Mastodawn

Battle Programmer Yuu Aug 4, 2023

HP are such scammers

I posted about this very cheap printer before, which strongly suggests that there is No USB, only Wifi. When I first got it I figured out how to print over the network without using the app they try to bully you into downloading.

It turns out it's even easier to print, just use the USB port they try to pretend isn't there!

No company is going to rewrite their firmware to remove the USB stack. It's even more expensive to redesign the hardware to get rid of the USB port physically. They opted for the cheapest option, a little sticker.

They are just trying to store everyone's documents in their stupid cloud service that some teenage extortion group is going to break into and leak one day. Don't give them your data.

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steeph's old profile – Now at @[email protected]Aug 4, 2023

@netspooky I don't see what the use of hiding the port is for them.

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Alex McLean Aug 4, 2023

@steeph @netspooky They're not hiding it, they're getting you to set up the printer over wifi, and only use the USB port after that. It seems if you use the USB port straight away it'll only print up to 20 pages then stop. They do this to get you to opt into hp+ and lock the printer in to use official toner. That's why the printer is so cheap

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Mattias Schlenker Aug 5, 2023

@yaxu @steeph @netspooky At least for printers sold in the EU, HP+ is only needed for setup. Of course they do this to sell an Instant Ink subscription that finally ties the printer to HP cartridges exclusively (if you don't opt for I. Ink third party cartridges can be used). However, given the fact that all colors come in a single cartridge and cartridges contain the piezo part of the printing head, Instant Ink is a both ecological and economical approach for a maximum of 100 pages per month.

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Mattias Schlenker

@yaxu @steeph @netspooky If you need more pages, better opt for a laser printer or some large tank thing like Epson.

(Disclaimer: I do not know how deeply HP ties printers to services and supplies in other jurisdictions, at least in the EU, competion/customer right laws mandate ties not being too close)