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Author Topic: HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review  (Read 31499 times)

neil snape

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HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review
« on: August 26, 2006, 04:08:02 am »

As per request on many forums, and also due to the lack of information, I threw together a review on this printer. It should be released in a couple of weeks so this may give you some fuel to ask even more questions.
I'm a bit stuck as I only have a prototype, and older software/firmware. This review doesn't replace any out of the box reviews, nor fair comparisons. It does however show some of the attributes and intentions of the new line of pigment printers to come.

HP9180 review


Ask away if you have questions.
Oh BTW HP now have images available for print sample requests. Nothing is better than a decent print in front of you to compare. This time they even have some decent images!
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bob mccarthy

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« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2006, 04:33:26 am »

Thanks Neil. Very informative review.  Your past remarks on my DJ 90 have been right on , and I would offer that Mr. Snape shoots very straight and is more than just a HP fan. This is a review one can take to the bank, so to speak.

My qustion,  is there a larger carriage version coming in the near future.

Bob
« Last Edit: August 26, 2006, 09:15:04 am by bob mccarthy »
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neil snape

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HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2006, 06:05:25 am »

Quote
Thanks Neil. Very informative review.  Your past remarks on my DJ 90 have been right on , and I would offer that Mr. Snape shoots very straight and is more than just a HP fan. This is a review one can take to the bank, so to speak.

My qustion,  is there a larger carriage version coming in the near future.

Bob
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=74519\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Thanks Bob,
On the Epson wide format lists some post said what was to come, yet I'm told not to say anything until after Photokina.
So be it ,yet I can say that development on the Photosmart  Pro side is far from over....
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tbonanno

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« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2006, 01:26:41 pm »

Thanks Neil.  Very interesting and informative review.  Appreciate you sharing it with us.  Looks like a very good printer indeed.  These new models from HP and Canon should really shake up the pigment printer market a bit, which is good for all of us.  I'm testing a Canon iPF5000 at the moment and finding a lot of strong points, but also some issues that need to be worked on, but overall a nice alternative to other 17" printers.  These are exciting times for us with pigment printers looking for quality output for proofing and prints sales.
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Brian Gilkes

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« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2006, 05:55:06 pm »

This printer was announced in Feb 2006 at PMA and there has been a lot of HP promo but little in the way of in depth reviews. Neil's review is welcome but gives little new information. We need a rigorous evaluation of colour and monochrome performance with a spectro and Colorthink before rushing out with a cheque book.
Photokina may produce sightings of larger machines, but the 9180 experience suggests it will be well into 2007 before they are on the market.
Before then I hope this little fellow gets a thorough going over.
Cheers,
Brian,
www.pharoseditions.com.au
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michael

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« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2006, 07:19:34 pm »

I have a 9180 waiting for me at my office. (I'm currently at my summer place).

I expect to be able to review it during the first two weeks of September.

Michael
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neil snape

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« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2006, 05:45:00 am »

Quote
This printer was announced in Feb 2006 at PMA and there has been a lot of HP promo but little in the way of in depth reviews. Neil's review is welcome but gives little new information. We need a rigorous evaluation of colour and monochrome performance with a spectro and Colorthink before rushing out with a cheque book.
Photokina may produce sightings of larger machines, but the 9180 experience suggests it will be well into 2007 before they are on the market.
Before then I hope this little fellow gets a thorough going over.
Cheers,
Brian,
www.pharoseditions.com.au
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Exactly why I was dissapointed that there were no reviews outside of Inkjet mall's.
The prototype that I have cannot be considered a serious contender for an in depth review even if I did do such reports. Yet the information contained in the notes I put up are points of view stemming from substantial testing. Others who have Epson printers will be better at reporting the in depth side of Epson details such as those from Joseph Holmes. Personally the  reviews such as those by liver Vincent at photo-i are unbiased enough for my liking. Yet he is not on the development side, so you'll not see the level of comparison that you refer to above.
I made a little movie and started to post it on my .mac site when I realised that 280MB will overdo the bandwidth. Here is a zip with both the HP 9180 and Epson K3 FA/USFA that you can plug into Colorthink as I did.
Why FA? Because each time Epson fans start to criticize others they want to compare the largest gamut possible. Then they go on to say they never use Glossy media. So take a look at a real world comparison but PLEASE remember that Colorthink doesn't show lightfast years.
There are so many more factors in image quality and character that show that gamut comparisons are only one of the many tools that indicate yet do not demonstrate print quality.
I can't say anymore about Photokina yet luckily it's very soon.

[a href=\"http://homepage.mac.com/neil_snape/.Public/HP+Epson_FA_ICC.zip]http://homepage.mac.com/neil_snape/.Public...pson_FA_ICC.zip[/url]
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theophilus

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« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2006, 05:47:20 pm »

Can someone clarify if this printer is capable of panoramic prints like the R2400, at say 13"x44"?
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DarkPenguin

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HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2006, 10:38:19 pm »

I don't know but Amazon is doing preorders for $629 with free shipping.  (The free shipping is Amazon's super saver we'll get to it when we get to it god help you should you want to see this printer in your life time or in a non beaten box shipping.)
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neil snape

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« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2006, 01:40:31 am »

Quote
Can someone clarify if this printer is capable of panoramic prints like the R2400, at say 13"x44"?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=75611\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes on PC at the driver level you can print up to 44" by setting a custom paper size.
I imagine with Qimage you'll be able to print unlimited.
I highly recommend Qimage.
For Mac custom paper size go well beyond 44" , not sure if there is a limit.
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eronald

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« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2006, 08:44:46 am »

Hehe Neal, anytime you have HP drop ship one to me with enuff ink and paper for 50 A3+ sheets I'll be delighted to do a review.

Edmund
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neil snape

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HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review
« Reply #11 on: September 10, 2006, 09:09:50 am »

Quote
Hehe Neal, anytime you have HP drop ship one to me with enuff ink and paper for 50 A3+ sheets I'll be delighted to do a review.

Edmund
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=75976\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Don't even have my own shipping model. Still on a prototype, the same since February.
I can say it has been 100% reliable, even after plane trips with me to presentations.
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eronald

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« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2006, 07:05:51 am »

Quote
Don't even have my own shipping model. Still on a prototype, the same since February.
I can say it has been 100% reliable, even after plane trips with me to presentations.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=75979\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

You've done a superb job with the review.
Frankly, I think consultants and actual company staff do a better job of writing than journalists most of the time. Knowing the product pays off.

Edmund
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DarkPenguin

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HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2006, 12:18:20 am »

Holy crap!  This thing is huge!
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DarkPenguin

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HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review
« Reply #14 on: September 21, 2006, 01:19:31 am »

Well, my pk and lg print head is listed as "fair".  However I have to say that the heavy banding would indicate it is a little worse than that.  If one ignores that banding (impossible to do, really) it is the best B+W print I've ever had pop out of an inkjet.

It is way too late to play with this any more tonite....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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JimBobTX

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« Reply #15 on: September 24, 2006, 07:46:21 am »

Quote
Well, my pk and lg print head is listed as "fair".  However I have to say that the heavy banding would indicate it is a little worse than that.  If one ignores that banding (impossible to do, really) it is the best B+W print I've ever had pop out of an inkjet.

It is way too late to play with this any more tonite....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=77131\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Has it gotten any better? I sure hope so--been watching all these discussions for several weeks, trying to make a decision on which printer to go with. I need a replacement for my Canon I9000 sooner rather than later, and the HP B9180 has been sounding pretty good until your post.
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picnic

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« Reply #16 on: September 24, 2006, 08:44:21 am »

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Has it gotten any better? I sure hope so--been watching all these discussions for several weeks, trying to make a decision on which printer to go with. I need a replacement for my Canon I9000 sooner rather than later, and the HP B9180 has been sounding pretty good until your post.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=77472\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
JimBob, I"m doing the same.  I'm planning or adding another printer with my 2200 and the HP is still in the running.  Then, there will be some more new ones, it seems, introduced at Photokina this week (3800, etc.) so I am waiting until I see some shipping and then make up my mind.  Glad the 9180 is shipping and some are using it so we have some real world examples altho' Neil's review was just really good.  Helped me a lot.

Diane
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Mark D Segal

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« Reply #17 on: September 24, 2006, 09:40:01 am »

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JimBob, I"m doing the same.  I'm planning or adding another printer with my 2200 and the HP is still in the running.  Then, there will be some more new ones, it seems, introduced at Photokina this week (3800, etc.) so I am waiting until I see some shipping and then make up my mind.  Glad the 9180 is shipping and some are using it so we have some real world examples altho' Neil's review was just really good.  Helped me a lot.

Diane
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=77476\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Diane, in case you missed it, you should also have a look at Michael's review on this website.
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DarkPenguin

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HP B9180 Photosmart Pro review
« Reply #18 on: September 24, 2006, 09:01:23 pm »

It is printing wonderfully.  Very pleased.

I did have to run a cleaning cycle.
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JimBobTX

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« Reply #19 on: September 24, 2006, 11:18:36 pm »

Quote
It is printing wonderfully.  Very pleased.

I did have to run a cleaning cycle.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=77523\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Thanks so much for your response! I've now ordered a 9180    Can't wait for 2007 to come around, and whatever is announced at Photokina will be too long to come to fruition. Really had been looking at the Canon 5000, but I need to print smaller prints right now and Michael's concerns with the 5000 have given me great pause. Epson's waste of ink and other issues led me to go with the HP B9180; really need the pigment inks for photo longevity! I appreciate everyone's input on this board--it has been most helpful to those such as me who have been "lurking" but not posting.
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