Customer Reviews
Much Better than Canon 
2008-05-20
I previously owned a Canon MX700 because of the top pick at [...] and other reviews I have read said it was excellent. Not for me...it was good, but had issues. So I searched for a new printer and came across the HP C5280 had pretty good reviews with some bad ones. My computer runs on Windows XP and seems all the bad reviews were b/c of the Vista program, which I don't have.
I had great experience with HP products in the past so I thought why not try this model. I can not tell you how much BETTER my photos print on this cheaper printer than the more expensive Canon. I wish I could show the difference here but can't so tak emy word there was a HUGE difference in the photo quality. I used the same paper too and same snapshots to make the comparison.
Ok so that aside, text is perfectly fine to my eye even though some say otherwise. The only thing negative is the scanner is a bit loud and the photos seem to take a little longer to print, but the quality is outstanding!
I also love that this printer only takes 2 ink cartridges (1 black and 1 tricolor) and they are inexpensive.
This printer also fits so much better on my small desk b/c it's not too deep, nor is it tall, and the width is a perfect fit. I haven't used the cd/dvd labeling option yet and not sure if I ever will, but I did not purchase this printer for that use.
I like the dedicated 4x6 photo paper slot, very handy feature! The back is flat and does not have the fat duplexer hanging out the backside, which I never used anyway on the Canon.
It's white, not sure how long it will stay shiny and clean, but I think it will hide dust better than the standard black and grey printers.
This model does NOT have a fax, but I decided to forgo that option and use an online fax service instead. The Canon MX700 is known to have an issue with the fax line randomly picking up during a phone call even though it maybe on the tele priority mode (happened to me and it was quite annoying). The Canon was a monsterous machine too and I like the smaller size of the HP C5280.
Both printers have the LCD screen and I like that feature but it's not the most important thing to look for in a quality printer.
I found the HP to be quite simple and quick to set-up and start using. The software is not as good as the Canon, but I have access to several other photo printing software to use as well.
Overall great machine, with no issues yet...and I hope to not have any at all for a few years until my next upgrade. I would recommend the HP C5280.
Prints well but sometimes jams 
2008-05-15
This prints faster and better with less expensive ink than my older, cheaper HP printer (a 1500 series). However it still occasionally grabs a sheet of paper and crunches it, resulting in a paper jam. You have to remove the rear panel to get at the paper to remove it.
Slick Design - Mechanical Nightmare, Photosmart C5280 
2008-05-13
The HP Photosmart C5280 has a nicely designed exterior, and provides an excellent human interface, with clearly labled buttons and color function screen. The real problem with this unit is its poor mechanical performance. I am surprized to read any positive reviews, and must draw the conclusion that either the reviewers did not use the printer over a long period, or I simply have a lemon. Problems:
- Error message says "Print Cartridge Alignment Failed", CD and web site offer no solution for this failure.
- Printer screen reads "Printer in Use", after print is complete and must be rebooted tp reset.
- Absolutely eats print cartridges. They are expensive and very low volume.
- If the unit is off for more than 48 hours you must "Clean Print Cartridges" or your printing will be spotty & incomplete.
In conclusion I am going to trash this unit and buy an alternate make & model.
This product is so awesome I wish I got it sooner 2008-05-07
I just got this printer and it works flawless in Vista. However the only thing that sucked was the time it took to install the HP software even after I unchecked the bloatware so not to install.
I use Surething 5.0 to print on a DVD and it was awesome. I had no issues with anything. However when not doing anything the printer likes to make noises.
I fixed that by turning it off. I don't see why so many people have issues sliding the DVD / CD tray in.
Easy to install; good quality printing 2008-05-05
I bought this printer to replace an old HP all-in-one. I like this one because of the photo screen and because of the card slots so I do not have to turn on the computer to print photos quickly. Also, I like the designated tray for photo paper. Overall, this is a great product for the price!
Worked well until warranty ran out - Then it Died 2008-07-13
Actually...pretty good photos. Never tried printing on CDs. The problem came 7 days after the warranty expired and the printer stopped working (had only been used for occasional photos and papers). I tried to get HP to stand behind their product (I'm a repeat customer) but to no avail. HP does not care about the customer once the dollars are in the company's pocket.
Great printer 2008-07-09
What I like about this all-in-one:
1. excellent print quality
2. fast
3. selects correct media automatically (DVD, 4x6 photo, letter-paper) and has separate trays for the two kinds of paper
4. no clogged print nozzles (so far)
5. good scanner (not great, but good enough)
6. "free" color copier (I only wanted a DVD and photo printer, so all the other features are bonuses)
7. low cost, but not in any way "cheap"
8. superb DVD or CD) printer
9. fast (worth repeating)
This replaced an Epson Stylus Photo R300, which I used primarily to print DVD's, and secondarily as a photo printer. At the time, I was thrilled to be able to print DVD's, and was also very happy with the photo print quality. But, as time went by, the print nozzles clogged more and more often, and clearing them used 5-10% of the ink in all 6 cartridges, even if only one cartridge's nozzles were clogged. The DVD feeder was always fickle, and became more so as the printer "matured".
Eventually, the ever-more-frequent nozzle cleaning resulted in a message saying "the printer has reached the end of its useful life". This meant the surplus-ink reservoir was full, even though the rest of the printer was not worn out. Of course, the real cause was that the nozzles clogged too easily.
I replaced the Epson R300 with a newly refurbished R320 (all bought through Amazon), only to find that the new-ish printer's nozzles began to clog immediately. (This is happening with genuine, new Epson cartridges, not 3rd party or refills.)
So, I tried the HP (a C5250, which seems to be the same as the C5280). It cost a lot less than an Epson, and was returnable if necessary.
Well, what an eye-opener! It prints DVD's at least 3 times faster than the Epson, its DVD handling/feeding is far superior to Epson's, and the print quality on the DVD's looks just about the same (which I really didn't expect).
The photo printing is fast (again, 3x faster than Epson) and the quality is excellent. Under a 20-power magnifier, I can see that the Epson ink pattern is far superior to H-P's (the Epson dots are actually barely visible dashes, while the H-P dots are real dots). But, to the unaided eye, the prints all look the same: about as good as drug-store prints.
So far, no clogged nozzles, and my experience with other H-P printers suggests that there will be fewer of them than with Epson. If/when they do happen, I can remove the cartridge and try soaking the head on a wet towel. If that doesn't work, I can replace the cartridge. That strategy doesn't work with Epson, because the nozzles are not in the cartridges: they're a permanent, unremovable part of the printer itself.
I'm just about completely pleased with the printer, so why didn't I give it 5 stars? Mostly because the scanner is a bit slow. The H-P is replacing not just an Epson R300, but also an Epson Perfection 2450 scanner, which is a really, really good scanner.
Warranty is useless 2008-06-13
This may very well be a great printer, if you are lucky enough to get one that actually works. If you do not, the customer service is pretty much non-existent for practical purposes.
After spending a fair amount of time being unable to help me clear a very bad paper jam, I was informed by the customer service/tech support rep that there is no third party warranty service and I would have to send the printer in to HP for a replacement. My new printer would be replaced with a refurbished model. When I asked them if I could simply just send in my printer for repair, I was told that this was not possible and that I would first need to exchange my printer for the refurb and then after that they may be able to fix my printer and exchange it once again for the refurbished one. The last straw was when they said that they needed me to pay for the replacement as "collateral" before any of this could happen.
I decided to cut my losses and move on, and would recommend that you be prepared to do so before you consider purchasing this.
Good, until it spreads ink, instead of printing. 
2008-05-23
We purchased this printer in January, 2008 from Amazon. We wanted a printer for one of the execs, that printed and scanned documents quickly. It has been working great for the money, until this week (May 19, 2008). All of a sudden, when we print a document, it would just spread ink onto the paper, instead of printing. We have only used HP ink cartriges, and we tried cleaning and deep cleaning with the HP Tool box. We even talked with the HP online support for an hour. They couldn't suggest a solution to the problem, either. So now it is a piece of junk, and I am shopping for a new printer.
So good, I'm buying a second printer 2008-05-21
The price of this all-in-one is so good, that I've purchased a second for my house. I love the convenience of the 4x6 paper cartridge that I can leave photo paper in the printer all the time. The cartridges are much cheaper and seem to last longer than other printers that I have had. If I wanted a heavier-duty printer, I would pay more, but this printer has been incredible for the price. I also love just being able to walk up to the printer with my SD card and printing directly from it vs having to run thru the computer. Love this printer!
