Kodak Kodak Easy Share 5500 AiO Printer Review

After reading reviews on a retailer's web site, I had mixed reservations about the Kodak 5500 printer.  I go through a printer on the average of one every 18 to 24 months.  The cost of printer cartridges is outrageous.  So, I checked out reviews, read everyone of them, but still went ahead and purchased the 5500.  Most of the reviews made reference to how difficult it was to set up, it was noisy, it was slow, and some didn't keep the printer after a few days. 

I've been an HP printer user for many years, but then I upgraded my computer to a Vista system.  My current (now old) HP Printer was not Vista compatible.  I checked all the HP printers that had basic features (scan, copy, print, and some with fax capability), and in the price range of $99-$199, and none of them were/are Vista compatible!  None!  I could not use features on my existing HP printer, because it was not Vista compatible.  I may not use all the features every time when using my computer, but I like to be able to, so I was losing out. 

 Well, my Kodak 5500 has been hooked up for a few days, and I am definitely impressed.  I've used every feature on it--copying, scanning, printing (both color and black & white), and faxing. 

 As long as you follow the "start here" instructions, it was an easy hookup, and worked right the first time.  I believe that when setting up new products, most people skip reading the directions, and this is where the frustration begins.  You must read the directions; otherwise you may get error messages.  I had no error messages, it printed right the first time, and it faxes documents just as well as a stand-alone fax machine. 

 The print quality, I believe is as good as, if not better than, my HP.  The very positive feature is the price of the ink cartridges--approximately $10.00 for a black and approximately $14.00 for the color cartridge.  This is a bargain compared to the $25.00 (plus) for black and $30.00 (plus) for color for my former HP.  And, you can print more pages from the Kodak cartridges.  If for anything, I will save myself and my company money on the price of ink cartridges. 

I am now a believer in Kodak for printers.  Granted, this is a new venture for Kodak, but I expect to be a user for a long time, due to my experience with the 5500 AiO.  It's saving me money from the start, and it works with Vista, and it does exactly what it is made to do--printing, copying, scanning, faxing.  I would recommend this to anyone in the market for a new printer.