this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2024
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HP has discontinued its e-series LaserJet printers following widespread consumer dissatisfaction with the printers’ mandatory online connection of the HP+ scheme.

The decision, reported by German media outlet §, addresses growing frustration among users who have been forced to maintain a constant internet connection and use HP original ink and toner, with cheaper and more accessible third-party alternatives prohibited.

The LaserJet e-series models, identifiable by an ‘e’ suffix in their models names, now look to have been pulled from sale.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

hp is mark of shame

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Who tf needs a printer these days? I print maybe 5 pages a year and the library does it for a quarter.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I scan nearly all the crap that comes in through my (physical) mailbox and throw it away. My trusty Brother multi laser thingy sends it to me per e-mail and I can sort it later, when the PC is on. Once a month or so, I need to print some pages and it does that, too. Awesome thing, wouldn't want to miss it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

The kind of people that can't use an always online connected printer. But seriously, for some professions and shift to work from home during covid kind of made printers in a home more common again.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Hi. It's me. I still burn CDs and print onto them direct as part of a niche art hobby. Unfortunately that means owning an Epson inkjet printer.

[–] [email protected] 82 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Brother laser printers are more consumer friendly and cheaper than HP. Epson's inkejet printers with ecotank are the better deal

PS: Fuck HP

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago (5 children)

As someone who sells both the ecotanks are good, but you dont quite get the yield they promise upfront.

Because the ink has to travel all the way from the reservoir at the front of the printer to the print head, there is much more distance that the ink has to travel, giving it more opportunity to dry out. To combat this, ecotanks need to purge much more frequently than traditional inkjets that mount the cartridges next to the print head. This requires shooting a lot of the ink through the lines at high speed/pressure in turn wasting ink.

Also, once this cleaning cycle has been run enough times, you need to replace the ink pad that absorbs all the ink used to clean out the printer. (Only costs 10 bucks)

All of this said, I still recommend them to folks who need to print photos at home, as their color accuracy is impressive for a CMYK printer, and while the yield isn't as high as they claim, it is still much cheaper per page than most other inkjets. But more often than not, I try to convince people to just get a monochrome Brother and use a printing service/shop that has a multi-thousand dollar photo printer when they need photos.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Usually we just want 1-2 pictures, so we have one of those small, portable printers that connects via phone. They're pricey per print, so it's really not a good option for any kind of volume, but we do volume at a print shop instead.

So consider reevaluating what you actually need to print. A laser printer is fantastic for regular text documents, and the toner can sit for months or even years without any issues with going bad. Or if you only need occasional prints, check your local library instead, maybe you don't even need a printer.

I have a monochrome laser printer, and for color, I just go to the library or office supply store (or use my company's printer, if it's work-related), depending on volume. I can't actually remember the time I needed color, B&W has been plenty for everything I've needed (tax documents, official company letterhead, etc).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I ise a brother colour laser, but that's only so I can print nice documents. All my photos have always been printed in professional labs. I only print a few pictures that I really like in large format anyway.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I have an old Brother monochrome laser printer as well. It works flawlessly

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

A million times this. Yet people never learn.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

I have a monochrome brother laser/fax that is old af. I don't mess with color because like you said if I want photos printed I'm going to get the big-boy printer at the store to do it.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 months ago

If it was popular, they'd fix the issue. It's not popular, so they're just trashing it, like nearly everything else that comes out of HP

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Oh now they pull em. Jerks.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago

Sorry HP. You already sour'd me on everything you make.

When VARs call me if they do HP I tell them no. I won't work with anything HP.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 2 months ago (2 children)

"Popular"?

If it were popular they'd keep it...

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

They are popular since they cost less than non internet version. This is them removing the internet/subscription version that they were tricking people with.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

They're just calling it popular so that that one guy - you know, Craig? - that one guy who likes it will blame other people instead of HP themselves.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 months ago

Just don't buy HP. Problem solved.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago

Internet: article on HP printers

Me:

[–] [email protected] 67 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I was beginning to think there was no limit to what consumers would take.
But apparently it's just that there is ALMOST no limit, which is better but we remain in a sad state of lack of consumer awareness.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Efficient free market economics requires something like perfect up-front information or zero switching cost to solve this. Those things are fictitious so, predictably, free market economics has not solved printer bullshit.

I'd like to see regulations addressing the up-front information aspect. If we require neon stickers for "needs account" "needs subscription" and "proprietary replacement parts" on all hardware products, people would be better able to dodge scams and cons like HP.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

"Requires subscription. Monthly cost: $XX, total cost over 5y: $XXX" should do it

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Or take the ad-supported option, where it prints out ads on your documents!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Ads for the toner, which they're wasting because fuck you, and also ads to not use third party anything, lest you want the printer and your computer bricked.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

You mean consumers aren't both rational and omniscient?

[–] [email protected] 84 points 2 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago (3 children)

They're also starting to offer a subscription only printer service in my country

<Insert here the "you were the chosen one" meme>

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Good news: their printers never die. You can get a Brother laser printer that's 10 years old off a site like eBay and it will still be printing just fine in 2050. Mine is so old, it's USB 1.0.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Love your Brother. ;)

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I've got a Canon printer & a Xerox scanner that will never be connected to the internet. the last printer I had that connected to the internet got the Office Space treatment when it wouldn't let me scan something because it was low on cyan

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

That is beyond enraging. I've started doing way more research on things up front to maintain a stable blood pressure. Absolutely unacceptable.

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