Macs and PCs alike on our network were able to see the printer without any additional software being installed. I tested the Wi-Fi connection and found the process was easy: using the printer's touch screen, I navigated through a few setup screens to find our network, quickly entered its password using the virtual QWERTY keyboard, and established a connection within a minute. In addition to using a direct USB connection (like most vendors, HP does not include a USB cable with the printer), you can set up the Officejet Pro 8600 on your network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. With no way to recalibrate the screen in the settings page, you're in for a frustrating experience until the printer gets what you're trying to do.

The screen still isn't perfect-some of the onscreen features required me to repeatedly push the corresponding virtual icon until the action finally registered.

This updated screen also has less mushy play between the outward-facing screen and the hard registration pad below it, so you're less likely to mistakenly press a button. Typing characters on the QWERTY keyboard resulted in more goofs on the smaller screen, but I couldn't tell the difference after some practice and precision tapping. The onscreen interface is the same, however, and you'll still get access to light photo edits, ePrint, and the standard print, copy, scan, and fax functions. If you're shopping on a budget and don't need a 4.3-inch display, the Officejet Pro 8600 costs $100 less than the Premium model thanks to its smaller 2.65-inch screen. By upgrading to the step-up Premium package, you'll save about $50 on your overall cost of consumables, and I recommend taking advantage of these savings up front if you plan to print lots of photos or graphic documents. If the Pro 8600's paper input capacity is insufficient, the Premium model includes an extra 250-sheet paper tray, an additional set of ink cartridges worth $60, and a 50-sheet pack of HP Premium Glossy Brochure paper, priced for $14 in Hewlett-Packard's online retail store. If that's important to you, I recommend the HP LaserJet Pro 100 Color MFP, a capable HP laser printer with similar all-in-one scanner, copier, and printer functionality. You won't find a manual feed tray in the center console like you would on a laser printer, which you might find irritating if you print on irregular media like heavy cardstock or nonstandard envelope sizes. A single 250-sheet input tray protrudes 4 inches out of the front of the Officejet and a 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF) resides on top.

Hp scan officejet pro 8600