This camera port is absolutely perfect for me because it gives me a place to keep it.
But that is just the least of it. While sitting in it's little cradle, it is charging it's batteries and tied directly to the computer.
I love this because you don't have to plug in, and unplug just to connect it to your computer. The same goes for charging. For that matter it's a plus not to have to remove the batteries just to charge them.
I guess I love it because it does everything I need it too by just setting it in it's home.
I must add one more thing, I certainly do like how when you set it in the cradle, my computer opens it up just like a hard drive.
This is a must to whomever owns a PhotoSmart.

This is the best thing you can get if you have a PhotoSmart camera!!!

It charges your batteries IN YOU CAMERA!!

You can go to parties, take pictures, show the pictures on a TV and charge your batteries to boot.

Your computer will automatically detect when you put the camera in the dock and open it up like a regular disk drive.

This thing took every ounce of effort that makes digital photography a chore. So now I take thousands of pictures. I don't have to worry about charging the batteries, uploding the photos- just shoot and dock. Shoot and dock. That's how digital photography is supposed to be like.

Despite the Manufacturer's statement that this dock works with the HP Photosmart 612 Digital Camera it flat out does not. I recently checked out the dock (having not had an opportunity since purchasing it several months ago) and no where/no how does it work with the HP Photosmart Camera Dock 8881.......I went to the HP website to be sure and per the HP website, the 612 is NOT on the list of compatible cameras for the 8881 dock. Unfortunately, and lesson to be learned, I TRUSTED what I read on the Amazon page advertising this dock and purchased it as such. Now I am out quite a few bucks and it is probably too late to return it to Amazon (since don't have the packaging now, and the time frame of which it was purchased..... Warning: DON'T trust some things in print.........check it out FIRST through the manufacturer to be absolutely sure.....

the hp 8881 is compatible with hp's 320, 620, 720, 812, 850 and 945 cameras. each camera comes with a dock insert so that they can use this universal cradle. this cradle is small, lightweight, and very portable. it charges the camera's NiMH battery pack, connects via USB to your computer for downloading files, and connects to a TV for slideshows.

you don't really need this cradle since you can replicate its functions with a card reader, battery recharger kit, and RCA cables to connect to your TV. but it's a lot more convenient to just drop your camera into the cradle to download files and start recharging those batteries....

a final note. this cradle offers a regular usb computer connection. it would have been nice to have usb 2.0 for faster downloads but maybe for the next product iteration.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

I was very happy with my HP 850 and its charger base until about two weeks ago. The problem started when my camera would not go on, when I turned the on switch the only thing that would happen was the memory card light would flash about five times. After some time trying to get through to teck support I was told by them that batteries were causing the problem. It seems very silly to me since they were the ones supplied with the charge base. but sure enough when I changed the batteries the camera worked fine. this is the only problem I have had with the camera or the charge base in the six months I have had the camera.