HP Built Printer Ink Monopoly With Forced Dynamic Security Updates, Lawsuit Says (arstechnica.com) 30
HP has used its "Dynamic Security" firmware updates to "create a monopoly" of replacement printer ink cartridges, a lawsuit filed against the company on January 5 claims. From a report: The lawsuit, which is seeking class-action certification, represents yet another form of litigation against HP for bricking printers when they try to use ink that doesn't bear an HP logo. The lawsuit (PDF), which was filed in US District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, names 11 plaintiffs and seeks an injunction against HP requiring the company to disable its printer firmware updates from preventing the use of non-HP branded ink. The lawsuit also seeks monetary damages greater than $5,000,000 and a trial by jury. [...] HP was wrong to issue a firmware update affecting printer functionality, and users were not notified that accepting firmware updates "could damage any features of the printer," the lawsuit says.
Don't buy HP. (Score:5, Funny)
Friends don't let friends buy from HP.
Re:Don't buy HP. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Don't buy HP. (Score:5, Informative)
Yep. Even the Epson EcoTanks are a scam. I had a client who didn't understand why his printer just stopped working with an error message after 3 years. Turns out there are two built in "features" of the printer.
1. There's an overflow tank for excess ink. That in itself isn't an issue, as you can pull it an empty it.
2. There's a built-in page print counter that causes the printer to EOL with the previously mentioned error message. The only way to fix it is to find an online program (not made by Epson) that can reset the counter. While this isn't something for those of us who are more technically inclined, for the regular end-user, this is annoying.
First chance I got, I ditched the inkjet HPs I had inherited and bought a Brother B/W laserjet that gets infrequent use, and a Canon Color ImageClass. I don't expect either to fail any time soon, or give me any sort of grief... although, come to think of it, the Canon's paper feeder for the scanner doesn't work correctly, but I so rarely scan it's not something I think about.
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2. There's a built-in page print counter that causes the printer to EOL with the previously mentioned error message.
"Knowing their weakness, I sent ream after ream of my own paper at them until they reached their limit and shut down."
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You're missing a third issue: The tank style printers all have an insanely wasteful mandatory "cleaning" function that dumps tons of ink into a non-replaceable pad sitting in the bottom of the printer. It's not a special container or anything, it's literally just the bottom of the inside of the printer. Once they flood that pad the printer is bricked.
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I just got my ET-3760 running again after it had clogged so badly it wouldn't print anything. (This cleaning kit [amzn.to] works pretty well for fixing that problem, BTW.) I have had to replace the overflow tank (or "ink maintenance box," as the replacement was labeled), but I've not yet run across the page-counter issue you mentioned.
Between that and an HP LaserJet 1320 that's probably approaching 20 years old now (so it predates HP's enshittification by quite some time), my printing needs should be all set for
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Friends dont let friends buy inkjet.
AFIK, there is no other way to get high quality photo prints
Re:Don't buy HP. (Score:4, Informative)
Friends dont let friends buy inkjet.
AFIK, there is no other way to get high quality photo prints
How many people need many high quality photo prints ? For most of us, most of the time a laser is good enough; for the odd occasion that you need high quality pop down to your local shop that has a machine to print them.
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AFIK, there is no other way to get high quality photo prints
You need to buy a printer with more than four inks for that to beat a laser printer. Which just means more inks to dry out and waste money on. My laser printer prints look great. I'm sure I could tell a difference with a loop, but why bother.
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Order them next day online. Or go to the local print shop.
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How many photo prints do you do that makes that cost effective?
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Doing it at the photo printer place (if you find one using real photo paper) is stupidly cheap - probably still cheaper than inkjet. The last time I had photos printed a 4x6 cost me 20 cents each, while a 8x11 cost me about 30 cents. And they'll have it next day.
Inkjet photo paper is expensive, and ink makes it closer to over a dollar a page to print, so sending it out to print if you can't do color laser makes more sense.
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I think prices have gone up considerably in some places in the past year. We always do a photo book with a copy of the prints for the grandparents every year. This year, Snapfish had doubled the price of individual prints, but even so, I don't do enough to pay for a printer. There probably is a break even point if you do a lot.
As for convenience, I can upload them to Snappy Snaps, who'll have them printed within an hour. Their nearest shop is 7 mins away by bicycle. Or as you say: there's always next d
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We've got non-durable InkTank as the only other option...
So, Brother? (Score:2)
Are they still good? Any good all-in-one color laser ones?
Jumped the shark (Score:2)
Never ever again. Personally and professionally, never buying nor recommending HP again.
Specifically because of the terrible drivers, lock-in and product reliability.
No inkjets either, I might only go for HP if I can get my hands on a second hand Laserjet III or IV.
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My current one is HP8028 and that one works more or less OK. I refill original cartridges many times by dripping ink onto the exit port. It appears that you do need to purchase a new original cartridge set,
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New New Deal (Score:2, Interesting)
Remember, HP was given its ink monopoly in exchange for paying off the Digital Electronics Company's debt to retired seniors. Otherwise, we would have had DEC's lawsuits ruining the computer industry as we know it. So, cheap ink just isn't available here.
Re: New New Deal (Score:2)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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Yep... although they started playing with the acronym on the way down...
My HP won't even let me print with HP Ink! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: My HP won't even let me print with HP Ink! (Score:2)
Or is it a timer that tells you the color cartridges are out no matter what and you are SOL?
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If HP wants to RENT me a printer ... (Score:2)
... they should RENT me a printer, not "sell" me one that only works if I keep paying them for the privilege.
Have to print from my phone (Score:2)
you would think... (Score:2)
You would think that by now everyone would know better than to buy anything from HP.