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HP Builds Web Access into Photosmart Home Printer

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HP Builds Web Access into Photosmart Home Printer

Hewlett-Packard has long been a leader in the home printing business, building more and more features into its devices in order to increase their utility and appeal to consumers. Now HPis taking the home printer one step further by embedding the capability to tap into (and, of course, print) online content directly without needing to hook up a computer or other device to find the content and shuffle it along to the printer. Using HP apps—some built-in, some that customers will be able to find and download on their own—users will be able to tap into online content like photos, coupons, tickets, maps, news, and more directly from the Photosmart Premium’s 4.3-inch touchscreen panel.

“Twenty-five years ago HP invented consumer printing and today we are taking advantage of the digital content explosion to reinvent the category with an entirely new printing platform—powered by touch and empowered by the web,” said HP’s executive VP of imaging and printing Vyomesh Joshi, in a statement. “By giving people access to the content they want at the touch of a finger, the ability to customize their printing experience and create their own apps, and enabling easy ‘one touch’ wireless setup, we are driving a significant shift in how people will be printing in the future.”

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At launch, the printer will feature applications from USA Today, Google, Fandango, Coupons.com, DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon, Web Soduku, and Weathernews, Inc., and customers will be able to tap into and download additional apps as they become available—and in late 2009 customers will be able to create and share their own apps through HP Apps Studio. The printers can also connect directly to Snapfish accounts to view, upload, and print photos, and users can also tap into HP Creative Studio to make calendars, cards, print photos, and more.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an HP printer if it didn’t do a bunch of other stuff: the Photosmart Premium printer also faxes, copies and scans, and can be connected to either wired networks or accessed wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The printer is Energy Star qualified and by default prints two sided to help consumers save on paper consumption.

The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web should be available in the United States this fall for a suggested retail price of $399.

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