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Chances are that if you have more than one Mac or other computer in your home, you probably have them set up on a network—wireless or otherwise—to share your Internet connection, data or even your iTunes library. And it's also highly likely that even though your Macs coexist on said network, you probably still don't have a single, networked printer to easily print from any machine within your workgroup. Fortunately, manufacturers are rolling out network-ready printers that are affordable and easy to set up, even if you're not a network know-it-all. HP's latest, the Deskjet 6980, is a versatile inkjet printer with a bounty of useful features, including several built-in networking options.
Out of the box the printer is ready to connect to either a wireless AirPort or tethered Ethernet network, with very little fuss. With a standard Ethernet connection, you can simply plug the 6980 into your router, AirPort base station or other wireless access point, load the printer's install disc on your Mac and then open the Wireless Configuration Wizard. Within seconds the wizard will detect your network and automatically make the appropriate settings needed. Should you wish to bypass your router altogether, you can set up an ad hoc, direct wireless connection between your Mac and the printer. For an Ethernet connection, plug the 6980 into your router, install the included software and driver and open your Mac's Print Center or Print Setup Utility. Then select Add Printer, choose Rendezvous or Bonjour and the 6980 will appear in the window below. Highlight it, click Add and you should be ready to roll. Once the printer is properly configured, you'll need to install the driver software on each additional Mac with which you plan to share the printer.
In addition to its idiot-proof networkability, we found the 6980 to be a good all-purpose printer that serves equal justice to both text documents and photos. Drawing on HP's specially formulated dye-based Vivera inks, the 6980 produces clean legible, laser-like text and lab-quality photos with vibrant, yet natural looking colors, with resolutions up to 4,800x1,200.
In the tests we conducted, we found the printer could process about five and a half pages of plain black text per minute and muster a 4"x6" color borderless photo in less than a minute. For full 8.5"x11" portraits, we averaged between three and a half and four minutes per print. The printer also puts forth a handy, secondary paper tray specifically for storing 4"x6" photo paper for printing snapshots on the fly and a PictBridge-compatible USB input for direct printing from your digital camera. The 6980 does not, however, feature an LCD preview screen or slots for your memory cards.
One drawback for photographers is the fact that the 6980 ships with a four-color, two-cartridge system, which could theoretically present some ink-management and cost obstacles. The color system utilizes one all-black and one tri-color (cyan, magenta, yellow) cartridge. For an additional $25, HP offers the Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge that extends the 6980's color gamut by adding light cyan and light magenta to the array. But even with the extra photo-friendly colors added to the printer's palette, you still run the risk of depleting one color before the others, which can lead to costly and wasteful premature ink cartridge disposal. For example, if you print out a lot of portraits or pictures of the sunset, you will exhaust your magenta ink before the cyan and yellow. Because all of the inks are in one unit, your only choice is to replace the entire cartridge.
So, if you are serious about your digital photos, you may want to consider the similarly priced, nonnetwork ready HP Photosmart 8250 (five apples, October 2005, $150; www.hp.com), which offers a six-ink system with individual tanks. If photography is a secondary concern, and all you're really after is an easily networked printer that can deliver quality photos from time to time, the 6980 is just the printer for you.
–COLLIN KEEFE
Deskjet 6980: 
Hewlett-Packard | www.hp.com | 888-999-4747 | $150
Pros: Color inkjet with multiple wired and wireless network options, prints photos up to 4,800x1,200 dpi, utilizes HP Vivera dye-based inks for vivid, long-lasting photos.
Cons: Two cartridge ink system, no memory card slots, no LCD preview screen.
Requires: OS 10.2.3 or higher, USB, Ethernet, Airport or 802.11g
macHOME recommends: Same
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