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HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

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Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#91

Post by coder543 »

Retric wrote: post #89
coder543 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven’t done the math to see if they’re right, but they’re likely talking about the various ink tank printers that exist, such as the Epson EcoTank series. Refilling the ink is supposed to be quite cheap, especially if you don’t care about the ink being name brand. Personally, I print like 5 pages a year, so unless I get into photo printing… the cheapest AirPrint-enabled Brother laser printer has served me well for…

The nominal cost per page on those edge out many home office laser printers, but the printers themselves don’t last very long which then bumps up the cost per page. It’s like the razor blade model of inkjets use high ink costs and the unsubsidized bulk ink versions use planned obsolescence. Though it could just be the basic mechanics of inkjets as moving around the ink + print heads involves significant mechanical st…

> the printers themselves don’t last very long

A high quality citation is seriously needed for a claim like that.

That’s not a complaint I’ve ever heard about the EcoTank printers, and googling it didn’t turn up anything. I strongly doubt this is a characteristic of EcoTank printers. That unsourced claim sounds suspiciously convenient for your side of the discussion.

Epson also makes a dedicated line of business EcoTank printers ("EcoTank Pro") which are clearly intended to print very large numbers of pages. But again, even the very basic ones seem to do a great job, with very high reviews across the board when I look at retailers.

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#92

Post by jamiek88 »

davisr wrote: post #90
usr1106 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the 1990s HP was a great brand. Nowadays it's a nightmare. My neighbor asked me to troubleshoot one. Obviously the whole printer cannot be used without WiFi and a connection to HP cloud nonsense. Only that the cloud and Windows driver could not agree whether the printer had been set up or not. And the neighbor could not remember their HP account. It took me 2 hours to figure out how to do a factory reset. 1990 a p…

This underscores why libre software is so important: if you don't control the software running on your devices, then somebody else does. One day, that somebody /will/ work against your interests. Don't let that happen. Apply the (A)GPL and put an end to the bullshit.

Didn’t the whole GNU think come about because RMS was pissed off at the locked down printer? Or is that urban legend?

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#93

Post by NotYourLawyer »

smeej wrote: post #42

I'm surprised how many people are writing about their solutions for printing. I thought by now most people had done what I've done and just set things up not to need to print. Xournal allows me to fill out anything I could print from PDF with a stylus on my touch screen. If I want to read and highlight something, I convert it to PDF and read it in Logseq with the same stylus. I can highlight in four colors and it aut…

Some things require an ink signature. That’s probably 50% of the tiny amount of printing I do.

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#95

Post by kstrauser »

jamiek88 wrote: post #92
davisr wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This underscores why libre software is so important: if you don't control the software running on your devices, then somebody else does. One day, that somebody /will/ work against your interests. Don't let that happen. Apply the (A)GPL and put an end to the bullshit.

Didn’t the whole GNU think come about because RMS was pissed off at the locked down printer? Or is that urban legend?

It’s real. See https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/rms-nyu-2001-transcript.txt

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#96

Post by tgsovlerkhgsel »

sacnoradhq wrote: post #2

Even if you only print things once a month, a laser printer is far less wasteful in time, money, and bullshit than ink that's perpetually dry or consumed. Rather than an entry-level laser printer that cannot be economically repaired, a used mid-level enterprise printer is often the cheapest option long term and saves useful electronics from becoming e-waste. Office furniture rental/repo places and secondary markets l…

Consider standby power consumption though if you aren't going to manually turn it on and off. The old printers may be very expensive in that regard.

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#97

Post by Retric »

coder543 wrote: post #91
Retric wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The nominal cost per page on those edge out many home office laser printers, but the printers themselves don’t last very long which then bumps up the cost per page. It’s like the razor blade model of inkjets use high ink costs and the unsubsidized bulk ink versions use planned obsolescence. Though it could just be the basic mechanics of inkjets as moving around the ink + print heads involves significant mechanical st…

> the printers themselves don’t last very long A high quality citation is seriously needed for a claim like that. That’s not a complaint I’ve ever heard about the EcoTank printers, and googling it didn’t turn up anything . I strongly doubt this is a characteristic of EcoTank printers. That unsourced claim sounds suspiciously convenient for your side of the discussion. Epson also makes a dedicated line of business Eco…

By not lasting very long I mean I’ve seen 3 die between 2-3 years of heavy use. I have heard they last longer with moderate use, but that suggests a lifetime page limit.

Honestly, I don’t have high quality sources which is why I was interested in the first place.

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#98

Post by tegiddrone »

smeej wrote: post #42

I'm surprised how many people are writing about their solutions for printing. I thought by now most people had done what I've done and just set things up not to need to print. Xournal allows me to fill out anything I could print from PDF with a stylus on my touch screen. If I want to read and highlight something, I convert it to PDF and read it in Logseq with the same stylus. I can highlight in four colors and it aut…

Sometimes I print out code docs and other software things to trick my brain into a different perspective. Being able to touch the information on an object in space is useful to me. Not buried next to other distractions on a computer. Helps me focus on the task at hand.

I also sketch out code on pen/paper sometimes for similar reason.

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#99

Post by [deleted] »

dsr_ wrote: post #67
mattlondon wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many places still ask you to physically sign and then scan/post back things. E.g fill in a pdf with a computer then print and manually sign with a pen. It is not every day, but frequently enough that not having a printer is a pain.

Write your signature. Scan it in. Apply it to documents that want signatures. To some people, this doesn't "feel right" the same way that it doesn't "feel right" that I have rolling star-base office chairs around my dining room table. They are far more comfortable than any "dining room chair" I've ever been in. In both cases, when people don't take my good advice, I shrug and move on.

[deleted]

Re: HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on printers when ink runs low

#100

Post by coder543 »

Retric wrote: post #97
coder543 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the printers themselves don’t last very long A high quality citation is seriously needed for a claim like that. That’s not a complaint I’ve ever heard about the EcoTank printers, and googling it didn’t turn up anything . I strongly doubt this is a characteristic of EcoTank printers. That unsourced claim sounds suspiciously convenient for your side of the discussion. Epson also makes a dedicated line of business Eco…

By not lasting very long I mean I’ve seen 3 die between 2-3 years of heavy use. I have heard they last longer with moderate use, but that suggests a lifetime page limit. Honestly, I don’t have high quality sources which is why I was interested in the first place.

If you've seen it first hand, then fair enough. It just doesn't agree with the consensus I have seen online, so I find that confusing.

As I've said previously, I have the most basic laser printer at home, and rarely use it. I just happen to have done a ton of research into printers lately because I've thought about getting a photo printer, and I really like what the ET-8550 has to offer. But, for the time being, I've decided I probably wouldn't use it enough.

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