I had the printer up and running on a Windows XP PC and MacBook running OSX in a little over 30 minutes, which included unpacking the printer! The HP setup manual includes detailed instructions regardless of what method you choose to use. Note: the 6980 includes a standard RJ-45 network cable, but no USB cable (this thing was born to be networked :) If you plan to use it via USB, the USB cable will probably cost about $5, depending on the length you need. I personally use the printer using WiFi and a wireless router. This allows the 6980 to fit nicely into pretty much any network, wired or wireless. Sure you can connect it via a standard USB port, but you can also take advantage of WiFi, ethernet or even Bluetooth (via a HP Bluetooth dongle). What makes the 6980 incredible is its networking capability. I found its construction to be much better than previous HP printers I've owned, as the 6980 feels MUCH more solid than my all-in-one (which seems to be built entirely of thin, overly-flexible plastic). The 6980 is also very aesthetically pleasing, and is more elegant than pictures can convey. The advertised print speeds of 36ppm black and 27ppm color are likely in fast draft mode, but even in normal mode the speed of the printer was very fast, definitely leaps and bounds faster than my HP PSC1200 all-in-one. Black and white is very crisp, and the standard tri-color print cartridge produces great color pages and very respectable 4圆 photo prints. In terms of print quality, the 6980 is everything you should expect from HP.

However, after reading many reviews, the general consensus seemed to be that for the time being, a good quality ink jet is a better idea than a basic laser. Before buying the 6980, I was considering going with an entry level color laser printer.

Hp deskjet 6980 printer review