The hp Photosmart 8250 is a very interesting printer for a number of reasons. Apart from using hp’s Vivera inkset, which claims a 100 year life, the ink delivery system in the hp 8250 is completely different from almost every other printer out there. This really is a case of hp invent.

hp Photosmart 8250

For a very reasonable price you get a built-in card reader, Pictbridge connector and a high quality colour screen.You also get one of the most interesting ink systems out there.

All home or home office sized inkjet printers I’ve ever used make lots of whizzing and pumping noises - even when they’re not printing. Or they’ll stop for a rest, in between prints and make odd noises while you wonder what’s happening and when your prints are going to emerge. If you’ve ever wondered what all the noises are, or why your printer seems to have these little pauses, the answer is - cleaning the print heads. The interesting bit is that while every other A4 photo printer does this by pumping ink through the heads and dumping it, the hp8250 uses a recirculation system to re-use that ink. Does that seem like a GOOD IDEA or what? The cost of inkjet cartridges is a hot topic and any system that doesn’t automatically dump around 25-35% of what you’ve paid for seems almost too good to be true.

 The big question is - Does it work?