular inkjet printer that I have ever come across. Loaded with fine features and ink efficient HP cartridges, this printer has all the reasons to be termed as the winner. It weighs just 2kgs and the dimensions of 4217 mm x 380 mm x 266 mm make it quite portable.

It inkjet printer has the potential to produce documents up to 20 pages per minute of monochromatic print, and up to 16 pages per minute of color prints. That was about Draft mode, and in Best mode you can obtain rich texts and images at speed up to 5.5 pages per minute (B&W) and 4 pages per minute (color).

For more information on deskjet series click here

For the most part, choosing a printer can be a daunting task and entails balancing price, speed, and print quality. In order to choose the right printer for you, you will have to ask yourself how much you print per month, what types of documents you will need to print, what quality print you require, whether or not you need color, and if you care more about the initial cost or cost over the printer’s lifetime. The difference between inkjet printers and laser printers is day and night, but once you understand their differences and decide which type is most suitable for your needs, you are more than half-way to finding the right printer for you.

As a rule of thumb, laser printers produce crisp, speedy text documents and decent images, while inkjet printers produce top-quality, long-lasting photos and not-so-crisp text, all at an uncomfortably-slow pace.

For more information on inkjet ink click here

When buying printers, it is important to consider the ink cartridges or toners because that is something you will be buying repeatedly. If the print quality isn’t up to your expectation, you may find yourself stuck with an unsatisfactory printer. Two major competing brands in the market place are HP and Epson. It’s a matter of time that you will come across these two brands and start comparing.

The reason why the two brands are so popular is that they both have their key advantages.

For more information on hp ink click here

HP Deskjet F380

As far as all-in-one or multifunction printers go the Deskjet series offers virtually everything a user could want. HP Deskjet printers can be used in the home, the small business, or in the home office equally effectively because they provide the features of a high quality printer with the convenience of a scanner and photocopier. This combination means that you can save on desk space as well as saving yourself a little money along the way. All purchasing decisions are made with a budget in mind and HP Deskjet printers provide an excellent method to keep within your budget range.

For more information on hp deskjet ink cartridges click here