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What's a good printer for minimal usage ?
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rdl:
This is basically what HP did back in 2016 except they implemented it by way of a software update where they very sneakily called it a "security feature".

https://gizmodo.com/hp-apologizes-for-busting-peoples-printers-on-purpose-1787230865



--- Quote from: tooki on February 07, 2023, 01:46:19 pm ---...
HP has a separate thing (mockingly called “HP+”) that isn’t a subscription, but an agreement to only ever use HP ink/toner, with internet access so it can update the firmware to block newer clone supplies. On LaserJets, this is actually done by selling separate, cheaper versions of the printers, just with an “e” on the end of the model number. (So you must decide before purchase whether you want HP+ or not.) On the inkjets, “e” on the model number means that it is capable of HP+, but whether or not you choose it is an irreversible decision you make during initial setup: permanently activate some extra (software) features but block third party inks, or permanently forgo it and give up those features. Unlike with the ink subscriptions, HP has earned some well-deserved criticism for this, because of not making it clear that the HP+ selection cannot be changed once made.

--- End quote ---
tooki:
Yeah, I’ve wondered what extra “protection” the HP+ option employs, since I assume that even without it, at least some third party cartridges are blocked.
beanflying:
Other than being full of a heap of plastic bits compared to older more solidly built Lasers, thoughts on a Brother 3230CDW Colour Laser as a sensible low use option?

The only thing I would be missing on my wish list is a scanner but I could stick the carcass of my Canon Inkjet on the shelf for the 10-20 times a year I need it I guess.

Current deal is a touch under $300 AUD with Tax and delivered (around $200 USD + Tax) and a set of 4 aftermarket Tanks is under $50 AUD when needed.
james_s:
I strongly dislike the multifunction devices that have been all the rage for the last 10 years or so. Bolt the cheapest scanner to the cheapest printer and then when one of them breaks you have to replace BOTH devices, winning! Some of them won't even scan if there are not working cartridges in the printer.

I have a standalone flatbed scanner that I get out when I need it. It's pretty ancient but works fine and was a replacement for an even more ancient scanner I retired due to lack of driver support in my OS, which itself was a replacement for an even more ancient scanner replaced for the same reason. I bought that one new way back when I got my first fast food job around the time scanners plummeted in price to around 10% of what they had always been. Even that ancient 300dpi SCSI flatbed still provided adequate performance for what I use a scanner for, and unlike a lot of modern flatbeds it could scan 3D objects with a surprising amount of depth.
james_s:

--- Quote from: tooki on February 07, 2023, 01:01:38 pm ---People dismiss ink/toner subscriptions so readily, but don’t consider that for some usage patterns, they’re actually a really good deal. I’m not saying that they’re the right thing for everyone, but it’s dumb to reject them categorically without even knowing what they do.

--- End quote ---

The big problem I have with it is that in the case of HP at least, once you opt into the subscription plan you cannot opt out, it makes some change to the firmware of the printer that from what I read is not possible to reverse. It is also not clear when you go to buy the thing that some models REQUIRE the subscription plan. On top of that I seem to recall that if you cancel, the ink/toner you have already received is bricked and unusable.

If it was an optional thing that one could freely opt in/out of freely then I wouldn't have an issue with it. Also given my overall experience with subscription tech/software I feel justified in rejecting such things categorically. I have a severe allergy to recurring subscription fees, there's a reason printer makers are pushing these plans and it's not because it earns them less profit.
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