HP Photosmart C4580 All-In-One Inkjet Comments

If you plan to use the HP 4580 with a Mac computer, DO NOT buy this model. The printer freezes after several hours of non use and the only way to restore the printer to use is to unplug the unit from the power source. I contacted HP support about this problem and was told they were aware of the problem, but did not have a fix. Here is the exact text of the email they sent me: "I apologize for sending a blank email. Unfortunately, there is no fix to prevent the Photosmart C4580 from freezing. Please make sure the power supply is plugged directly into a wall outlet and not into a power bar or surge protector. " Don't make the same mistake I did!

1. To David Fox - I just wonder if putting a timer on to recycle the power might help. It's not good though. I did see this as a suggestion for keeping routers working - having a power cut every day at 5am, but you'd need one every hour or two for this printer with the fault you mention.

2. I'm currently struggling really hard with my C4580, and may return it to the store.
There seem to be two classes of user - those that get it working relatively quickly, and are quite satisfied, and those that have great difficulty getting it to work, and are hence dissatisfied. Currently I'm in the latter group, though this might change. I've had some helpful suggestions from the HP Support forums, and I'm slightly hopeful that I will be able to get this working eventually, and this will avert the need for me to return it to the store.

It is apparently possible to configure this to run wirelessly AND also with the USB cable, but requires two installations - once as a wireless printer, and once as a connected printer. The user has to connect to the appropriate wired/wireless device when printing - this is not automatic.

I noted one piece of advice for installing from the forums was to turn off all security measures - firewall and antivirus systems - before installing (posted by someone who'd seen the effects with and without active security), but this doesn't seem a good idea to me. I think there are ways of keeping the firewalls and antivirus systems under control without abandoning security, but this may not be completely trivial.

I can't evaluate the printer well yet. It's taken me over two months so far and I've not yet printed a real page. The print quality looks quite good, though the print speed is disappointingly slow. This might be because of the colour cartridge used - the one which came in the box - so the suggestion in one article to use the plain colour cartridge for non-photo applications might result in a significant improvement in printing speed.

I shall comment again if I ever do get this printer working.

I have owned a few HP printers and had no reservations buying my C4580 last week as a printer for my children. I thought for the specifications, it was a great price.

BUT I wish I had not bought this ROTTEN contraption. Paper jam after paper jam after paper jam has occured. I have tried various weights and types of paper (70/80/90 gsm) and different coatings. Only one sheet out of c.30 attempts has made it through the printing process unscathed. Every time, the paper gets stuck under the print carriage and fails to make it through the out feed.

Advice: don't buy.

It's going back to the shop this afternoon for my money back.

I did eventually get mine working, at least as a printer. I didn't succeed in configuring it as a scanner - though it does work as a copier. The print quality is actually rather good. One problem is that I configured it using a static IP address - which it seemed to require. I'll have to check again whether it'll work with DHCP. I have one router where changing a static address is a cinch, and onother which currently appears to be an absolute pain. If it will work with DHCP that'll be much easier. Anyone reading this who doesn't understand will perhaps realise that there can be significant problems in getting this device to work, though once I'd got it going I found it is quite good - unlike the previous commenter crippo. I could even be tempted to buy another, as long as the hardware continues to function - but configuring/reconfiguring this device is a real pain unless you are either (a) very lucky, or (b) very talented. Otherwise you'll have to be (c) very determined in order to get it work.

Mine works fine, and after a weeks use I have only one problem: using Mac OS10.5 and Word I cant get it to print in the reverse order of pages, using the usual commands.
I havnt needed to use the Scan function, so dont knw if that works. but the copy function is OK and fast. Print quality good. No paper jams.
Anybody have any ideas re reverse printing?

My low-cost Canon Pixma printer died on me just as it crawled over the warranty deadline, so I had no hesitation in checking out this website for a replacement, non-Pixma budget all-in-one. HP C4580 now in place. The point about all this is that it's not about the cost of the box - they could pay you to take one away - it's about knowing that the box will fail, but hey, if it does what it says on the tin, keep on buying those consumables!