KODAK OFFICE HERO 6.1 Pro Reviews

The wheels haven't completely fallen off for Kodak - a recent loan of $950 million has been granted for the company to restructure itself and adjust its priorities. This has resulted in a cull of its digital camera business and a renewed focus on printers. This is a risky move, so its new printer, the Kodak Office Hero 6.1, had better impress. This printer's headline features revolve around its connectivity and money-saving features.

The Kodak Office HERO 6.1 is an excellent addition to the Kodak AIO family thanks to quality prints, a great selection of features and easy to use software. We gave the Kodak HERO 9.1 an Editor's Choice Award and it's easy to see that the same thought process went into the creation of the Office HERO 6.1. I only had one hardware problem with the Office HERO 6.1, the paper jams, but you'll have those from time to time with any inkjet AIO. The real concern I would have is labeling any inkjet all-in-one as an office device. I feel like a small business would want higher yields from a shared device than an inkjet can offer in both print speeds and cost per page. But would the Office HERO 6.1 make an excellent home office printer or work as a shared device in a small workgroup (think 2-3 people) with a low to average print volume? I think the answer is a definite yes.

The Office Hero 6.1 is a smart performer for offices that need universal printing access from stationary computers and mobile devices. With an attractive design that shows improvement over previous models and innovative features like an automatic paper sensor as well as the Kodak Pic Flick app, the Kodak Office Hero 6.1 is worth your dollar.

The office hero 6.1 produces good plain paper and photo prints. Remote print is handy, if you need to print from a phone or tablet, but the printer’s main advantage is still low ink costs. The slow print speeds and annoying reduction in duplex page size detracts from an otherwise serviceable all-in-one.

A barn-burner the Office Hero 6.1 is not, but in every other way it is a worthy inkjet MFP. It's extremely cheap to operate, it offers an easy out-of-box experience, and the photo printing is the best you'll find in this or most other price ranges. If you need faster performance, spend a hundred bucks more on the Epson WorkForce 840 or the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus.

Most home-based businesses and small offices need an AIO that performs a variety of functions reliably and produces excellent output—all without a steep learning curve. The only feature the Office Hero 6.1 lacks, and one that several manufacturers of inkjet multifunction printers have begun to include of late, is the ability to print CD, DVD, or Blu-ray labels onto specially surfaced printable disks. While this is a handy feature, most small offices can do without it. What most small offices can't do without, however, is affordability. This model’s low cost of consumables makes it much more suitable than some of its competitors for offices that do a lot of printing. In addition, the duplexing ADF is a nice touch. Overall, the Office Hero 6.1 performs well. Plus, it provides the convenience and productivity options that many small offices need—including a wealth of "print from anywhere" mobility features—at a price that's reasonable for what you get. Unless you have a need for speed (the one area where this AIO could stand some improvement), the Office Hero 6.1 deserves serious consideration.

It’s inexpensive to replace the ink cartridges in the Hero 6.1 and the cost per page is low for a printer in this class. In times like these, when it’s still essential to cut the bottom line, it’s good to find a device that’s economical without skimping on quality or features.

What sets out to be a good evolutionary update to Kodak’s SOHO all-in-ones is let down by the anomalies we found in its copying, and particularly duplex copying, abilities. It’s possible they could be fixed by firmware updates, but as things stand, it’s not possible to recommend this machine.