Purchased an HP6500A Plus All-in-One MFP about 3 weeks ago. I wanted a machine that could do duplex printing, scan using a multi-sheet document feeder and serve as a TWAIN scanner for scanning apps, in particular Essential Fax. Didn't plan to use it as a standalone fax as the Essential Fax computer app is far better for managing in-bound faxes, most of which I don't want to print to paper anyway.
I debated between the HP and the equivalent Canon product, the MX870 AIO, and from what I could tell, the consumable (ink) cost would likely be lower with the HP. There was only a $10 difference in printer cost, so the HP seemed like the better long-term choice. But I have a history with HP.
About 5 years ago, I took a contract job doing credentials for a specialty event, the X-Prize Cup, in Las Cruces, NM. One of my tasks during pre-event prep was to acquire 3 MFP's and I bought 3 identical HP units (can't remember which model) at the local WalMart. The software for them would not install on any of our computers and I wasted more than half a day of time I didn't really have to spare in a fruitless exercise with HP tech support trying to get the things to install. No matter how many times & ways they tried, the HP software would not install and there was no other option - no simple printer drivers you could use in the Windows Add Printer applet, no TWAIN drivers. We finally decided to cut our losses, boxed them up & returned them the next day. Only one of the three really needed fax capability so we picked up one Brother Fax/Copier and 2 Konica Minolta color lasers, with which we encountered no installation issues at all. I made a mental note to avoid HP products henceforth.
Flash forward to my recent purchase. I figured they surely must have improved their installation software in 5 years, so took a flyer on the 6500A despite my prior experience. You can guess where this is going.
The installation software simply refused to 'find' the machine on my network, wired or wireless, even though it could be pinged and the Wireless Setup Wizard was able to connect it to my router. An incredibly painful 2 & a half hour tech support call with an agent who was quite cordial but whose English was almost unintelligible and who was obviously operating entirely from on-screen algorithm prompts rather than knowledge, failed to resolve the detection problem and the agent and her boss concluded that there was a problem with my router (mmm... OK). After hanging up, I was able to get the printer installed as a TCP/IP printer using the Add Printer applet. Couldn't get scanner drivers installed, though. But I was at least able to print.
I received an email from a senior case manager at HP a few days later inviting me to call for escalated tech support. Of course, they're east coast and have hours which don't quite match my availability, but I managed to have this morning free so I gave them a ring. A little over four hours later, their software still could not identify the printer on the network even though we could ping it and launch its built-in web browser by navigating to its IP address. Without HP's installation software identifying the printer, however, the scanning software could not install. He promised to do some more research on the problem & call again in a couple of days.
Coincidentally, all the starter cartridges ran out of ink yesterday evening. So I shuffled off to Costco this afternoon to get some ink. To reach the ink shelves I had to walk by the printers and the MX870 was on sale for $10 less than when I bought the HP. The set of HP ink cartridges was going to cost $85. The MX870 was $99. Made the decision on the spot to solve my tech support problem by buying the Canon instead of the ink.
Suffice it to say, within 30 minutes of opening the box, the printer was fully installed on the network. There were no detection issues and the TWAIN scanner driver works perfectly with Essential Fax. Another 15 minutes and the printer was installed on the other two network PC's without a hitch. The HP is now a big shiny black paperweight.
The HP hardware seems pretty solid, and their LaserJet monochrome printers are superb (we have 4 of them in my office), but those people can't write installation software worth a crap. Having now had 2 nightmarish experiences with consumer HP printer installs, I'm pretty sure I'll never try another one.
If you are in the market for a printer, save yourself a potential headache and avoid HP. But I strongly recommend Canon products. I had a Canon N670U flatbed scanner that was trouble-free (replaced by MX870 now) and I have a Canon i9900 photo printer that installed easily, even on a wireless print server. They seem to know how to make stuff work.
Sorry for the ramble, but it feels good to get it off my chest, since I didn't allow myself to scream into the phone at that poor tech in Mumbai (or wherever) that first night.