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Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don't do it. |
HP to go to a subscription model for printing!
HP you are dead to me! It’s been coming but HP printers have been junk for years and forcing you to use their overpriced ink was the pits. Now back in the day they had to pry my LaserJet II out of my hands! This is mismanagement on such a scale I’d be surprised if it didn’t sink the company. I’d certainly sell any HP stock, if I owned any and thankfully I don’t!
Hi RG! I’m with you on the dislike of a subscription model for getting basic supplies such as printer ink! But, please read on.
I looked into it out of curiosity, and it does sound like the subscription model is HP’s idea for the future, starting with some smaller steps today.
FOR NOW, the way it works is that you must select one of 3 different printers offered for the program on their web site, and then select the subscription model you want. For this monthly payment, they make it sound like you’ll never have to worry about printing issues of any kind going forward, which is true. For the monthly $, you’ll get ink literally as you run out or run low, and if the printer acts up their tech support is supposed to be a 24/7 phone call away.
This subscription model appears tied only to one of the three printers mentioned as part of the program on their web site, so I’m guessing that it’s not available with a printer that is bought in the brick and mortar retail channel. FOR NOW.
If HP has enough success with their subscription sales model, the other printer manufacturers might decide to follow suit, albeit in their own way (GULP!!).
Bob,
Yeah, it sounds ok you’ll never run out of ink…However, that’s because you only get a limited number of pages per month go over that limit and it becomes like the cell plans from the big providers sure for $30 will give you a whopping 10MB! Those overage fees will kill a lot of people. So your kid decides to print out the manual for some new tech device or game, there goes your monthly allotment and you probably won’t know it happened until you get your dunning notice to pay up. And don’t forget if you print zero pages you still pay the subscription fee for that month and it sure didn’t mention anything about roll-over, Oh Yeah that was only an oversight SURE!
This is mismanagement on such a scale I’d be surprised if it didn’t sink the company.
It’s worse than you think. A few months ago my Officejet 8600 All-in-One disconnected from my network, and though my network could see it, it couldn’t connect. So I bought a Deskjet 4100 to replace it. It came with a free 90 day enrollment in Smart Printing (I think that’s what they called it) that would keep track of my ink and keep me supplied.
A little over a month later, I got replacement ink cartridges in the mail, but didn’t need them. I still haven’t had to replace the original cartridges. So I cancelled the free trial. Shortly after cancellation was confirmed by email, I got another email stating that the replacement cartridges I had received could no longer be used, since I had cancelled the Smart Printing service.
So, when I do run out of ink, I’ll be brick & mortar shopping for ink, or another printer if replacement cartridges aren’t available.
I get it.
It’s more insidious than that.
I cancelled the service, hp cancelled the unused cartridges in my possession. If I were to install them in the printer, it would not print.
I cancelled the service, hp cancelled the unused cartridges in my possession. If I were to install them in the printer, it would not print.
About a month ago, my printer ran out of ink. I already had the “Instant ink” cartridges, so before I trudged off to Walmart, I plugged those in and gave them a try. I’ve already blocked my printer from internet access. All I have to do to get a print is to wake the printer. HP doesn’t know what the printer is doing.
Wow. Thank you. I’m with you. Just recently I bought an Epson ET-2400.
We’re right now in Mexico. Today I meandered through a little, local stationery store,. They’ve a similar but more expensive version of the printer on their shelf (new, in a box), awaiting its first owner. We’ve another Epson is storage we aren’t using right now.
So far, so good, on both the printers we own. When I bought this Epson a few months ago I shopped both HP and Brother. Of course I’m glad I turned down the HPs.
Human, who sports only naturally-occurring DNA ~ oneironaut ~ broadcaster
Thus reminded me of getting a paint job done.
zeddy
More UNBELIEVEABLE… HP will also let you RENT printers but it monitors them.
https://www.ghacks.net/2024/03/04/hps-all-in-plan-will-let-you-rent-printers-but-it-monitors-them/
Desktop Asus TUF X299 Mark 1, CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X Skylake-X 8-Core 3.6 GHz, RAM: 32GB, GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti 4GB. Display: Four 27" 1080p screens 2 over 2 quad.
Unreal. Gives a new meaning to what my old Economics teacher called “Predatory Economic Systems”; they squeeze harder, and harder, and harder, because they only want one thing:
More.
Win7 Pro SP1 64-bit, Dell Latitude E6330, Intel CORE i5 "Ivy Bridge", 12GB RAM, Group "0Patch", Multiple Air-Gapped backup drives in different locations. Linux Mint Greenhorn
--
"The more kinks you put in the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the pipes." -Scotty
Yesterday I watched a YouTube video on tightening up security on the home LAN, which concentrated primarily on one’s modem/router. There were a couple of things that I couldn’t really remember whether I’d done them or not, so I logged into my modem/router (Motorola MG7550) to check.
I blocked internet access for my hp printer by IP and MAC address. The printer still works fine, but hp can’t talk to it.
I’m a little confused? If I have my printer on my Wi-fi using the IP address 192.168.1.9 it shouldn’t be able call home since that IP address is non-route able, or so I understood.
My printer is an HP Deskjet 4100 series. It does not come with any installation/setup media. It is wireless only, no Ethernet port. Installation amounts to setting it up on desk or table, plugging it in, and connecting to the LAN via WiFi. HP then downloads and installs the relevant software in Windows.
And there’s this—#2644296. That’s why I used the hardware firewall in my modem/router to cut off internet access to my printer through both IP address and MAC address.
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