HP Officejet Pro X576dw review

HP launches a superb fast and efficient MFP with proprietary printhead technology.

IT Pro Verdict

An excellent MFP which will provide a quick ROI for workgroup users with lower ink and power costs. It also proves that inkjets not only belong in the enterprise, they may yet prove more at home there than lasers.

Pros

  • +

    Fast printing; Copying and scanning; Low ink cost and power consumption; Good quality results

Cons

  • -

    Photo prints lack impact on plain paper

HP's latest multifunction peripheral (MFP) shows there's a revolution brewing in the world of inkjets.

As part of HP's Officejet Pro X range of single and multi-function devices, the X576dw is an affordable and compact workgroup inkjet. Its print speeds also rival production colour lasers. HP says that printing at the lower General Office' quality it can reach nippy 70 pages per minute (ppm), making it the fastest desktop colour printer'.

The X576dw employs similar technology as the Lomond's Evojet Office to help it print quickly. In a regular inkjet, the page must be stepped through the printer while small heads traverse it, spraying ink. The Evojet Office and HP's new range use stationary heads which cover the width of the page, coating it with ink as it moves without pausing underneath. Lomond has licensed Memjet's waterfall heads, but HP's has developed its own technology in-house.

The comparison with the Evojet is interesting, but in truth HP's sights are fixed squarely on the colour laser competition, such as the Xerox WorkCentre 6605DN. Print speed aside, the two MFPs share similar specifications and price the Officejet is 75 more expensive at the time of writing. Is HP's inkjet upstart really a better workgroup device than a tried and tested colour laser?

Installation

With fewer moving parts than an equivalent laser the Officejet X576dw is lighter, but its footprint is still typical of a medium workgroup printer. There's some extra space inboard, given over to a cubbyhole under the curved paper output tray which itself is more of a shelf. It's a clever and distinctive design that creates the perfect storage space for a spare ream, or a stock of headed paper and envelopes.

At 24kg the X576dw is light enough that it can be unpacked and installed single-handedly, but its size does make it handful. While it generates little heat and accordingly needs little ventilation, you'll need to leave a foot or so free at the left in order to use the multipurpose feed.

This quirk aside, this MFP's is well designed and offers impressive quality. The main 500-sheet paper tray feels robust, as do the hinges holding up the scanner lid and its inbuilt 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF). Many similar devices are covered with buttons, but the X576dw is controlled through a smartphone-sized colour touchscreen display that's surrounded by a few touch-sensitive buttons. This may make the device sound like a consumer printer, but it removes clutter and provides users with an increasingly familiar experience. The system remained intuitive and responsive during our tests, even when we performed a walkup scan while the printer served a long network print job. The whole panel can be tilted from about 45 degrees to fully vertical.

We're glad to report that HP has improved its print driver, and the software supplied here is near-perfect. The software presents all the everyday options on a single tab rather than sending the hapless user digging for them. We wish we could say the same for the TWAIN scan interface, but unfortunately this is oversimplified. While it's fine for most office scan jobs, users must pick from predefined resolutions, and they're denied access altogether to more advanced settings like unsharp mask.

Simon Handby

After a brief career in corporate IT, Simon Handby combined his love of technology and writing when he made the move to Computer Shopper magazine. As a technology reviewer he's since tested everything from routers and switches, to smart air fryers and doorbells, and covered technology such as EVs, TVs, solar power and the singularity.

During more than 15 years as Shopper's long-time printer reviewer, Simon tried, tested and wrote up literally hundreds of home, small office and workgroup printers. He continues reviewing smart products and printers for a variety of publications, and has been an IT Pro contributor since 2010. Simon is almost never happier than when surrounded by printers and paper, applying his stopwatch and a seasoned eye to find the best performing, best value products for business users.