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Hewlett Packard have designed the PhotoSmart A826 so that pretty much anyone can come along and print images from it. It really doesn’t matter if you’re a grandparent, mum or dad, or a kid because instead of needing a manual, all you really need to do is turn the printer on and start pushing the screen because its touchscreen really does help you make your way through it.
Now if you’re like me, you’ve got family coming over this season. There’ll be chicken and ham and chocolates and if I’m making you salivate too much, there’ll also probably be someone at your table with a digital camera making sure to get all those moments where you’re making a complete fool of yourself.
But what if there aren’t any stores open on the day to print those photos to give to your family before they leave?
HP think they might have found the solution with their new PhotoSmart A826 Photo Printer, a new nicely designed printer that sort of resembles an egg but features a touchscreen and takes 100 sheets of paper.
Now you might be saying that there are a lot of Photo Printers out there on the market. They all do the 6 by 4 postcard prints, they all produce vivid images, and so on, but what the A826 does differently is something truly separates itself from the pack.
Hewlett Packard have designed the PhotoSmart A826 so that pretty much anyone can come along and print images from it. It really doesn’t matter if you’re a grandparent, mum or dad, or a kid because instead of needing a manual, all you really need to do is turn the printer on and start pushing the screen because its touchscreen really does help you make your way through it.
And they’ve gone about this in a way that’s both easy and fun as you can even do fun things before you print your photos including drawing on them using a stylus, writing things, or even change them into a nice sepia or black and white print!
The photos are printed at a not too fast, not to slow speed. You can get a lot faster printers but I’d go out on a limb and say that they wouldn’t have the ease of usability that the A826 has.
About the only problem we found with the A826 is the cost. With an RRP of $399, the overall price of the unit is excellent. But since the PhotoSmart ink and paper can only be bought together in packs, you might find that the sixty dollar price tag for 120 sheets is a bit steep. Especially when you realise that the A826 only comes with enough paper and ink for around 3 prints so you’ll have to buy some immediately.
All said and done, the HP PhotoSmart A826 is a surprisingly refreshing drop in a pool of otherwise stale devices. While the colour can sometimes vary, it often does a commendable job of printing colour and even heavy black & white images.
Couple that with the ease of use it has for practically any person and you’ll find that the PhotoSmart A826 might just be worth the money if you’re not someone who has the time or learning curve for photo labs.
Product: HP PhotoSmart A826
Vendor: HP
RRP: $399
Website: HP PhotoSmart A826
Reviewed by Leigh D. Stark
