Hewlett Packard Officejet 4215 All-In-One InkJet Printer Review

My home and workplace offer me several opportunities to sample and evaluate different pieces of hardware products and among them, the ones that seem to have the greatest differences in quality and performance are the printers. One printer that I use in the office for multiple functions is the
HP Officejet 4215, an office device that prints, faxes, scans, and copies.

All in One Commentary:

Hewlett Packard is one of the foremost names in printing technology. I have liked the majority of HP products I have used, but the HP Officejet 4215 is one that has given me more headaches and difficulties than anything else. The device is multi- function, and that makes it good for those who want the ability to fax, scan, print, and copy but don't want the inconvenience (or cost) of purchasing separate machines for each task. It can handle all of these functions, and this alone might tempt some to make a purchase.  

Before you decide to hand over the approx. $100 to buy this piece of office machinery, however, you should be made fully aware of the many shortcomings of this device. Let's start with the facsimile feature. This is the function I use most with this device and it is actually the best of the four features, and that isn't saying much. I like the fact that I can pre- program some of the numbers I commonly dial to make the process of faxing a little faster. But I don't like the fact that this machine often needs help sending the pages through and that it scans slowly. When you send a fax, it is common for the sensor to be unable to detect any paper. It will make a unique grinding/humming sound as it tries to pull your first sheet through but if it cannot detect a sheet after so long, it gives up and you have to start over. The other annoyances with the fax include the slow scanning. The reason it is slow is because it cannot store pages in memory very quickly like some of the modern fax machines. With this fax machine, you have to wait for all the pages to go through (which can take considerable time if you have five or more sheets), and wait for it to dial and connect.

The copy function on this printer is even worse, with a slow processing speed and a slow print speed. I avoid using this device for coping unless there is a line at the copier and I have no other way to copy. You have to wait and wait for the pages to scan through and then wait and wait for it to slowly reproduce each sheet. The rates for printing (17 ppm for black and 12 ppm for color) do not apply to copying. The printer is much slower in this area.

Scanning is ok with this device, but I haven't used it very much. Like the faxing function, you have to wait for each sheet to go through and it can take a long time. And since this machine cannot handle documents greater than 8.5 inches in width, you will not be able to scan a large document. You will have to take a large document to a copier first and reduce it in size.

Printing is ok with this printer, and the paper is printed at a good rate (for an inkjet printer, that is). But one thing you need to worry about if you use this for general printing is that it tends to use more ink than other printers. The cartridges in this printer cost about $20 for black ink (19 ml) and $35 for color ink (17 ml). This isn't much money BUT the cartridges are good for only about 450 sheets and 400 sheets respectively. If you have a busy office, it won't take long at all before the ink runs dry.

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Overall, I am not very satisfied with the performance of this multi- function device. The scanning function is so- so, the Fax isn't good, the Copier is weak, and the printer is slightly worse than average. These, and other factors, work out to an overall assessment in the below average range, making HP4215 All in One a machine to avoid.