HP Photosmart 1218

As with the 990Cxi, the acoustics are unobtrusive and the automatic alignment and paper-detection system makes life even easier for you. The main advantage of the Photosmart, though, is the ability to print from SmartMedia and CompactFlash cards. With both slots integrated it has an immediate advantage over the Epson Stylus Photo 875DC, which requires a PC Card adaptor for your preferred format. However, if you're looking specifically for a photo printer, the Epson has some more tricks up its sleeve. These include edge-to-edge and banner printing, a cheaper price of £271 and a six-colour print mechanism that produces sharper and richer photo results. The Photosmart comes with its own separate 4 x 6in photo-paper tray, meaning you don't have to cut up your photos yourself. However, the tear-off strip on the 4 x 6in paper looks unprofessional and it can't match the aesthetic value of Epson's edge-to-edge prints.

HP's Photosmart 1218 shows some improvements in terms of print speed and acoustics and offers great all-round printing with both text and photos. It also offers an incredibly wide range of features, including an automatic duplex unit, paper-detection system, as well as SmartMedia and CompactFlash slots and an LCD display. However, the photo results aren't the best available and if perfect photos are what you're really interested in, you'd be better off with the Canon BJC-8200 (reviewed issue issue 66, p163) or the cheaper Epson Stylus Photo 875DC if you're looking for digital camera functionality. HP's 990Cxi now costs £189 and offers identical printing results, so it's a wiser choice if you're not concerned with the extra gadgets. But if you're looking for a good all-round printer that'll print everything well and read your digital camera media, then the Photosmart 1218 is the way forward.

Author: Ben Hardwidge