Noisy, Complex and Slow to Start

I've had my OfficeJet L7780 All-In-One for a little over seven months now.  Mine is wireless so that any computer can print/scan/fax and I can place the rather large unit anywhere.  With a duplex attachment, second paper tray, and four individual color cartridges it has all the makings of a fine small office printer/scanner/copier/fax.  In other reviews here, satisfied owners sing its praises - unfortunately, I'm not one of them.


The Good

HP actively supports the L7780, providing recent firmware updates for the printer and critical updates for the driver.  Self-service support at support.hp.com is easy to use and sufficient for 80% of the problems you might encounter.

HP's desktop software to control the beastie is surprisingly easy to configure considering how many functions it supports.

The Bad

Time to print the first page.  Frequently, my output is a single page - for example receipts for my customers who are standing nearby.  After 7-10 seconds of non-productive whirring and clunking the printer springs to life in a paroxysm of activity that seems like it's trying to make up for lost time.

Noisiness during printing.  The print head and paper feeding mechanisms do not appear to have any noise dampening.  The overall racket seems deafening in a quiet office setting.

Desktop software inflexibility.  Suppose you install the L7780 on a USB port initially and then decide to move it to the network (as I did).  The only way to re-connect with the desktop software is to uninstall it and reinstall.

Mechanical unreliability.  The document feeder for multiple copies/scans jams at inopportune times, to the point that I don't use it for fear of losing a valuable original document.

No shortcuts/favorite settings for manual operation.  Occasionally I use the L7780 as a standalone fax or copier.  Navigating through options with the chicklet keys on the printer is tedious and frustrating.

Overall

The HP OfficeJet L7780 All-In-One is indeed the Swiss Army knife of office devices.  Yes, the Swiss Army knife has scissors and a corkscrew but they probably aren't the ones you would want to use every day.