New York, NY -- Reviewed last month by Computer Shopper, the HP Officejet 4500 Wireless is a 4-in-1 (print, scan, copy, color fax) device aimed at users that need a decent printer, but that aren’t concerned with a ton of features. It is capable of printing at a maximum speed of 28 ppm for monochrome output and 22 ppm for color output. In terms of size, it is about average measuring 15.81” x 17.07” x 8.53” (HxWxD) and weights a mere 13 lbs. At least it is wireless so placement is even less of an issue. The only thing to keep in mind is the very large power brick and cord which extended out of the back almost 2”.
As we said above, this is not a feature-rich machine, however it does come with 20-sheet ADF located on top. That said, it lacks the ability to duplex, has no memory card slots or PictBridge slot for easy transfer of photos, a monochrome LCD instead of a color one, and no automatic paper detection. In its favor is the well-exposed back panel which makes it easier to clear paper jams than on some other printers. The LCD, while monochrome, is relatively easy to see.
The paper handling is simple enough. A single paper tray holding a maximum of 100 sheets of paper at a time is the only thing that does not come attached to the printer when shipped. It can be snapped into place easily when the printer is removed from the box.
Unfortunately, the ink consumables can get a bit pricey for a machine in this range. It is a two-cartridge system with one color cartridge (CMY) and one black cartridge. For the color cartridge, there is only one option and it runs $28.99 and is rated for 360 pages for a total cost per page of 13.6. The black cartridge is available in a standard size (200 pages, $14.99) or a high-capacity (700, $31.99) pages so the lowest cost per page there is 4.6 cents. These two totals are certainly do not translate to exceptional value for someone who prints a great deal. The other issue with the ink is the print quality. The reviewers described the photo quality as fair at best (though what can one expect from a machine with no memory card slots), but the text printing was rated very highly, even for draft mode.
Overall, this machine is definitely intended for those individuals who are not liberal with what they print. The monthly duty cycle is rated at a maximum of 4,500 pages, though the recommended total is 1,000. For users who print text almost exclusively and don’t require much in the way of features, this would be a decent choice.
