Went ahead and pulled the trigger on a new Pro 9000 II since my HP Photosmart Premium has been giving me grief lately. Just printed my first pics a few minutes ago for comparison and the difference is pretty legit (and that's just using Photo Paper Plus Glossy II vs HP Advanced). I know these two papers aren't necessarily the exact equivalent of each other, but HP recommends the Advanced photo paper as the best to use for the PS Premium so I think it's still a viable comparison.
I think the biggest difference is the way LR4 handles output sharpening with the Pro 9000 II. The photos stay true to the file and don't look over-sharpened even at the same setting I was using on the HP. Overall the 9000's prints look smoother and more even.
Wish I would have made this switch a while ago. Now I need to order a sample pack from Red River so I can really start playing around.
