USB 2.0, Wi-Fi wireless, Ethernet
8.5x14 inches
4,800x1,200dpi
1,200x1,200dpi
Yes
None
6.5x18.7x18 inches
12.1 pounds
A general rule of thumb in selecting and buying printer: The more you spend, the wider the range of features you get, and the less expensive the cost per page for consumables will be. HP’s Officejet 6000 Wireless helps shatter that stereotype by offering features and functions usually found on pricier models, and at the same time shaving the cost per page down to less-than-laser prices. However, the Officejet 6000 Wireless’ performance is somewhat sluggish, and the print and graphics quality is good, though not great.
The Officejet 6000 Wireless is something of a novelty in the intensely competitive small-office/home-office (SOHO) market in that it’s strictly a printer and not a multifunction device. To offset a perceived lack of value-added functionality, the Officejet 6000 Wireless gives users multiple interfaces—USB 2.0, wired Ethernet, and wireless networking—and a duplexer that allows for easy, trouble-free double-sided printing. If you don’t fax, and you already have a copier or scanner somewhere in your office, why pay extra for those superfluous features?
The black and light-gray Officejet 6000 Wireless is a trim-looking, solid-feeling device, though like many inkjets, it shivers and shakes while printing. There’s no control panel and only four illuminated buttons: power, paper advance, cancel, and wireless. The power button blinks at different speeds, to indicate when it’s printing, receiving data, or in sleep mode. The wireless light illuminates only when the printer isn’t in sleep mode, even if it’s detecting an active Wi-Fi connection. This means that if you hit print while the printer is in sleep mode, you don’t know whether a Wi-Fi connection has been established.
On the front are four additional status lights that illuminate only when it’s time to replace one of the cartridges: magenta, cyan, yellow, or black. Unlike most inkjets, however, the printer continues to operate when one or more of the cartridges runs dry. If you’re connected via a wired or wireless network, you can elect to automatically receive real-time printer-status updates, including low-ink warnings.
The Officejet 6000 Wireless uses a front-loading, over-and-under paper system that can accommodate up to 250 sheets, though the receiving tray—which swings up at a 45-degree angle to assist in paper loading—can hold only 50 pages. Any more, and the pages eject over the top of the minuscule flip-up backstop at the end of the receiver tray. On the back-left side are the ports for the power cord, a USB connection, and/or a network cable. Also at the rear is a 2.5x3.5x11.75-inch duplexing unit, which easily snaps on or off for clearing paper jams. On top is a simple pull-up cover that allows easy access to the ink cartridges.
Setup is simple, if you follow the easy-to-understand, illustrated sheet to the letter. You must snap in an ink-cartridge holder, clip on the duplexer to the rear, and attach the receiver tray over the paper tray. The ink-cartridge slots are color-coded to assist you with correct insertion, and although you can physically put the wrong cartridge in the wrong slot, the illuminated ink-warning lights will blink to tell you which cartridges need to be placed correctly.
We decided to set up the printer as a wireless device, which requires first attaching it to your computer with a USB or network cable. (Both are supplied.) Normally, HP’s wizard-based installation utility works flawlessly, but for some reason, it could see our wireless network but couldn’t connect to it. After the initial failure, it automatically printed out an information sheet with all network settings, just in case we would need to install the printer manually. The printer then twice retried the install, successfully connecting the second time. We had no further installation problems, though it took almost a half-hour to install HP’s software. Why, we’re not sure, since the interface is quite simple and doesn’t include lots of business and personal projects and templates, like the more advanced (and considerably more expensive) HP Officejet Pro 8500.
We were impressed, not only with the Officejet 6000 Wireless’ initial low price, but with the long-range total cost of ownership. If you buy the normal-capacity ink cartridges ($9.99 for each color, plus $19.99 for black), the cost per page is 4.7 cents for monochrome and 14.6 cents for color, about average for an inkjet. But with the larger "XL" cartridges ($14.99 for color, $31.99 for black), the cost per page nosedives to only 2.6 cents for monochrome and 4.7 cents for color, which is less expensive than most entry-level color laser printers. Also, the Officejet 6000 Wireless is an Energy Star-rated device that uses about 40 percent less electricity than color laser printers. And to top it off, the Officejet 6000 Wireless has a monthly duty-cycle rating of 7,000 pages, higher than most inkjets in its class.
