By James E. Powell

Workers in home offices have something to celebrate: a new series of Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet multifunction machines. Combining printing, faxing, copying and scanning, the OfficeJet Model 350 shows HP definitely has its design cap on right.

The ink jet printing function offers 600x300 dots-per-inch quality using HP's Resolution Enhancement Technology. The overall output quality is good, and for fax output it's far and away better than standalone fax machines that use thermal paper. The copier function is limited to 300dpi output, and you can print up to 99 copies in a single pass and reduce them up to 70 percent. The all-in-one unit uses a high-speed, bidirectional parallel interface and will print on plain paper, envelopes or transparencies in letter, legal and A4-sized paper. The paper tray holds 100 sheets.

The face plate includes a Touch-tone keypad for dialing numbers, setting the number of copies and other options. HP's OfficeJet Manager software simplifies the unit's setup.

Insert a piece of paper into the 20-page capacity document feeder and the AutoPrompt window pops up. From here you can copy, fax or scan the document.

Eclipse Fax comes with the unit. You can direct incoming faxes to Eclipse, or automatically print them. If your printer runs out of paper or ink, the built-in memory stores up to 24 incoming pages.

The unit ships with drivers for both Windows 95 and 3.1x. The online help is useful, easy to follow and well organized. At 11.1 by 17.3 by 15.5 inches, the printer is a bit large. Still, to perform all its functions, you'd need four separate machines taking up far more space.

--Info File--
Hewlett-PackardOfficeJet Model 350
Price: $599 (street)
Pros: Output; software
Cons: Size
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.1x
Hewlett Packard Co.
800-752-0900
WinMag Box Score: 4.0