HP 2225 Printer Review
The HP ThinkJet 2225, along with the other models in its series (the 2225A, 2225D, 2225C and 2225P) is an inkjet unit designed with the unique ability for portable use. As this device is a little dated it is not quite as mobile as other more advanced machines that have wireless connectivity, instead including only a basic parallel interface with its 2225C and 2225P models. The 2225 also isn't a particularly quick unit, with an output of only 150 characters per seconds and averaging 12 characters per inch. Although this machine uses inexpensive ThinkJet 2225 printer ink and was one of the best monochrome printers when it was first released, other recent additions to its class of portable devices have made the 2225 less appealing.
The 2225 has a weight of 6 pounds and a compact size of 11x8x3 inches that help make it a suitable choice for on-the-go printing. Leaving out media card readers or flash drive support and Wi-Fi connectivity limit this unit's ability to be truly mobile, as does its lack of a versatile control panel. Instead of providing an LCD display or buttons to navigate menu options, the device only has a single power button and uses a simple LED alert system that will notify users when a job is printing or if HP 2225 printer ink has expired.
One of its beneficial features is the use of a power adapter, which means the 2225 can rely on a battery to power printing rather than needing to be plugged in to an outlet. The unit's paper handling is also impressive, able to handle up to 250 pages of specialty media like Z-fold paper for continuous printing and projects like spreadsheets. Unfortunately, however, there is no input option or automatic paper feeder for cut-sheet media, which means users must manually feed each page.
When it first came out the unit's ability to enhance its standard resolution of 96x96 dpi to a maximum of 192x96 dpi using black ThinkJet 2225 ink far surpassed the output quality of other printers, but now it is far below par. The device's 500-sheet capacity black HP 2225 ink cartridge was also fairly high yielding when compared to competing dot matrix printers. Running costs are on the lower end if users opt to replace black supplies with the affordable remanufactured HP 2225 ink cartridges.
Expert reviews for the 2225 note that while it was an advanced device when released in 1984, it lacks key features seen in current portable printers and is a better fit for personal rather than professional use since its output quality isn't that great. While one can appreciate its innovative design, there are many less expensive mobile inkjet units worth a look that print sharper quality documents and offer wireless connectivity.
