HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One Printer, Copier, Scanner, Fax

I bought this printer when they had just came out... I tracked the availability date and pre-ordered, and had the first one available. Over the years, it has outlasted 4 computers, 3 laptops, and 2 wireless routers, so I guess that puts everything in perspective for me. It has been through 5 moves, two of them crosscountry. It still performs as well as the day I bought it, with a few exceptions listed below, and the photo quality is still on par with the best printers. No, its not the best photo printer, nor the best scanner or fax (as if anybody still faxes anything anyway), but it is good enough at most everything. I actually still prefer its 4x6 photo output to that of the various upload and pickup services at Walmart and Walgreens, and it saves a trip each time.

Now the bad: Yes, the ink cartridge capacity is a joke. They don't even last a week, let alone their rated lifetime. I think it is because if you use it infrequently, it wastes a lot of ink "priming" the pump each time. I can hear it do it. HP has just come out with jumbo ink cartridges for this printer, so this will help out a lot, though a little too little, a little too late, IMHO.

I have had two real hardware failures. The optical sensor that the printer uses to do "borderless 4x6" prints has gone out, so the borderless feature no longer works. Selecting bordered prints allows me to still use the printer. Also, the wireless has gone out, and actually prevented the printer from working on the net, but disabling the built-in wifi and just cabling it to the router fixed the problem. It worked fine for the first few years, and then suddenly quit working.

The reason I am writing this review is to detail a solution to a technical problem many reviewers appear to have had. After one of my moves, and the printer being in a packing box for 6 months, it would no longer print upon re-starting it. It would give "out of ink" error, but looking at the error code gave "unauthorized print cartridge". The printer had the same cartridges as before the move, HP cartridges, so basically the printer somehow forgot the cartidges plugged in. HP support knew nothing about how this security feature worked, so I had to turn to user forums on the web. Forcing a full re-start and re-boot, and even re-flashing the firmware did not fix it. I thought the printer was dead. Finally, in one last attempt, I bought all new cartridges for the printer, did a reset, and then installed them. It worked, and the printer is still working today. I caution against this approach, as a full set of cartridges will cost as much as a new printer, so only you can decide if the gamble is worth it to you. I believe that the printer forgets the cartridges if power is fully removed from the printer for a long period of time, so leave power connected (printer can be off, though), but this is just a guess.

So, long story short, a mixed blessing. It is really the best printer I have ever owned, and has aged very well, but is has also been a huge source of stress and headaches.

I have had this printer for little over 4 years. All that time, this printer has been nothing but just grief.

When you receive the -- Ink System Failure error message -- you are doomed. The printer is totally dead.

HP Service is a joke. Nothing they suggested worked to fix any of my issues. Why spend so much money and then have to rely
on Internet/social forums to get any help, but not from the company that made the printer?

I am shopping for a Canon after my HP Photosmart 3310 gave me the Ink System Failure error message. Nearly every cartridge somehow spilled
inside the printer, making so much of a mess.

Spare yourself from some grief.

I keep getting an "out of ink" error message. Change or fill the ink cartridges. Message still exists. Turning the machine on and off, causes grinding for a good minute. Anyone, wants to pay shipping, they can have the unit.

If you want to waste your weekend and time looking for fixes to the issues of this printer then go and buy it. What a waste of money and time. Still looking for why the printer and copier no longer printing black. I just bought all new ink and still not working.

The ink cartridges for this printer are the size of a humingbirds bladder. If you want to spend hundreds of dollars on ink cartridges and replace them every other time you print, then this is the printer for you. If you want to wait minutes for the wireless connection to see and then print your documents and then have errors half of the time, again, this is the printer for you. If you want something that actually works well consider something else. This is not an "all-in-one" it is an "all-for-nothing" waste of money. Designed by HP to suck money out of your pockets and into their coffers after you bought the machine by charging you exhorbitant amounts for ink.