Printers were sent from hell...

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

Frickin halarious:

Printers from hell

[TexasFlood]

Some favorite excerpts from "Office Space", much of which was filmed in Austin, TX.  The Initech exterior shots for example were filmed about a block from where my wife worked and looked identical, wasn't far from where we lived.

These scenes might be strike a chord with anyone old enough to have had to deal with HP Corporate Laserjet printers for the first time, most likely with little or no documentation or skilled support staff to help.

HP printer error messages, "PAPER JAM" & "PC LOAD LETTER"!?

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Procedure to dismiss above HP printer error mesages.

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[Rajagra]

QFT!

HP printer error messages, "PAPER JAM" & "PC LOAD LETTER"!?

Spare a though for us poor Europeans. We don't even have Letter sized paper over here and we still get that Load Letter error. It's a sick conspiracy between HP and Microsoft. Bastards.

[TexasFlood]

QFT!

Spare a though for us poor Europeans. We don't even have Letter sized paper over here and we still get that Load Letter error. It's a sick conspiracy between HP and Microsoft. Bastards.

Hah! That had never occurred to me that Europeans would still get that and not at least "PC LOAD A4" or something.  Just reinforces the Office Space take on it! :biggrin:

[Mental Hobbit]

My Laserjet 4L has never let me down. Bought it for an Atari ST in the early nineties. Cooperated nicely with three Macs and half a dozen PCs since. I don't plan to get another printer at my lifetime. (knocks on rattly plastic) :becky:

[TexasFlood]

My HP 4 & 4L are still humming along, knock on wood.  Slow, but reliable, good print quality and cheap to operate.  Was reading about ripsters RetrObrite tests and one of my HPs could probably use that although I hate to risk breaking it.

[kode]

Hah! That had never occurred to me that Europeans would still get that and not at least "PC LOAD A4" or something.  Just reinforces the Office Space take on it! :biggrin:

Well, the main problem really is every effing app trying to print in letter even though one has explicitly set A4 in every imaginable place.

And yeah, there's also a PC LOAD A4. At my last job, we were doing some security based stuff, and apart from using the network attached printer as an nmap zombie, I changed the 00 READY to say PC LOAD LETTER

[ch_123]

This is why you don't buy consumer inkjets and get a proper laser printer instead. Your sanity is worth that extra money.

I have a rather strange beast that came from my Dad's office, a HP BusinessJet 2230 - it's a high end inkjet. It has a speed and cartridge life that beats most lower-end lasers. It's a great printer despite it's funny moments...

[kishy]

I've got a Brother MFC-465CN all-in-one...yes, inkjet.

Wanted it above all else for the non-printer functions. Printer was a bonus. Networkability is nice...I can scan documents across the room (nothing special perhaps, but my last printer was a rather poor inkjet, and before that dot matrix (yeah, really, and that was only 5 years ago).

Speaking of which, dot matrix printers are really great (assuming you've got a good one, even graphics come out alright and ink costs are about as low as is possible for any printer out there). The noise however...

I dislike how the Brother insists on doing cleaning cycles every once in a while regardless of use and depletes its own ink supplies as a result. According to Brother, the laser printers have to do it too... Might save money per page but probably not per cleaning cycle...if you're printing as little as I do inkjet is actually the better choice.

[TexasFlood]

Well, the main problem really is every effing app trying to print in letter even though one has explicitly set A4 in every imaginable place.

And yeah, there's also a PC LOAD A4. At my last job, we were doing some security based stuff, and apart from using the network attached printer as an nmap zombie, I changed the 00 READY to say PC LOAD LETTER

Ahh, I get it, I got a file from somebody in the U.K. once and it was just the opposite, I couldn't get the damn thing to print on any paper format I had to save my life!

[TexasFlood]

I've got a Brother MFC-465CN all-in-one...yes, inkjet.

Wanted it above all else for the non-printer functions. Printer was a bonus. Networkability is nice...I can scan documents across the room (nothing special perhaps, but my last printer was a rather poor inkjet, and before that dot matrix (yeah, really, and that was only 5 years ago).

Speaking of which, dot matrix printers are really great (assuming you've got a good one, even graphics come out alright and ink costs are about as low as is possible for any printer out there). The noise however...

I dislike how the Brother insists on doing cleaning cycles every once in a while regardless of use and depletes its own ink supplies as a result. According to Brother, the laser printers have to do it too... Might save money per page but probably not per cleaning cycle...if you're printing as little as I do inkjet is actually the better choice.

I have a MFC-440CN.  Think it's the previous model to the MFC-465CN, but very similar.  When I first got it the cleaning cycles were murder on the ink cartridges and I stopped using it for a while.  After noticing a firmware upgrade, I dragged it out and things seem tolerable after performing the firmware upgrade.  It's a good general purpose printer/scanner/copier/fax.  It can be accessed from anywhere in the house via the wireless router (Ethernet bridge) I have it plugged into.  Had to load the drivers onto my Windows boxes, Linux had it's own drivers, :smile:

[microsoft windows]

I still like to use my trusty old Canon Bubble-Jet BJ-200ex inkjet from 93. It works plenty better than just about any new printer.

[kishy]

I have a MFC-440CN.  Think it's the previous model to the MFC-465CN, but very similar.  When I first got it the cleaning cycles were murder on the ink cartridges and I stopped using it for a while.  After noticing a firmware upgrade, I dragged it out and things seem tolerable after performing the firmware upgrade.  It's a good general purpose printer/scanner/copier/fax.  It can be accessed from anywhere in the house via the wireless router (Ethernet bridge) I have it plugged into.  Had to load the drivers onto my Windows boxes, Linux had it's own drivers, :smile:

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know I could update the firmware. Just updated mine, we'll see if it improves (the release notes didn't say anything about it though).

I still like to use my trusty old Canon Bubble-Jet BJ-200ex inkjet from 93. It works plenty better than just about any new printer.

Canon printers were always pretty good and ink is cheap enough...that's one example where a nearly 20 year old piece of technology won't hold you back in any way because it's still perfectly competent.

[TexasFlood]

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know I could update the firmware. Just updated mine, we'll see if it improves (the release notes didn't say anything about it though).

I just read somewhere that the firmware helped although it isn't listed in the MFC-440CN firmware release notes either.

And so far my perception is that it isn't wasting ink and burning through cartridges like it was when I first got it.  I'd hear it turning on and running a cleaning cycle, seemed like at least once a day.  After a while, oh man did that start to piss me off!

That's why I pulled the plug and put it on the shelf.I was probably lucky that the print head didn't dry out and die as long as it sat there.  After I got it back out and put fresh ink cartridges in it, I had to run several cleaning cycles to "prime" it and get everything flowing again.  So the levels dropped when I ran those cleaning cycles just like in the old days but it's been a while and I haven't seen significant continued drop like I used to.

So either it's my wishful thinking or the firmware really helped in this regard.  Wouldn't be the first time, like with some of my home routers, that firmware fixed something that wasn't listed in the release notes, for whatever reason.  Anyway, hope it helps.

[kishy]

Ugh, when I updated the firmware on my Belkin Wireless G router it actually broke something. The power LED, of all things, now turns off after it finishes the boot process (wtf is that?)

Lifetime warranty on that bugger though so if anything ELSE broke I can send it in. Of course Wireless Q will be out by that time anyway.

[microsoft windows]

I can buy new ink cartridges for my printer for $9. I can refill them too without any trouble. It just gets the job done.

[TexasFlood]

Ugh, when I updated the firmware on my Belkin Wireless G router it actually broke something. The power LED, of all things, now turns off after it finishes the boot process (wtf is that?)

Lifetime warranty on that bugger though so if anything ELSE broke I can send it in. Of course Wireless Q will be out by that time anyway.

I've had that happen before.  In my case it was with 3rd party firmware, think it was Tomato.  But it was fixed before long, 3rd party stuff like Tomato or DD-WRT seems to generally get fixed faster than the original vendor firmware.  And even if it's not fixed with the firmware you can probably do your own little script to change GPIO settings and fix it yourself if needed, a big advantage of 3rd party linux based firmware.

[Nonmouse]

I'm quite happy with my Brother HL-1440 laser.  I've picked up two of them off craiglist's Free Stuff over the past three years or so- the first one worked fine, printed nicely, but had a nasty squeal on start-up (still used it for over a year with no problems, though).  The second one came with two toner carts and and still has all the original stickers (WORKS WITH WINDOWS® | iMac™/G3 iBook™/G4).  

I originally picked one up just to do some PCB heat transfers, but the BW print quality was nicer than my HP D1341 and I found that I really don't need color prints... ummm.... pretty much ever... so the HP joined my old Canon BJC-4300 on the shelf, and I've been using the Brother(s) since.  

Three years and several thousand pages later, my total cost per page ≈ 0˘ (paper cost only).

[ricercar]

I'm waiting for new firmware on my Commodore dot matrix line printer. They promised a 2400 baud update back in 1987.

[TexasFlood]

I'm waiting for new firmware on my Commodore dot matrix line printer. They promised a 2400 baud update back in 1987.

Good luck with that, :biggrin:  My memories of firmware upgrades from back then generally involved burning EEPROMs.  I probably still have my EEPROM burner in a box somewhere, but haven't used it SOO long.  I had forgotten all about it.

[ricercar]

IIRC I used to get ROMs in the mail for firmware upgrades. Last one was in 89 for a 32-bit clean SE/30 RasterOPS Colorboard/264. Wait. 32-bit clean is a different Thread. i have a RasterOPS mug. Wait, that's another thread. I do hate printers, though.

[microsoft windows]

Lifetime warranty on that bugger though so if anything ELSE broke I can send it in. Of course Wireless Q will be out by that time anyway.

Well, if the router breaks, isn't that the end of its lifetime? We all love warrantee and tech support.

[hyperlinked]

Printing pics using inkjets is really burning money.

And freakin slow. I have an Epson R1800 and I also send a lot of my stuff to Costco. It's only the stuff that I need in tiny volumes or immediately that I'll bother printing myself. Besides the ink cost factor, the other problem that drives me nuts about printing your own photos is that you can't totally leave it unattended. Something always goes wrong and then you're out a good bit of ink and some expensive paper to boot.

[kishy]

Well, if the router breaks, isn't that the end of its lifetime? We all love warrantee and tech support.

I think the implication is *my* lifetime...at least that's how I'll argue it if I need to. Original box and proof of purchase are around so I can wave them in Belkin's face if they give me a hard time.

If the router breaks in such a way that I die, well, that'll end the warranty period.

But really, when I bought it, I called their warranty line to find out what the terms REALLY are...you know, the secret exclusions. Nothing. For as long as their company exists they will take back a broken Wireless G router and send out a suitable replacement. I think shipping TO them is on me though.

[TexasFlood]

Of course Wireless Q will be out by that time anyway.

Maybe, but don't mean I'll buy it, :smile:  I like to push good technology until it's crushed into dust.  I only recently upgraded my WAN router to 802.11N and still use my G routers as Ethernet bridges to provide wired ports around the house.  I've had a WRT54G v2.0 for nearly 10 years and it's still working fine.

[Oqsy]

ditto on the WRT 54G...  that's a solid router.

[TexasFlood]

ditto on the WRT 54G...  that's a solid router.

Some of them are very good.  Some were neutered by Linksys, in terms of memory and being based on VxWorks rather than Linux thus restricting the ability to run 3rd party firmware.  The VxWorks part can be dealt with on at least some models, lack of memory is permanent though.  It's not fatal but can be a pain.

Luckily I learned better before I bought any of the lobotomised ones and I've been happy with mine.  I actually recently picked up an old WRT54G-TM pretty cheap.  With the right updates, courtesy of Tornado over on the DD-WRT forums, it's now effectively a WRT54GSv3.0 and happily running Tomato firmware.  An oldie but a goodie.

[hyperlinked]

Original box and proof of purchase are around so I can wave them in Belkin's face if they give me a hard time.

That reminds me of a roommate I had in college. He kept the packaging to everything. I mean EVERYTHING and he kept it like he was protecting a nest full of eggs. We thought it was some really odd mental illness on his part, but it ends up that he's really just very very very cheap.

An $8 power strip went out on him near the end of the year and he went into his room, produced this sparkling box in perfect shape, put it back in, walked down to the store and convinced them that he got it recently and it had broken.

[kishy]

That reminds me of a roommate I had in college. I kept the packaging to everything. I mean EVERYTHING and he kept it like he was protecting a nest full of eggs. We thought it was some really odd mental illness on his part, but it ends up that he's really just very very very cheap.

An $8 power strip went out on him near the end of the year and he went into his room, produced this sparkling box in perfect shape, put it back in, walked down to the store and convinced them that he got it recently and it had broken.

Lmao, well hey, if you don't HAVE to pay for something...it's kinda dumb to pay for it.

I only keep packaging for items which I anticipate a potential need to ship later (or where the box might add resale value later, like with my completely mint pre-slim PS2). With mail-in warranty stuff they usually specify the original packaging or a suitable shipping container...I don't want them to be able to pin damage on me for not shipping it properly. If I use their box and it gets damaged in transit, manufacturer needs to provide a better box.

[HaaTa]

I hate printers, HP are the worst (there are goods ones but they are few and far between). It's really annoying when you have 4x2 DOA colour laser toner cartridges, this wasn't a cheap printer either...

Though, after working for Epson for a while, I've noticed there is innovation happening, the consumer just doesn't see it (well unless they have the money).
Sadly all the stuff I'm knowledgeable about on this topic is still confidential...

[Half-Saint]

I'm quite happy with my Brother HL-1440 laser.

I'm also thinking about buying an old laser.. what do you think about HL-1230?

Cheers

[firestorm]

Heh... I just pulled an HP LaserJet 4M+ out of the cave last week to temporarily replace a small LaserJet 1300 something or other that has a failing formatter.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with HP printers, and at least feel that none of the other brands are significantly better.  But we have all Laserjets, with very few exceptions.  We have a couple Xerox Multifunction machines (hate 'em) and one Officejet multifunction, not to mention a variety of copiers.

You definitely get what you pay for with printers.  We've never had a problem with printers that are oversized for the user's needs.  Most users now have HP Laserjet 2420dn printers on their desks, and they're vastly underused, so they never fail.  Prior to that, we have people with Laserjet 6L printers, which were a nightmare.  My only qualm about the 2420dn printers is that they're not as serviceable as the next step up or higher.  Anything 4000 series on up is simple enough to fix, just as the 4's were.

At home, we finally broke down and replaced our NEC Superscript 860 laser, after 12 years of use, with an inkjet.  We just don't print much anymore.  We bought an Officejet 8000, which has cheap ink that should not dry up and clog from low usage, and it's built for 15,000 pages per month, compared to the Photosmart Premium at 2,500 pages/month.  So far, I'm pretty impressed with it, but it's not your run-of-the-mill inkjet either.