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HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

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Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#111

Post by pulse7 »

eskibars wrote: post #95
mrweasel wrote: post #34

What I find extremely annoying is that no one is charge saw this coming. How stupid do you need to be to release an online-only subscription laser printer? Somewhere in the HP hierarchy reality is removed. I feel like at least one of the lower level people saw this coming. Somewhere in the management layers this became a good idea, an idea completely removed from reality. The only logic that makes sense is that you h…

I worked at HP when they introduced Instant Ink. This was a natural progression. But even in 2013, there were managers in power positions that knew and were talking about how much the subscription models were going to hurt their base. But at the same time market dynamics being as they are, everyone also felt the only way to demand multiples for the stock price was to be seen as a software subscription company instead…

This "demand multiples for the stock price" will kill the United States economy - one company at a time: HP, Boeing, and others are going in this direction...

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#113

Post by [deleted] »

mrweasel wrote: post #34

What I find extremely annoying is that no one is charge saw this coming. How stupid do you need to be to release an online-only subscription laser printer? Somewhere in the HP hierarchy reality is removed. I feel like at least one of the lower level people saw this coming. Somewhere in the management layers this became a good idea, an idea completely removed from reality. The only logic that makes sense is that you h…

[deleted]

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#114

Post by raydev »

impendia wrote: post #65
mrweasel wrote: post #34

What I find extremely annoying is that no one is charge saw this coming. How stupid do you need to be to release an online-only subscription laser printer? Somewhere in the HP hierarchy reality is removed. I feel like at least one of the lower level people saw this coming. Somewhere in the management layers this became a good idea, an idea completely removed from reality. The only logic that makes sense is that you h…

> What I find extremely annoying is that no one is charge saw this coming. I remember when US airlines started charging for checked baggage. Many more people started carrying on their bags, resulting in slower boarding and deplaning, and therefore problems for the airlines. I read an interview with an executive at one of the airlines, saying that he didn't see this coming and was taken totally by surprise. I am bewil…

They actually did predict the most important and obvious consumer behavior, because the airlines are making more money depsite the delays for passengers boarding/deplaning.

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#115

Post by raydev »

Havoc wrote: post #43
mrweasel wrote: post #34

What I find extremely annoying is that no one is charge saw this coming. How stupid do you need to be to release an online-only subscription laser printer? Somewhere in the HP hierarchy reality is removed. I feel like at least one of the lower level people saw this coming. Somewhere in the management layers this became a good idea, an idea completely removed from reality. The only logic that makes sense is that you h…

> no one is charge saw this coming They just don’t care. Corporate tactics 101 - push limits until someone screams bloody murder. It’s the big corporate equivalent of move fast and Break things that is so beloved of SV

Exactly, they knew there would be some amount of backlash, they just didn't think it would impact their bottom line through bad PR. Plenty of companies pull off consumer-hostile decisions all the time with minimal fuss.

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#116

Post by jqpabc123 »

account42 wrote: post #112
jqpabc123 wrote: post #78

HP and Boeing --- two great American companies who shot themselves in the foot by chasing short sighted greed.

Both seem to be doing fine, unfortunately.

Boeing has lost money every year since 2018. HP's revenue is on the decline, down 5.5% over the past year.

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#117

Post by account42 »

A4ET8a8uTh0 wrote: post #4
choudharism wrote: post #3

I dream of the day we can come up with good OSS printer firmware as a society. I know it has been discussed to death (as to why it can't happen), but the heart wants what the heart wants.

FWIW, the need for printing has been limited now so the need to engage with some of those awful practices is also minimized. Still, that was the first time I saw a mention of 'OSS printer can't happen and here is why'. Could you elaborate or give me a link to previous discussions on it? It sounds interesting.

> FWIW, the need for printing has been limited now so the need to engage with some of those awful practices is also minimized.

Declining printer use also contributes to these practices though as existing companies desperately try to keep quarterly numbers up.

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#118

Post by JansjoFromIkea »

WmWsjA6B29B4nfk wrote: post #72
JansjoFromIkea wrote: post #57

Not that happy about Instant Ink being discountinued; was paying like £12 a year for ink, printed infrequently enough that I could print super high res photos fairly regularly too (think I get 10 pages a month that could roll over to a max of 30)

This. Also not having to worry about ink drying out or being lost due to automatic printhead cleaning during long periods of non-printing, or not having to worry about anything ink-related at all and automatically getting a new cartridge in the mail is extremely convenient. That said, I heard multiple stories about people buying non-online-only printers, activating Instant Ink without properly understanding what are…

I reckon it's probably just been a bit of a financial flop; it seemed to hinge on some notion that people would print a lot more once they were viewing it as 10p per page rather than £25 per cartridge but no one wants to have a pile of printed crap. I'm sure there's loads of people on those £1 plans who don't print for months and HP just have to keep sending out new cartridges after leaving the printer unplugged for months. In the past they were probably getting £30+ out of those people for the two cartridges once a year.

I'll be ditching the printer once I'm expected to pay more anyway.

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#119

Post by account42 »

coldcode wrote: post #92
DeathArrow wrote: post #79

What's next? Online only toilet and kitchen sink with subscription?

I believe there is an internet-enabled toothbrush, so why not? I refuse to buy a new TV as they are all internet-connected and ad-ready. There are a few offline ones or simple displays, but not so easy to find any more.

While the ad situation with modern TVs is not something I want to defend, most of them can still be used as offline displays if you forego the smart features and simply feed them HDMI video and audio data without ever granting the TV an online connection. Unfortunately offline displays tend to either be prohibitively expensive (becuase they are sold as business displays) or lag behind in the technology used.

Re: HP discontinues online-only LaserJet printers in response to backlash

#120

Post by account42 »

jbstack wrote: post #25
nehal3m wrote: post #5

I'm probably super biased because I work in a relatively modern office that produces relatively modern tech, but we barely ever use paper for anything anymore. The same goes for my home office use; I moved a few months ago and left my printer behind. With the advent of QR code tickets and parcel barcodes and iOS's Continuity scanning features I just don't see the point of having a space-, paper- and toner-eating mons…

I think it's quite likely that people use their printers far less, but for many people not having any access to a printer at all is unrealistic and/or undesirable. There are still plenty of example use cases which aren't covered by the existence of QR codes and phone scanning. Documents which need ink signatures. Boarding pass backups so you don't hit disaster when you are running late for the flight and your battery…

YMMV but in my experience, instances where you need to provide a physical signare but are not provided a printout are pretty rare. Rare enough that you can use a printshop or similar service.

Bording passes are are almost always provided for you on check in for international flights (all you really need is your passport). And honestly I can't recall my phone battery ever reaching 0% - then again, battery lifetime is one of my primary criteria when choosing a new phone. There is still some risk that the phone blows up (literally or figuratively), but that's getting into theoretical territory.

I do have a printer for convenience but it's rare that I actually need it and I have lived for long stretches without one.

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