HP Deskjet 890 Ink Cartridges

HP 890 Printer Review

The HP Deskjet 890, 890C, 890Cse and 890cxi are a series of inkjet devices that can handle personal printing needs for projects like family photos, school papers and scrapbook pages. The 890 is the base model in the series and the most cost efficient, but its maximum print speeds of 9 pages per minute for monochrome documents are very slow considering there are similar models that can reach up to 25 pages per minute. If waiting around a little longer for a project isn't a big deal, this machine will benefit homes that are looking for a single-function budget device to support their occasional light-duty printing.

A size of 17x15x8 inches is relatively compact and small enough for desktop use, but considering this device doesn't have a control panel with a color LCD or other useful management tools it is rather bulky. Access to such tools is available through its drivers and software, which can be installed onto computers that run Mac or Windows operating systems. This includes the ColorSmart software, which provides editing and enhancement options so photos and graphics print with sharp color detail. Printing documents from a user's computer can be accomplished by connecting it to the machine through its rear USB port.

A maximum monthly duty cycle of 3,000 pages and total media capacity of 150 pages gears the 890 toward low-volume printing. The unit can handle plain paper and specialty media that ranges from 4x6 inches to a maximum of 8.5x14 inches. Users have the option to print double-sided on paper if they want to reduce media use, but this must be performed manually.

For its low price tag, this unit's ability to print monochrome text documents with a maximum resolution of 600 dpi using HP 890 printer ink is pretty impressive. The incorporation of PhotoREt image enhancement technology allows the device to consistently print photos with crisp detail and a resolution of 600x600 dpi using color Deskjet 890 printer ink.

While yields of up to 620 pages for its tricolor HP 890 ink cartridge and 830 pages for its black supply may seem low, they should enable the unit to handle light-duty printing. To ensure that replacing Deskjet 890 ink doesn't become more expensive than the machine itself, users can select affordable remanufactured HP 890 ink cartridges over the expensive OEM replacements.

The 890 is several years old and it shows, considering the machine only offers wired connectivity options and has almost no tools to edit or control jobs on the front panel. Buyers that aren't interested in some of the new features more advanced models have to offer, however, may enjoy this simple inkjet printer and its ability to print a decent output despite its low price tag.