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HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

arstechnica.com

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Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#91

Post by sbaiddn »

Brian_K_White wrote: post #56
sbaiddn wrote: post #51

I just bought an HP color laser printer this week. This despite knowing HP's shenanigans, but COSTCO has too good a deal and the wife really wanted a good modern printer (we have an HP 4Plus). I admit, it prints beautifully. In the settings, there's a way to shutoff automatic updates, which I set. But I don't trust post-Corina HP at all and I wanted to firewall it from the internet. It turns out my D-Link router is v…

I believe some printers have been caught getting updated from the host pc via the same channel as any other print job. usb, net, doesn't matter. So you also want to make sure you're using a generic driver and not the current "hp smart" bs drivers they've been pushing for several years. Possibly tough to do on a new enough printer, maybe no generic driver available especially for scanning unless you're using linux. Am…

I like your drivers point. I guess I could disable the printer's wifi and USB it to a rpi4 acting as a printer server.

Ironically this new printer works great with my 20 year old SGI Fuel (which I lovingly keep), while I cant figure out how to make it work with my Plus4 (which Im keeping).

I actually really like this printer. Prints fast, great detailed settings available on a little webserver, it seems every single old printer protocol is supported. All for less than $400. Its the first HP product Ive enjoyed since I got my first CD burner in '99.

I just really distrust anything Corina has touched.

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#92

Post by sbaiddn »

loloquwowndueo wrote: post #75
sbaiddn wrote: post #51

I just bought an HP color laser printer this week. This despite knowing HP's shenanigans, but COSTCO has too good a deal and the wife really wanted a good modern printer (we have an HP 4Plus). I admit, it prints beautifully. In the settings, there's a way to shutoff automatic updates, which I set. But I don't trust post-Corina HP at all and I wanted to firewall it from the internet. It turns out my D-Link router is v…

Routers are similar to printers in that respect. I had a similar experience with a d-link. Got an Asus for about 3x more money and it does everything !

Routers... yuck. Another product I don't trust.

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#93

Post by sbaiddn »

adontz wrote: post #54
sbaiddn wrote: post #51

I just bought an HP color laser printer this week. This despite knowing HP's shenanigans, but COSTCO has too good a deal and the wife really wanted a good modern printer (we have an HP 4Plus). I admit, it prints beautifully. In the settings, there's a way to shutoff automatic updates, which I set. But I don't trust post-Corina HP at all and I wanted to firewall it from the internet. It turns out my D-Link router is v…

Mikrotiks are cheap and more than required for home. I have one and super happy.

Never heard of them, Ill give them a look, thnx

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#94

Post by avidiax »

kkan wrote: post #85

I wonder why there hasn't been some rather cheap, open-source solution for home printing? Why does every single printer manufacturer needs to be so scummy? HP, Epson, Conan. They're all horrible in terms of user experience. Is it so difficult to make a $100 printer that just prints? instead of bricking itself everytime it is actually needed.

I expect the answer is that printing is a rat's nest of patent protection, trade secrets, etc.

It's not easy to make a laser printer from scratch.

And now you want a business model based on charging commodity costs for both the hardware and consumables. Which leaves essentially $0 for development costs, which are substantial.

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#95

Post by bastard_op »

This seems to happen every few years. Printer vendors try to bleed a turnip, lock out features, threaten subscriptions, then public outrage. They back down and waggle their finger saying "I'll be back!" like a good villain. They have to try to remain relevant somehow in a digital age when people certainly aren't printing more lest they all shrivel up and die.

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#96

Post by 4RealFreedom »

anthk wrote: post #57

I hate printers. I find them "non computing", even if once we were using teletypes. Terminals won, and, later, graphical screens. I never knew how to fix one at hardware level. I like to mangle data either on a term or a screen, I don't want to be the printed press guy. PostScript, PDF and DJVU look well enough onscreen since NeXTStep and much better in any modern GNU/BSD machine even with GV and DjView at 1280x720 o…

This may not be a popular opinion but personally, I like the smell and feel of paper. One day I hope we can mimic it in an interactive format. Until then, I will continue to use paper.

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#97

Post by trinsic2 »

louwrentius wrote: post #87
trinsic2 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When business can affect polices in there favor. Good luck with that. You can see how well Gov. regulation is working out with John Deers control over farming equipment.

The real problem is that a certain political affiliation has opened the floodgates toward unbridled corporate meddling in politics. If coroporations can set the rule due to legal bribery (lobbying) that's a larger systemic issue that only underwrites my point. Fortunately there are other examples that show it can be done better, you may have to look for those examples either outside of the USA or in the past of the U…

My point is, more gov. regulation isn't working. That is not likely to change until there is a systemic change in our system of government.

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#98

Post by sambull-airways »

steponlego wrote: post #13

This is why I stuck to my very old laser printer, in this case an HP 1012.

I have one equally old; Dell Color Laser 3110cn. Every day I print something with it, I am amazed and astonished. It doesn't even go through toner very quickly. I've had the thing something like 8 years. It was used in an office and replaced unnecessarily before I took it.

I dont think it will survive the next time I have to move house, the plastic casing is cracking and falling off at this point the thing has been through so much. They DEFINITELY don't make em like they used it.

I'll probably stop printing things all together for the rest of my life the day that dell gives up the ghost. Its just not worth it

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#99

Post by jacquesm »

wccrawford wrote: post #68
sacul wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got one of those too, and I got it because I didn’t want to worry about this kind of garbage from HP. It’s also a bonus that I haven’t had to refill the ink in a LONG time. But oh my. The quality of the printing is terrible.

The quality of my ecotank's printing is terrible on normal mode, but when I put it into high quality mode it looks nice.

That's the first stop, and the second is to make sure you run it at or near 20 degrees Celsius to get the ink to flow properly otherwise quality will suffer.

Re: HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink

#100

Post by incrudible »

pixelfarmer wrote: post #80
incrudible wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These printers are sold below cost so that money can be made from the ink. Naturally, this needs some form of DRM. Capitalism offers you plenty of alternatives for printing at the best cost, these printers are actually good deals for people who rarely print.

Just that ink printers don't really work well for people who rarely print, compared to laser printers, for example.

Why? The upfront cost of a laser printer is higher.
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