HP 6988DT Deskjet Printer (CB058A#B1H) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have an HP deskjet 6988dt. I had no problems setting it up for wireless operation using the "ethernet cable" installation procedure recommended by most other users; in this approach you connect via ethernet cable in the beginning, and then you disconnect the cable, changing to a wireless connection, near the end of the installation (the installation software instructs you when to do this). I have a Buffalo router with a hardware firewall, and a McAfee software firewall which I did not turn off during the installation. I have a desktop connected via ethernet cable to the router, and a laptop with a wireless connection, both using XP SP2. I turned off all McAfee virus scanning and spyware blocking on the laptop prior to the installation, and then installed the HP software on the laptop from the set-up CD. Prior to the installation, you have to look up your wireless SSID name and your WEP64 password if you are using one, as I am, because these have to be entered at one point in the installation process.
The printed set-up guide is very sparse because most of the installation instructions are on the set-up CD. The installation software guides you through the installation very clearly but the process is fairly slow; it took me a couple of hours. One stupid, time consuming mistake I made was assuming that the printer was turned on just because it was plugged in and some of the lights were on. In order to install the ink cartridges, you must "turn on" the printer by pressing the "on" button on the top left; this moves the print carriage to the ready position; you cannot install the ink cartridges unless the carriage is in this position.
The dt model comes with an accessory for two-sided printing (which HP calls duplex printing) but no installation instructions came with it. I found the instructions on-line after a few minutes of searching. Installation is very simple but not obvious. There are two latch handles on the back of the printer which permit you to remove the rear access door; the "duplexing accessory" then clips into the back of the printer in place of the original rear access door.
The dt model also comes with an additional paper tray which holds 250 sheets. Again the installation is very simple but not obvious. You simply pick up the printer and set it down on top of the auxilliary paper tray; a system of latches automatically connects the two. There is an option in the print menu which lets you print from the "upper" or the "lower" print tray, so you can have a different type of paper in each tray.
The printed sheets exit and fall onto the upper part of the paper tray; there is a slide-out extension to aid in catching the printed sheets; this extension has a small tab at its outer end which must be turned up so that it is perpendicular to the paper tray; this prevents the printed sheets from falling on the floor.
Some users have said that the printer vibrates. Ours does not vibrate is the usual sense of the word (i.e. small amplitude, high frequency oscillations). However, the print carriage moves very rapidly from side to side while it is printing and, since the carriage is moderately heavy, there is a lot of momentum transfer to the table that the printer is sitting on. I initially had the printer sitting on a small folding "TV table" and the momentum transfer produced a violent side to side motion of the table. You need a much more substantial support than a flimsy, light weight TV table.
Our old HP 970 printer is still working and is connected to my desktop through a parallel port. The new 6988dt printer is much faster than the old 970 because the print carriage moves really fast when it is printing; that is probably why the new ink cartridges are smaller than the old ones. Print quality on the new 6988dt does not seem superior to the old 970, and both are excellent, but I have not yet played with the new HP99 and HP100 ink cartridges which, according to Amazon user reviews, are supposed to give really nice photo prints. Two sided printing (duplex printing) is slower than single sided printing but I use it almost all the time.
The wireless capability means that we can put the new printer anywhere in the house, and access it from anywhere else. That was the main reason for buying it, and it sure is nice. The printer is currently in an upstairs guest room and we can print to it while sitting out on the back porch using the laptop.
Although my desktop computer does not have a wireless card, it is connected to the wireless router, so it too can have a wireless connection to the new printer. A separate manual was included which gives instructions for setting up this connection; the procedure looks pretty simple but I have not done it yet. I will do it when my old 970 finally gives up the ghost.


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