H P Photosmart B209a Plus is a multi function device from the HP Photosmart family. This all-in-device has a touchscreen, and it can be operated without a PC, through Wi-Fi (802.11 g/b). Regular connectivity is through a USB interface. The display menu is neat and has been laid out clearly. The touchscreen response is also good. On the front panel, there is a PictBridge port, which allows printing directly from digital cameras. There are also slots for memory cards (supports almost all formats except CompactFlash).

The main input tray is designed to carry a maximum of 125 sheets, there is also a a tray for photo paper, which can hold up to 20 sheets of 13x 18cm, however, the retractable tray is extremely slim and shaky. The scan bed of the printer is slightly tilted forward, which is good if you want to place the device on a shelf. In the speed test, Photosmart Plus scored mixed ratings. In printing and copying, it was quite fast. The machine took 55 seconds to print 10 pages of text and 21 seconds to copy a page of black & white text. The scanning speed is average, , it took a long time to transfer scanned data to the computer - 19 seconds for preview and 37 seconds for a full colour scan.

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Print quality was decent, with very few smudges of black ink at the edges ofletters, when viewed with a magnifying glass. Photo prints were good enough, colours were natural without any disturbing cast. The HP PhotosmartPlus B209a is perhaps best for personal use, with the added advantage of wireless networking. On the performance front, this machine would surely provide high quality outputs. Hence, it's a good choice for users with a limited budget.