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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

#71

Post by phantom784 »

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…

For me it's infrequent enough that I'll just go the the library if I need to print.

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

#72

Post by WmWsjA6B29B4nfk »

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 they signing up for, then canceling and complaining they can't use the cartridge they "paid" for.

So if Instant Ink is really dead it's probably a victim of shitty overly-aggressive HP marketing.

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

#73

Post by lukan »

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

Not just corporate tactics.

"We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don't understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back. "

https://en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Juncker

It is just rare, that a EU president says stuff like this loud in the open. Otherwise it is politics 101.

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

#74

Post by neilv »

> In any case, it's important to clarify that this discontinuation of HP printers will only impact HP LaserJet printers that have an "e" added to the end of their model name to denote the alternative business model.

Nice of them to make it easy to know which models to avoid (on the new-old-stock, used, and curb markets). Mnemonic: "'e' for 'ewww...'"

As much as I'm cautious of Fiorina-and-later HP, and as much as I wouldn't connect an HP printer to the Internet nor use HP supplied drivers (bricking risk, security unknowns, mixed trustworthiness)... I still like LaserJets as reliable workhorse printers.

Maybe HP will re-emphasize trustworthiness, so that future generations can love the LaserJet and future HP product lines in the same tradition.

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

#75

Post by botanical »

I urge everyone to permanently boycott HP. In the past, I would only buy their products, from laptops to printers; everything develops a critical problem that cannot be fixed. They look to milk the customer. HP are a terrible company and their products are of poor quality.

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

#76

Post by A4ET8a8uTh0 »

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…

The assumption is the executives are not attuned to what is happening on the ground. While I would like to believe in a level of naivety, lack of knowledge, or even incompetence, years of living on this earth made me somewhat cynical and I no longer trust that. I personally see it as a way to break the customer resistance. Few companies want to be the first one to do it, but once its done successfully, they all jump on the bandwagon.

I would like to give you the example of games. Games used to be offline, they didn't have excessive telemetry, required internet connection, DLCs, day zero patches or pre-purchases. All those things were slowly, but consistently implemented ( and briefly scaled back if there was a pushback ).

I personally believe the same appears to be the case with printers. Execs are not unaware of reality. They are simply trying to create a new one.

edit: changed question to example

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

#77

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

#80

Post by pocketarc »

lukan wrote: post #73
Havoc wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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

Not just corporate tactics. "We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don't understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back. " https://en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Juncker It is just rare, that a EU president says stuff like this loud in the open. Otherwise it is politics 101.

> “We all know what to do, we just don’t know how to get re-elected after we’ve done it.”

Honestly this page is a treasure trove of honest quotes, dang.

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