The wake-up problem people have mentioned is easy to fix! Here's how it's worked for me:
I am a big fan of this printer! The print quality is great for the price, it has a small footprint for an all-in-one, and in general, it's aesthetically pleasing so I don't mind to see it setting out in my office.
As I checked reviews before purchasing, one problem seemed to have upset some people. I think I found an easy fix. Sure, it's better if you didn't need to do this, but hopefully this helps someone who is having the problem--or reassures someone who is looking for the great value this printer offers price-wise. Anyway, here's what happens:
You go to print, but your computer thinks the printer is offline (either because it is sleeping, or because it thinks it's sleeping even though you've already gone to the machine and woken it up by rebooting it or hitting the cancel button). On your computer, open up the printer. You can double-click the icon in your tray that appears once you've sent a job to the printer. The top of the printer window contains the caption "Use Printer Offline." But you want the printer online. All you do is go under File and uncheck "Use printer offline." The printer wakes up and prints your document! Not ideal, but easy to fix without even getting up from your desk!
And don't even bother with the HP Guided Solution--it pretty much has you reboot everything...which still doesn't work sometimes. The way I found is much easier! :-) HP Photosmart C4580 All-in-One Printer
The HP Photosmart C4580 printer is wonderfully feature-packed for its price but I cannot over look it flaws.
Let me first start with the good...
This printer is currently the best bang for the buck. The big features are: wireless printing, a scanner/copier, and a built-in memory stick reader. If you own a laptop that you're constantly bringing around, the wireless printing is very nice... just one less thing you have to plug in. Its probably also good if you have multiple computers. I'm not sure if I'll ever use the scanner/copier but it can't hurt and it doesn't raise the price too much. Its also a relatively small printer (at least compared to my old one) and has a very easy to use screen to change options. You can also use after-market products to refill the printer cartridges yourself making them much cheaper.
However the printer has three major flaws...
My biggest headache with the printer was its setup. The installer crashed on me every time I tried installing drivers and I spent three very long hours on the phone getting it fixed. [Tech-note: I was using Internet Explorer 8 Beta which is incompatible with the HP printing software]. Unlike most other India-based tech support I've dealt with before, HP support had minimal automated phone submenus, the staff were knowlegeable, and I wasn't transferred too many times.
Secondly, if you use the wireless feature the printer will hang. This is a product defect and HP hasn't gotten around to fixing it. However there is a relatively simple work-around for this defect if you're tech-savvy. Search around the internet for "HP Photosmart C4580 Screen Turns Off" to find the fix.
Finally, I had major rebate issues. Amazon advertises a rebate for this product, but beware! The rebate is not for the printer itself. The rebate requires you to buy a laptop or PC along with the printer.
So despite the fancy features on this printer you should be very careful with it cause there are some flaws and it may not be the bargain it sounds.
UPDATE: HP has apparently fixed the printer hang problem. Go to HP's driver support page for more details.
I just purchased an HP C4580 All In One printer for my wife. As indicated
in one of the reviews, the installation software hung up the printer when I attempted to do a wireless scan. So, I restarted her computer (Windows XP) and clicked on the HP Solution Center icon, the Help Button, and finally the Update button. There were a number of updates to be downloaded. After their installation, every thing was, and is, fine. Although the printer is nothing fancy, it looks good on my wife's white table, has a small footprint, and is easy to use. Many years ago, I had a similar problem with an HP 1315 All In One printer, and found the updates at the HP help center. Therefore, I hope I remember in the future to always get any updates to new software before trying the hardware.
I received this printer about a week ago and had it set up in 10-minutes (including connecting to my wireless network). The printer has excellent quality and seems to work flawlessly. I don't have a single complaint, which is significant for a $100 printer! I HIGHLY recommend this printer for home use (especially with a wireless network) or even small office use.
this device is a total loser - 2 hours trying to install myself - Im not a total newbie - then 2 hours with tech support -turned out its the sleep problem. finally installed and next day didnt work - computer couldnt recognize/find it. do yourself a favor and avoid at all costs. even tech support at hp said this model has alot of problems. - All-in-one - Photosmart - Wireless - Printer'
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