The compact C4380 multifunction printer is a decent all-rounder, offering good quality outputs for all your home printing needs. Part of the Photosmart range, the C4380 can scan, copy and even has built-in Wi-Fi so you can use it on a network. Overall the Photosmart C4380 inkjet printer has a fairly good spec, however, print speeds may be an issue for some home users.
Design
Compared to other all-in-ones on the market, the HP C4380 inkjet printer is fairly compact. The printer comes with two memory card readers and a PictBridge port so you can connect your camera directly. There is a single USB port at the rear which can be used in conjunction with the wireless. The C4380 also comes with a small display screen and a host of buttons that allow you to make copies or print straight from the device. The paper feed system is disappointing with the 150 sheet input and output tray doubling as one – causing printouts to fly everywhere.
Advantages
HP have really focused on compatibility with the C4380. It accepts a range of memory cards (Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick, CompactFlash, SD Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, xD-card), can be connected to wirelessly or through a USB and can work on both Apple Mac and Windows. Print quality is also impressive for the price. It can handle text documents with ease and photographic prints look vibrant and punchy.
Disadvantages
The biggest downfall is speed, which will pose problems for anyone printing or scanning on a regular basis. HP claim the C4380 can reach speeds of up to 30ppm for plain text and 23ppm for colour. However this claim is nothing but fictitious, actual speeds are nearer 13 and 8 respectively. The 1200dpi scanner is equally slow, with previews and scanning time taking way over 2 minutes for a plain text A4 document.
