HP gets nasty

A friend has an HP all in one printer/scanner/fax machine. Pretty diabolical - many error messages during startup - have to reinstall (latest) drivers etc. fairly regularly - awkward to replace cartridges, paper feed problems ..... etc. etc. etc.

Regarding cartridges, friend has always used original (expensive) HP cartridges. The black was about 2/3rds full when a message appeared to state the cartridge was not an HP original and must be replaced. Remember - this was an original HP. Nothing tried would change this situation.

A local shop in our village (here in Spain) supplied a refilled compatible cartridge - works fine and was about a third the cost of a new HP (in which friend had now lost faith), What has friend done? Because of all the other recurring problems, has chucked the HP in the bin and bought, for €84.00 a new Epson. The HP has (as I was told) been a real PITA since new.

However, it is right to be fair and mention that Epson has been coming the "heavy" too, resulting in withdrawal of some PrintRite and other make cartridges for printers like the 1200, 1160, 1280, 1290 etc. after a long 5-year battle.
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Zone8

The photograph isolates and perpetuates a moment of time: an important and revealing moment, or an unimportant and meaningless one, depending upon the photographer's understanding of his subject and mastery of his process. -Edward Weston

I think Staples should stand strong and tell HP to go pound salt. Office Max, Staples and Office Depot all use one of my largest customers as a key source for re-manufactured products/toners and inks. The three of them have a HUGE portion of the SOHO business for these items and I doubt even HP could afford to have them all stop selling their items. There are plenty of other choices out there other than HP too. Besides, the store likely make a ton more on the supplies than the main units....even with backside money tossed in.

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-tim
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.pbase.com/pdqgp