Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After reading the reviews, this seemed like the perfect unit for me. Received it as a present last week and ran thru the setup. Took only a few minutes, and I was impressed by how easily the printer setup was organized and how easily I was able to enter my wireless router information (it detected my network; I entered the WEP password; it immediately said "great" and everything looked good to go). Instructions and quick start were very well documented and the coordination between the printer screen prompts and the written documentation was also very well done. It printed the alignment/printer setup test page no problem. Then it was going to print the "wireless confirmation page". The printer lights showed a clean connection to the wiresless network. However, within five seconds, the screen went blank and then blue and it gave me an error of B057D1D4 (no other words/errors on the screen) and jammed up completely. I unplugged it (all the switches and buttons on the panel were dead) and got error B05Cf1E0. Installed again after a hardware reset and was able to install and print perfectly using a USB cable. So, must be something in the wireless firmware or an issue with my 2WIRE wireless DSL router and the printer. Called HP. After spending two hours on the phone with very polite, helpful folks they determined that they had no idea. We tried every reset known and I even did the full install process again with a tech support person on the phone after doing a hardware reset. Word to the wise: Tech support can only send you a refurb unit, but since I had had the thing for 3 hours, I declined and called regular sales support for a new unit. The new unit came amazingly quickly (I dropped on my broken one on the 24th and the new one arrived today the 26th morning). Just ran thru the install and same as before. All is simple and good. But then the same errors. Called HP support. No clues. Only option now is to return the printer. They won't send a second replacement unit, unfortunately. Anyone know if there is a problem (I can't find one and HP doesn't know of any) with 2WIRE routers, maybe? Or maybe there is a bad batch of these things with a firmware fault? I'm tempted to go buy one from a local retailer in the hopes that it is a batch of defectives since after looking around I still think this printer would be ideal for me if it actually worked. Blue screen of death on a printer. Who knew? [30 minute pause] I just got a call back from an HP escalations manager. She proceeded to quiz me about how it wasn't possible that I had the replacement printer sitting in front of me -- and asked me which department and who made it happen. I have no idea. I just dial 800 numbers until someone helps. She insisted to me that the 800 number I had called wasn't an HP line. Of course, I sit here with a replacement HP printer at my feet, so I must have found the HP printer elves in Santa's workshop. Her advice in the end was to take the refund since that was even more than she was authorized to provide, so she wanted to know who broke the rules by providing good customer support. (And why that wouldn't be in the records she has access to, I do not know...) Sigh. I have faith given my experience with HP, but they haven't made it easy this week. Assuming I can get a working printer, I will edit this review and raise the ranking, but two defective printers that HP can't even diagnose is just not impressive. I expected more given my flawless history with HP printers. This is my first rant review. And I fully hope that I am able to edit or delete or upgrade it, but for now my advice is to go ahead and buy this printer if it fits your profile. If it works, great -- it looks like a fantastic printer. If it doesn't, return it immediately and save yourself a nightmare; it ain't worth it for a printer. I switched to the Brother MFC-490. Worked perfectly out of the box, including wireless set up without any fatal hardware errors (so it isn't my router). Also, smaller footprint, automatic doument feeder, and very well done wireless integration... AND CHEAPER by a significant amount.