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You bought one of the printers that end with an "e". For example: HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e vs HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 OR HP LaserJet Pro M234sdwe vs HP LaserJet
by PaulCarrack 3y ago
You bought one of the printers that end with an "e". For example:
HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e
vs
HP OfficeJet Pro 9025
OR
HP LaserJet Pro M234sdwe
vs
HP LaserJet Pro M234sdw
The "e" printers support subscription based ink and require an internet connection otherwise they won't print.
- It says it all over the outside of the box
- It says it in the box on multiple sheets of paper in big text
- It says it when you are installing the driver
- It says it when you are purchasing the subscription
The cost of the printer is subsidized to some extent (similar to carrier locked phones) and they are subscription based printers.
I don't understand how HP is at fault here. Subscriptions are a shitty business model, but nobody forced you to buy a subscription based printer. If you didn't want that, then you should not have bought the "e" model, you made that decision yourself, ignoring all the warnings outside and inside the box, regretted it later, then blamed HP.
- jamesy0ung 3y agoStating on the packaging that it is subscription based does not change the fact that it is a very anti-consumer move from HP.
- PaulCarrack 3y agoBut like anything that has a subscription, don't buy it if you don't agree with it. Purchase the non-subscription based printer.
- londons_explore 3y agoJust like I can purchase the non-subscription based Netflix to watch Stranger Things... Oh, wait...
- wccrawford 3y agoYou can purchase the Blurays. You don't need Netflix to watch Stranger Things.
- pierat 3y agoPurchase not needed! https COLON SLASH SLASH thepiratebay.org/search.php?q=stranger+things&all=on&search=Pirate+Search&page=0&orderby=
- jackdh 3y agoWell looking the amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-OfficeJet-colour-printer-Instant/dp/B08YR3S7BH?th=1 https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-OfficeJet-colour-printer-Instant... It's not that obvious at all, actually even under their question section they state the subscription is not required: - Does an HP+ Printer require a subscription to the Instant Ink service or rother ongoing costs? "No, there are no additional costs associated with HP+. You can choose to enroll in an optional subscription for Instant Ink and receive 6 months subscription, but it is not required."
- PaulCarrack 3y agoOkay, that is garbage... I don't know what to say other than to also look at Amazon reviews... But yes, totally misleading and you would never know until you get the printer in hand and purchase the subscription.
- the_mitsuhiko 3y agoYou can load non subscription inks into the printer just fine.
- zyx321 3y agoIt depends on the cartridge. If you buy the subscription, you get special subscription cartridges that will stop working if you cancel, but they are included in the subscription price. If you buy normal cartridges, they will work until they are empty. If you paid money for a cartridge that doesn't work without a subscription, you got scammed by the seller, not by HP.
- the_mitsuhiko 3y agoYou can load normal cartridges into that printer. You cannot get a subscription cartridge and keep using it after you cancelled the subscription.
- jackdh 3y agoThat's understandable I guess, however I wouldn't say it is clear. Especially should the purchaser be someone not tech orientated.
- tombert 3y agoYou know, you're not "wrong", but I do kind of feel like it's sort of a depressing state of affairs that HP is just allowed to break stuff and remove value from the economy, and it's a profitable decision for them. Like, fundamentally an economic model should incentivize the creation of value; I buy a widget from you for $N, you get $N, and I get to own something that is worth $N; if HP is actively sabotaging existing printers/cartridges, it just feels like it's subtracting value.
- greyface- 3y agoThis is Hacker News. How do I turn an "e" printer into the equivalent non-"e" printer?