HP Photosmart C4588

Full Review

The Photosmart C4588 has all the abilities of our second ranked C4488, and then another feather in its cap – Wi-Fi connectivity. On the spec sheet, the C4588 is essentially the same as its smaller cousin, but its ability to be placed anywhere within your Wi-Fi access point’s range gives it a whole new appeal in the modern Wi-Fi equipped home. HP charges you Rs.1,350 extra over the price of the Photosmart C4488, and we feel for many users this price is justifiable. The Photosmart C4588 can be configured to connect through an access point or router, or directly to a PC in ad-hoc Wi-Fi mode. There’s a network detector hot key to ease setup. Combined with the choice of optional high yield cartridges, the wireless capability of the Photosmart C4588 makes it suitable for a small office as well where occasional but quality color prints are required (typically, a laser printer will handle routine document printing). The plastic body could have been better built, and this is a feeling we share about the C4488 as well. PictBridge, media card readers and a 1.5 inch LCD screen are retained from the C4488. There aren’t too many photo capable inkjet MFDs in this price range that have Wi-Fi, and given the C4588’s overall good performance, it makes for the perfect photo MFD for the Wi-Fi home.

The Photosmart C4588 has all the abilities of a reliable all-in-one photo printer, and then another feather in its cap – Wi-Fi connectivity.

Bottom Line

This device is essentially the same as the C4488, except that it has a handy Wi-Fi connectivity. If your home if Wi-Fi enabled, you can place this printer away from your PC and use it without the need to connect to it by wires. The additional Rs.1,360 may be justifiable to users who want this feature.