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I go back to the HP LaserJet. As someone noted, quality has been on a constant downward spiral. This is particularly true when it comes to firmware/software.

I go back to the HP LaserJet. As someone noted, quality has been on a constant downward spiral. This is particularly true when it comes to firmware/software. HP printer software has ranged from annoying to down-right stupid. And their firmware, at least the visible portions of it, nonsensical. For example, every single HP ink-jet I've owned refuses to print with black ink if any of the color cartridges are empty. My current HP is supposed to revert to black-and-white only if you run out of color ink but I'll be damned if I know how to make that work. And, of course, this always happens when someone is in a hurry to print. I ought to be able to print down to the last drop of ink, regardless of color. The user ought to have ultimate control of this, not the printer.

krupan 10y ago
I spent time working in Inkjet Land at HP. If you dry fire a thermal inkjet print head you will damage it. Some of these built-in restrictions really are there to protect you and your product. It's hard to tell where protecting you and your product from actual damage ends and protecting HP's ink business begins, and that's unfortunate.
- u02sgb 10y ago
  Interesting, thanks for commenting. Anything else you might like to share?
- nikanj 10y ago
  Don't HP cartidges have the print heads in them, i.e. the only thing you'll damage is the "empty" cartidge?
  - derobert 10y ago
    No, at least for the last Officejet I used. The cartridges are just ink tanks, the print heads are separate. I think that's fairly widespread now; e.g., it's also true on my Canon Pixma.
  - krupan 10y ago
    It used to be that way for all HP printers. I haven't kept up with things too well, but HP makes plenty of printers with "permanent" print heads and replaceable ink tanks now (my guess is that Epson had a patent on separate ink and print-head and that is now expired). This puts more pressure on keeping the print heads in good shape for the life of the printer, but makes the replaceable parts cheaper (at least for HP?).
- rebootthesystem 10y ago
  Sorry, don't understand. If the yellow ink cartridge is empty and I print with black ink only, not dry firing the yellow print head, how will the yellow print head suffer damage?

krupan 10y ago

I spent time working in Inkjet Land at HP. If you dry fire a thermal inkjet print head you will damage it. Some of these built-in restrictions really are there to protect you and your product. It's hard to tell where protecting you and your product from actual damage ends and protecting HP's ink business begins, and that's unfortunate.

u02sgb 10y ago
Interesting, thanks for commenting. Anything else you might like to share?
nikanj 10y ago
Don't HP cartidges have the print heads in them, i.e. the only thing you'll damage is the "empty" cartidge?
- derobert 10y ago
  No, at least for the last Officejet I used. The cartridges are just ink tanks, the print heads are separate. I think that's fairly widespread now; e.g., it's also true on my Canon Pixma.
- krupan 10y ago
  It used to be that way for all HP printers. I haven't kept up with things too well, but HP makes plenty of printers with "permanent" print heads and replaceable ink tanks now (my guess is that Epson had a patent on separate ink and print-head and that is now expired). This puts more pressure on keeping the print heads in good shape for the life of the printer, but makes the replaceable parts cheaper (at least for HP?).
rebootthesystem 10y ago
Sorry, don't understand. If the yellow ink cartridge is empty and I print with black ink only, not dry firing the yellow print head, how will the yellow print head suffer damage?