PriceSCAN Blog

The machine in question is the HP Photosmart 8250, to be available for sale within days and which the company claims can print 32 pages per minute or produce a 4x6-inch color photo for $0.24. That still nearly 66% more per image than you’ll pay at Wal-Mart (see “When It Comes To Printing Photos, Should You Drive To Wal-Mart?”), but you get much more editing flexibility and you can skip the drive (which at today’s gas prices is nothing to sneeze at). Red-eye removal, color adjustment image enhancement and borderless printing are facilitated through HP’s “Real Life” technology, and the use of six different inks replaceable separately is said to save on cartridge costs. The 8250 will begin selling for just shy of $200, but look for discounting by vendors on PriceSCAN.com as we move through the summer. It will be interesting to see whether this innovation hits the speed, convenience and price points necessary to keep Wal-Mart and the like from continuing to encroach on HP’s printer business. This issue is all the more critical, as printers increasingly appear to be the storied firm's one remaining crown jewel.