I hate HP

[vrDrew]

Hewlett-Packard was once the poster-child for everything that was great about the Technology industry and US business in general.

A company literally founded in a California garage that ended up hiring tens of thousands of smart engineers, and gave the world well-designed electronic devices that were world-beating in terms of value and performance. Way before printers, HP led the world in things like hand-held meters and programmable calculators.

But now?

If there is one thing in my personal computing universe that simply doesn't work it is the $#%#@$ HP printer/scanner that is hooked up to it.

Everything else just works. My broadband connection? Always there. My iMac - always boots and runs. Almost never hangs or crashes. My Netflix account; my online banking; my Amazon purchases; my iTunes account; my Xbox games; my Skype calls; my Google searches; the little Canon digital camera; you name it: Everything that has to do with my electronic digital life just works.

Except for the wretched, hated, HP Officejet 6500A Plus that sits, little an evil troll, a few feet away.

It is reliably unreliable: You can always count on it to let you down. It may have printed out the Itinerary for an upcoming trip on Thursday. But come Monday morning and you want to print the Boarding Pass - and it'll be out of ink. (Never mind that three months ago you bought the $85 four pack.)

Scanning? Don't make me laugh. A complete and utter %%^#$%ing mystery. What works one day, is simply undoable a couple of hours later. For no reason whatsoever.

And lets not even get started on this wretched piece of trash and its so-called "wireless" capabilities. Lets just say that the printer I bought to make it easier for me to print from my iPhone and iPad is about as useful at that particular task as a clay tablet and a chop-stick.

Hewlett-Packard's executives ought to be taken out and publicly thrashed.

 

[rdowns]

I just got a new HP Laserjet Pro 200 and it is a piece of ****. 2 of the 4 toner cartridges are "dangerously low" according to HPs nagware. I've printed maybe 100 pages. And the noise from this thing, geez.

I worked in an office that had a Laserjet II with over 2 million prints on it with only regular maintenance. Man, they used to make such workhorses.

 

[satcomer]

Where I used to work the Army site changed out HP servers and printers. The PCs & Servers were all Dell send the printers all Xerox. Then with all the Dell failures then they were hard at work getting another vendor.

Even most of the new servers were all IBM Linux servers now too. Microsoft Server licenses were just to steep even for the Defense Department! Two old friends from there say the replacements are accelerating now.

 

[sebseb]

HP is one of the worst companies in technology with Dell accompanying them! They make the worst products. Their laptops are horrible and cheaply made.

Their printers are just beyond horrible. The thing you rely on the most to print your stuff and the moment you need it to print something, it wants to play a god damn game! How many times I had to leave the house and print/scan something real quick and it didn't want to.

I have yet to find a printer that can work flawlessly.

 

[G4er?]

I have a strong dislike for HP printers.
Had problems with all I have had to use.

 

[blueroom]

There was a time I loved HP and hated Brother printers. Times have changed.

 

[Huntn]

After moving from a HP Deskjet to a HP LaserJet Pro 200 M251nw Wireless Color Printer I'm very satisfied.

link

 

[MacCruiskeen]

There was a time I loved HP and hated Brother printers. Times have changed.

Truly, it is bordering on criminal what the current management have done to this once-great company. HP products used to be the gold standard of build quality and reliability. That was what inspired two guys named Wozniak and Jobs. But that is all gone now.

 

[yg17]

Over my years I have owned printers from most of the major brands. I have found that Canon is the only company to make printers that aren't steaming piles of **** and now they're all I buy and all I recommend when others ask for advice.

My Canon All In One has been going strong for 5 years, which is longer than I've owned any HP or Epson printer. I think if I replace it, it will be to get one that's AirPrint capable, not because it quit working. But I don't print much so I'm going to save my money for now. My parents have a newer Canon with AirPrint and it works flawlessly.

 

[blueroom]

Truly, it is bordering on criminal what the current management have done to this once-great company. HP products used to be the gold standard of build quality and reliability. That was what inspired two guys named Wozniak and Jobs. But that is all gone now.

I feel the opposite, I had an Apple II+ back in the 80's but felt no love for the original Macintosh. I didn't reconsider Apple untill the iPad & 2010 MBP.

I think Apple's quality and commitment are second to none in the computer industry. I believe they're on the right track and I have only a few gripes with their current lineup.

Apple's wireless connectivity has been hit & miss on every Apple device I've owned. I blame the chipset / driver makers (Broadcom?)
The AppleTV really needs an update to support 4K, H.265 & perhaps Dolby Atmos
The Magic Mouse is style over function, it really needs an update & BT4.0
Beats? I would have preferred BOSE (style over function?)

 

[MacCruiskeen]

I think Apple's quality and commitment are second to none in the computer industry.

That's a pretty low bar these days. Obviously, they haven't trashed their brand to the extent that HP has.

 

[Naimfan]

HP is circling the drain; all the financial engineering notwithstanding. There's very little "innovation", its best engineers have left because the number-crunchers killed the "HP Way."

Just a boring company producing boring products that wants to copy what IBM did in moving to "enterprise" services, where IBM ate its lunch years ago. Zero vision at the top. It will hang on for a while, just because it has a lot of revenue, but it's a hollow shell of what it was, and of what it could have been.

 

[keysofanxiety]

I loathe HP with every cell in my body. Their laptops are absolutely awful. They kept the same terrible thermal system design for 5-6 years (on the dv6 models and g62 models) and they're guaranteed to overheat. When they knew the nVidia 9600 GPUs were faulty, they continued to sell them while Apple pulled the models and gave people free out-of-warranty repairs.

Their printers are awful. Customer support is laughable. In the UK if you call HP, you'll get straight through to some arse-over-elbow Geordie whose only suggestion is always 'wipe the system', and feels the need to be exceedingly patronising. Display doesn't work, even on the BIOS, but will work through an external monitor? Wipe the system. Computer overheating, fan making a grinding noise? Wipe the system. DVD drive won't open? Wipe the system.

They're lazy as well. Almost any brand-new HP laptop is guaranteed to have out-of-date drivers. Got one a few weeks ago that was still running Windows 8 rather than 8.1, for *****'s sake. Wifi was literally unusable until a driver update (over Ethernet of course) was applied.

It's always great when somebody insists towards paying their own money to upgrade their computer, and won't take any suggestion other than HP for an answer. Then 6 months down the line they're begging me to provide them with an Apple Mac, because they didn't expect their HP laptop to be so crappy.

Anyway … I'll better ranting now for risk of writing an essay

----------

Over my years I have owned printers from most of the major brands. I have found that Canon is the only company to make printers that aren't steaming piles of **** and now they're all I buy and all I recommend when others ask for advice.

My Canon All In One has been going strong for 5 years, which is longer than I've owned any HP or Epson printer. I think if I replace it, it will be to get one that's AirPrint capable, not because it quit working. But I don't print much so I'm going to save my money for now. My parents have a newer Canon with AirPrint and it works flawlessly.

Credit to Canon; of all the printers I've used, their wireless connectivity is always the most reliable and easiest to set up. The most difficult ones are Epson IMHO.

 

[yg17]

Credit to Canon; of all the printers I've used, their wireless connectivity is always the most reliable and easiest to set up. The most difficult ones are Epson IMHO.

The only complaint about my Canon printer is that to connect it to WiFi, I have to first connect it to USB and configure the WiFi connection from their software. It's what's preventing me from changing my WiFi password on a regular schedule (because security and all that) because it's such a pain in the arse. But once I set it up, it has been rock solid, never disconnected once. But I'm guessing it's so difficult because it's a 5 year old printer. My parents got a new Canon earlier this year and I was able to connect it to their WiFi network from the printer itself, and it was very easy and has also been stable.

 

[roadbloc]

For printers, I'd probably say Epson are the worst. They actually have a software counter that disables the printer after so many prints and forces you to take it for a service to reset the counter.

And their support was lousy too.

 1:24:31 PM :  Connected to etalk.epson-europe.com

 1:24:31 PM :  Session ID: 1738600

 1:24:31 PM : Customerdaniel: Initial Question/Comment: Power and ink lights continuously flashing on Stylus c48. Won't print. Won't release cartridges.

 1:24:35 PM : SystemSystem: Thank you for connecting to Epson's chat service.

 1:24:35 PM : SystemSystem: Please wait a moment while we connect you to an advisor who will respond to any questions you may have. Whilst waiting to be connected, you can continue to browse the Epson website.

 1:24:35 PM : SystemSystem: For technical enquiries, please make us aware of your product model e.g. Epson Stylus SX515W, and your computer's operating system type e.g. Windows 7, Vista or Mac OS X Lion (10.7).

 1:24:39 PM : SystemSystem: New products can be purchased directly from Epson using this chat service. If you are interested in purchasing a new product, your advisor will be able to recommend the right product to meet your requirements, confirm stock, and arrange delivery.

 1:24:39 PM : SystemSystem: As well as new printers, scanners, and projectors, you can also purchase genuine Epson ink cartridges, paper and special media for Epson inkjet and laser printers.

 1:24:44 PM : SystemSystem: Chris Cousins has joined this session!

 1:24:44 PM : SystemSystem: Connected with Chris Cousins. Your reference number for this chat session is 1738600.

 1:24:53 PM : AgentChris Cousins: Thank you for contacting Epson’s UK Customer Interaction Centre. My name is Chris Cousins

 1:25:03 PM : Customerdaniel: hi

 1:25:42 PM : Customerdaniel: my epson stylus c48 isnt working

 1:25:53 PM : AgentChris Cousins: Hi Daniel. I would suggest you power off the product and remove the power and data cable for at least a minute, lift the lid to check for any foreign objects, remove any paper or other items that should not be there. If the error remains it indicates a hardware fault within the product and it will require a repair.

 1:26:07 PM : Customerdaniel: yeah ive tried all that

 1:26:23 PM : Customerdaniel: i actually did a bit of research online

 1:26:42 PM : Customerdaniel: the internet reckons its something to do with a software protection counter

 1:26:52 PM : Customerdaniel: that disables the printer after so many prints so it can be serviced

 1:26:59 PM : Customerdaniel: but it doesnt need servicing it just needs to work

 1:27:05 PM : Customerdaniel: so how do i get it working again?

 1:27:41 PM : AgentChris Cousins: For an issue such as this, the printer would require a service. I would recommend to take the printer to your local Epson Express Centre.

 1:27:47 PM : AgentChris Cousins: For details of your nearest Epson Express Centre, please go to www.epson.co.uk/Support and click on 'FIND A REPAIR CENTRE' on the page. Enter your postcode or town name in the 'Find a repair centre' search box and a list of your nearest Epson Express Centres will open, including contact details and a local map.

 1:28:04 PM : Customerdaniel: that is unacceptable

 1:28:15 PM : Customerdaniel: there is nothing wrong with the rpinter

 1:28:31 PM : Customerdaniel: it just needs a silly software counter resetting

 1:28:55 PM : Customerdaniel: there is no way that the only way to get it reset is to get it serviced

 1:29:19 PM : AgentChris Cousins: Without assessing the printer, it would not be possible to confirm what the issue is with the printer.

 1:29:57 PM : AgentChris Cousins: It is for this reason that we would recommend to have the printer checked at a service centre.

 1:30:58 PM : Customerdaniel: i dont understand... what is there to assess? i have a none functioning printer with two flashing lights

 1:31:11 PM : Customerdaniel: and to me it sounds like this is deliberate to coax me into getting it serviced

 1:31:33 PM : Customerdaniel: this is unacceptable

 1:33:21 PM : AgentChris Cousins: The error lights that you have described relate to a general error which caused be several things other than the ink pads being saturated. Without checking the printer there is no way of confirming this.

 1:34:15 PM : Customerdaniel: fantastic

 1:34:17 PM : Customerdaniel: you know

 1:34:22 PM : Customerdaniel: can you pass on complaints for me?

 1:34:28 PM : Customerdaniel: because this is very poor

 1:34:39 PM : AgentChris Cousins: We are continually trying to maintain and improve the standard of service that we provide, therefore customer feedback, both positive and negative, is an essential part of our evaluation. We value the comments that you have made and I would like to thank you for bringing them to our attention.

 1:34:51 PM : Customerdaniel: never before have a heard of a software counter in a printer before

 1:35:04 PM : Customerdaniel: and i personally think such a thing is downright criminal

 1:35:56 PM : Customerdaniel: its taking advantage of the technologically impaired in an attempt to squeeze more money out of them ever time theyve printed 500 pages

 1:36:08 PM : Customerdaniel: or whatever the software limit is

 1:36:31 PM : Customerdaniel: if epson wants to improve customer service

 1:36:41 PM : Customerdaniel: they need to put a stop to these fake breakages

 1:36:57 PM : Customerdaniel: even update the drivers so the printer just functions without being babysat

 1:37:18 PM : Customerdaniel: i have never heard of a home printer that REQUIRES a service

 1:37:22 PM : Customerdaniel: its lame

 1:38:17 PM : AgentChris Cousins: If the issue is with the ink pads, which we cannot confirm at this stage, it is there as a safety feature and as result can not be overridden. The reason the ink pad is in the printer is to prevent waste ink from leaking from the printer which could not damage furnishings and property but is also a hazard with regards to the change of electrocution

 1:39:07 PM : AgentChris Cousins: Depending on the usage, this may require replacement during the cause of the printers life and would therefore require a service to replace this.

 1:40:04 PM : Customerdaniel: ive checked the ink pads theyre fine

 1:40:18 PM : Customerdaniel: and even if they wernt

 1:40:26 PM : Customerdaniel: theyre not exactly a hard thing to replace

 1:40:32 PM : Customerdaniel: hardly warrents a 'service'

 1:40:41 PM : Customerdaniel: anyway its kinda clear you can't help me

 1:40:49 PM : Customerdaniel: its cool i understand ur just a guy :)

 1:40:58 PM : Customerdaniel: im sorry if i gave you a hard time

 1:41:01 PM : Customerdaniel: ill sort this myself

 1:42:12 PM : AgentChris Cousins: Thank you for using EPSON e-Talk. If you require further assistance please reconnect to http://www.epson.co.uk/contact. Lines are open 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday.

 1:42:12 PM : SystemSystem: Chris Cousins has left this session!

 1:42:12 PM : SystemSystem: The session has ended!

 

[lowendlinux]

I like Canon for printers and do like both my HP and Dell computers

 

[JackieInCo]

I used to buy nothing but HP computers and never owned any other brand until my first Mac in 2007. The last HP laptop I owned, the spacebar got warped from the heat.

I still have an HP printer that I haven't used in two years. It constantly showed a messages that it needed to be aligned even though it still worked and going through the alignment process never got rid of the message.

Last night, I bought a Microsoft Surface 3. I have to say this thing is amazing. I figured I would but it at BestBuy since they now have the extended return window and I could always return it.

I doubt if I will. This thing is well built even down to the keyboard. I am using a wired mouse with it and it even programmed the side buttons automatically.

I'm not leaving the Apple environment at all and my 2012 Mac Mini has only been in my possession for just over two months now. I've just been wanting to get back to see what was going on in the Windows world. I missed it.

Windows 8 seems pretty solid now. Just gotta figure out what to do with my iPad.

 

[JamesMike]

I got a HP Compaq laptop back in 94, still works today. It has Windows 3.1 and a 'huge' 12 mbs of memory. My lastest Desktop is a HP with Intel 7 processor, 16 Gigs of memory, etc. I don't think it will last as long as the old laptop..lol!