HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on multifunction printers when ink runs low
HP fails to derail claims that it bricks scanners on multifunction printers when ink runs low
HP Inc. has failed to shunt aside claims in a lawsuit that it disables scanners and other functions on its multifunction printers whenever the ink runs low.
This is your world on late-stage capitalism.
This is like Apple telling its OS upgrade servers to reject hardware past a certain age, despite there being no issues running the latest version of MacOS on 5-8+ year old gear.
This convinces the average user to toss their gear and needlessly buy new hardware, just so Apple can continue its march to a quintillion dollar valuation.
This is late-stage capitalism at its finest, and the tech-savvy of us need to donate billions into Linux development post fucking haste. Maybe some kind of open hardware scanner can be developed. The corporate greed needs to be killed with prejudice.
I don’t see that as being the same. And an 8+ year old computer is pretty old. Maybe the latest Mac or windows would work and maybe not, but it’s unrealistic to expect support for something that dated. However, you are still not prevented from using your old computer. You can continue using an older, supported version of Mac or windows or just install Linux. So your analogy breaks down fairly quickly.
A more apt analogy is if the OS manufacturer doesn’t let you use your computer without premium internet access that you must subscribe to through them.
FWIW, my personal anecdotes regarding major brands over the past ~25 years has been:
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HP makes crap consumer printers, really insults you with what they charge for a miniscule amount of ink, and behaves generally like a scumbag. Never tried using one with Linux, but I hear they are OK for it.
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Canon makes pretty good consumer printers, really insults you with what they charge for a miniscule amount of ink, and behaves generally like a scumbag as far as continuous warnings and other inconveniences when you try third party cartridges. Had hit and miss Linux support. Eventually dumped them ~5 years ago.
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Brother makes decent consumer printers, is much more reasonable about ink value and longevity, and is generally pretty good to its customers. My one recent generation Brother sample is one of their "inkvestment" models, and it has absolutely lived up to the hype as far as the ink lasting a long time. Linux support for it has been braindead - very close to zero setup, until just recently for me, but I think I've done something wrong with my recent build because older systems I still have running are still troublefree. So I blame my current issues on me, not on it.
I have a brother laser that I bought about 4 years ago and the thing is a workhorse. Linux setup via CUPS (I think) was pretty simple on Arch.
I literally had to do nothing to two or three different Manjaro builds - showed up as the correct model network printer, "driverless CUPS" listed for driver info.
Did two other recent builds (different hardware, but I'm surprised that would matter here) and it sees the printer, and will let me add it, but always gives me "Unable to locate printer" if I try to print to it. On one system I even installed the relevant drivers from the AUR (which I did not have to do on the others) and still no luck.
It's mostly just an annoyance, so it's been low on my list to fix. I for sure do not blame the printer though.
I can't speak about Linux support, but I bought a used Brother monochrome laser printer on Craigslist for $60 and expect it and the toner cartridge to last approximately until the heat death of the universe. Unlike inkjet, laser printers can sit for a very long time without being used.
Canon is probably working on finding a way for tuner to dry out.
Why not a laser? Brother makes really good laser printers and they'll last forever.
For the duration of my early adulthood laser printers were way too expensive for home use (IMO). Not so much these days but not looking at laser printers is a habit by this point. I'm not anti-laser-printer, more just they never hit my radar.
What are your feelings on Xerox?
Fond memories of when they were very upset that they'd become a household name when it's what everyone called making copies.
Xerox being a household name is probably a fond memory for Xerox these days too.
Also sympathy for how they were robbed by Jobs and Gates.
Seriously I have no idea what their products are like these days I was probably in high school the last time I used one. 😁
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HP is not the only printer manufacturer that is demonstrably consumer hostile.
A few years ago I bought an expensive Canon multifunction printer that was only used occasionally. Of course one color of the printhead clogged and could not be cleaned, just as Canon intended. Replacing the printhead cost more than a new printer.
Even though the printer would have been still useful for black and white printing and scanning, Canon completely disabled everything and it ended up in a landfill.
Canon needs to be the target of a similar class action suit.
Edit: Canon was sued, but the lawsuit didn't become a class action and was settled privately last year.
Canon is mentioned in the article:
HP isn’t alone in facing such legal complaints. A different set of plaintiffs sued the U.S. unit of printer and camera maker Canon Inc. in 2021 for similarly handicapping its all-in-one printers without disclosure. The parties settled that case in late 2022. Terms were not disclosed.
Lame. I still hold that the Canon Pixma iP5000 was one of if not the greatest consumer inkjet printers ever made. Nowadays, it seems that all inkjet models are just cash grab vehicles for their manufacturers. You find this behavior all over the industry.
I switched to laser (a Canon, as it happens -- it's what was on sale at the time) and never looked back. I buy knockoff clone toner cartridges for it and they last for ages and ages.
You're right about Pixma printers. My old Pixma was used for color printing, lasted for many years too and worked great no matter how infrequently it was used. I'm still using a ~15 year old Canon D480 laser that's falling apart because the plastic is getting brittle after so many years. Been using 3rd party cartridges in that one too.
Although a photo printer would be nice, after throwing away multiple Epson, Canon, and HP inkjet printers (like millions of other consumers) I won't ever buy another one. These companies have killed their own market.
There is only one printer company that doesn't fuck with people and it is named Brother.
Good
This is the best summary I could come up with:
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — HP has failed to shunt aside class-action legal claims that it disables the scanners on its multifunction printers when their ink runs low.
The lawsuit charges that HP deliberately withholds this information from consumers to boost profits from the sale of expensive ink cartridges.
In early 2022, U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman dismissed the complaint on legal grounds but did not address the lawsuit’s claims.
On Aug. 10, the judge largely rejected HP’s request to dismiss the revised complaint, allowing the case to proceed.
All-in-one inkjet printers generally seem like a bargain compared to the cost of separate devices with scanning, copying and fax functions.
In 2018, Consumer Reports tested hundreds of all-in-one inkjet printers and found that, when used intermittently, many models delivered less than half of their ink to printed documents.
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