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HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

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Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#31

Post by gruez »

thot_experiment wrote: post #29

I recently picked up an old dot matrix printer for $1 at the Electronics Flea Market, and the manual for it has fucking control flowcharts and timing diagrams for the signalling. It's so fucking depressing to read it in comparison to anything modern. It's so nice and it feels like it was made for me by people who actually cared about me as a human experiencing their product. It's like a warm fucking hug. I've written…

>the manual for it has fucking control flowcharts and timing diagrams for the signalling. It's so fucking depressing to read it in comparison to anything modern. It's so nice and it feels like it was made for me by people who actually cared about me as a human experiencing their product.

I don't know about you but the typical user just wants their printer to work, not spend hours figuring out "control flowcharts and timing diagrams". Even for a technical users I doubt you'll find many that want to geek out on how their printers and writing their own drivers. Also, despite how shitty it is to have to install an app and connect to the internet for a printer to work, if I have a report due tomorrow or a government form that needs to be filled in ASAP, I'd rather contend with the app than "control flowcharts and timing diagrams".

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#32

Post by cooljoseph »

Is this not literally a federal crime? It sounds like HP installed a backdoor on its printers to download malware that disables the printer.

If it's not a crime, I think it should become one, and I don't think a terms & conditions document should be able to protect against it (in the same way you can't, e.g., enforce a contract with illegal clauses).

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#33

Post by linker3000 »

thot_experiment wrote: post #29

I recently picked up an old dot matrix printer for $1 at the Electronics Flea Market, and the manual for it has fucking control flowcharts and timing diagrams for the signalling. It's so fucking depressing to read it in comparison to anything modern. It's so nice and it feels like it was made for me by people who actually cared about me as a human experiencing their product. It's like a warm fucking hug. I've written…

I have an MPS-801 dot matrix printer for my Commodore 64. The biggest challenge is buying listing paper at a sensible price.

/Also have a Panasonic KX-P1124, but it weighs a ton and I've no room to keep it out so it lives in a cupboard for now.

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#34

Post by librasteve »

npunt wrote: post #16

"There's an app for that!" has become "there's an app for that?? " It's the same thing with things like thermometers, scales, and other bluetooth accessories that really absolutely deserve no app. Similarly, the requirement to sign into cloud services to use 'smart' devices, as is the case with Philips Hue bulbs. Wish the EU would focus their efforts on this kind of nonsense.

toothbrush, dishwasher

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#35

Post by extraduder_ire »

evaneykelen wrote: post #5

At this point Brother seems to be one of the few printer manufacturers who still produce printers that just work out of the box with a cable or WiFi connection using an OS-supplied driver (at least that's my experience on macOS)

I haven't confirmed myself, but apparently there are costco specific models of these kinds of printers which don't demand apps, internet connections, or a linked credit card. Presumedly demanded by costco to reduce the returns that would result.

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#36

Post by Beretta_Vexee »

evaneykelen wrote: post #5

At this point Brother seems to be one of the few printer manufacturers who still produce printers that just work out of the box with a cable or WiFi connection using an OS-supplied driver (at least that's my experience on macOS)

I have a Brother laser printer that is now almost 20 years old. I had to buy a dozen toners and the only fault was due to the rubber pads deteriorating (20y near a window in an office). Even now, I connect it to the wired network and it's automatically recognised by all the devices without any configuration.

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#37

Post by thot_experiment »

gruez wrote: post #31
thot_experiment wrote: post #29

I recently picked up an old dot matrix printer for $1 at the Electronics Flea Market, and the manual for it has fucking control flowcharts and timing diagrams for the signalling. It's so fucking depressing to read it in comparison to anything modern. It's so nice and it feels like it was made for me by people who actually cared about me as a human experiencing their product. It's like a warm fucking hug. I've written…

>the manual for it has fucking control flowcharts and timing diagrams for the signalling. It's so fucking depressing to read it in comparison to anything modern. It's so nice and it feels like it was made for me by people who actually cared about me as a human experiencing their product. I don't know about you but the typical user just wants their printer to work, not spend hours figuring out "control flowcharts and…

Sure I get that, but like, I didn't need to write a driver for it to print text, that worked out of the box on windows, and this printer is 30 years old. Having the one thing doesn't preclude the other. There's a zero percent chance that modern printers aren't going to be e-waste in a couple years. That's the problem, we could make good printers that can render postscript in 2024 and 2054 too, but greed prevents that.

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#38

Post by wewxjfq »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #30
evaneykelen wrote: post #5

At this point Brother seems to be one of the few printer manufacturers who still produce printers that just work out of the box with a cable or WiFi connection using an OS-supplied driver (at least that's my experience on macOS)

I got an HP laser a couple years ago that has behaved properly, but at this point I would think twice and thrice before even getting one of those.

They bought Samsung's printer business and Samsung made wonderful laser printers that worked flawlessly, without any printer industry shenanigans. Maybe you bought one of their printers right after the acquisition, when HP had only enough time to change the branding.

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#39

Post by arp242 »

kioshix wrote: post #21
schappim wrote: post #9

A member of our warehouse team contacted me. Here's how the conversation unfolded at work: Warehouse Team Member: "Could you log into the App Store and download an app for the printer to work?" Me: "That doesn't sound right." I remotely accessed the warehouse computer, opened a random PDF document, and hit 'Print'. The printer queue looked normal to me. Me: "It seems to be printing just fine." Warehouse Team Member:…

I would use a baseball bat to fix it, that's so evil.

On the printer or product manager?

Re: HP Disables Printer Functionality Until You Install the HP Smart App

#40

Post by eviks »

gruez wrote: post #31
thot_experiment wrote: post #29

I recently picked up an old dot matrix printer for $1 at the Electronics Flea Market, and the manual for it has fucking control flowcharts and timing diagrams for the signalling. It's so fucking depressing to read it in comparison to anything modern. It's so nice and it feels like it was made for me by people who actually cared about me as a human experiencing their product. It's like a warm fucking hug. I've written…

>the manual for it has fucking control flowcharts and timing diagrams for the signalling. It's so fucking depressing to read it in comparison to anything modern. It's so nice and it feels like it was made for me by people who actually cared about me as a human experiencing their product. I don't know about you but the typical user just wants their printer to work, not spend hours figuring out "control flowcharts and…

Except in reality the alternative to the app isn't timing diagrams, but a printer working as is without any apps

The fact that you ignored - having such info means it's more likely you'll be able to get help cheaper and faster (helpful in ASAP situations) - doesn't even need to be considered for the first point to work

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