The initial set-up is simple thanks to a (generally responsive) colour touchscreen on the front of the device – follow the prompts and scan a QR code to download the HP Smart app and then connect it to your Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) network. If someone else has previously set it up, you can easily connect it to another Wi-Fi network just by using the touchscreen alone.
There’s also an Ethernet port for connection if you don’t trust the printer to fall off the wireless network, but we actually found that it stayted connected. There’s a USB cable slot at the rear, if you’re a caveman, but note that no cable is included. Another USB port on the side allows you to print directly from a thumbdrive.
HP states that its duty cycle can handle 20,000 pages per month but also recommends that you don’t go beyond 800 pages. It has four individual CMYK cartridges at the rear which you can buy individually or get HP to automatically send you refills when it’s running low. It’s this subscription model that underpins the printer's raison d'être.
Printer ink has always been incredibly contentious, with vendors locking out third parties or bricking cartridges before they’re empty. HP’s new 'Instant InkInstant InkInstant Ink' system dials this up several levels to be either really convenient for users, or their worst nightmare, so be sure you understand the system before buying.
Traditionally, low-cost printers have very high running costs and vice versa. HP’s OfficeJet 8130E is a high-quality device at a low retail price, but it’s all about subscribing to HP’s Instant Ink program. A free, three-month subscription comes with the printer and, if that subscription expires or is cancelled, the printer won’t print, regardless of the ink left inside.
There are several plans which range from $3.49 for 10 pages a month to $52 for 700 pages per month. If you need more during a month, you can upgrade and downgrade any time (or top-up with 10 pages for $3. Any leftover pages will rollover for three months. If you’re regularly printing, it can work out very well as the ink costs are half what you'd pay in the shops. HP sends out refills as you're getting low. If you’re a sporadic printer who still wants the hardware, you can still use the OfficeJet 8130E with shop-bought ink that won’t expire.
And the hardware makes for a tempting proposition in terms of features, regardless of the ink supply. This multi-function device (MFD) has a 35-page (one-sided) automatic document feeder (for the 300dpi scanner) at the top. You can also open the lid and scan (and copy) the traditional way. At the base there’s a 225-sheet, A4, paper tray (which can handle 60 sheets of photo paper). The top of this folds out to act as a ’60-sheet’ output tray (but expect some spillage if you have that many pages on it). The OfficeJet 8130E also can operate as a fax – remember those?
It's also worth mentioning the phone app which can also be used to print documents and scan them with your phone's camera. It also has text-extraction OCR capabilities but these were hit-and-miss when we tested it. Up to five people can use the app with the printer at any one time.
It can make a few clunks when operating but you can switch it to silent mode which slows the print-speed down to reduce the noise. In normal mode, it prints ‘standard’ colour pages at 10ppm and mono pages at 20ppm, though this still depends on what you’re printing.
The 1,760 print nozzles produce neat, non-spidery text (at 1,200dpi), but it’s not the greatest at reproducing sharp images or uniform areas of colour – especially on plain paper. Photo paper improves matters (resolution moves up to 4,800dpi) but it’s slow and can’t match the quality of dedicated photo printers.
All in all, there’s much to like about the HP OfficeJet 8130E. It’s packed with features that you wouldn’t expect from a $200 printer. Quality is acceptable for general office work. Just be sure to get your head around the ink pricing before purchasing as that can make it a bargain or a nuisance, otherwise.
It's currently on sale at HP's online store.
