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The HP trick was that HP started shipping “WiFi only” printers, they put a sticker over the USB port saying something like “for service only” or something simil

The HP trick was that HP started shipping “WiFi only” printers, they put a sticker over the USB port saying something like “for service only” or something similar to encourage the user to connect and use the printer over WiFi. However if you peeled the sticker away and plugged in a USB cable you could still use the printer like normal. I’m guessing thermaltake did the same, hiding some pins behind a sticker because that’s cheaper than creating a whole new version of an existing product.

Cthulhu_ 3y ago
Was the wifi only printer cheaper for the consumer? I mean they would save a few pennies for not needing to ship a USB cable but I can't see that being a big enough win for them to add a step to their manufacturing process to add that sticker. Same with the PSU on the photo, although in that case I can imagine they were able to remove some more of the internals and target a different market. Also, this reminds me of a common CPU manufacturing practice; most CPUs from a generation are the exact same, except that the ones with flaws in them will have that part of the CPU disabled / severed and the unit sold as a slower and cheaper model.
- telemeter 3y ago
  It's not about the USB cable, it's about getting the device on the purchaser's network so it can phone home with all kinds of juicy telemetry that may (in the case of consumables) or may not (in the case of other data gathered from the network) have anything to do printing. HP (and printer manufacturers generally) have long led the way in enshittification.
  - kalleboo 3y ago
    In the case of HP, it's because they sell printers where you get a discount on the price of the hardware if you promise to sign up for an ink subscription, and that requires the printer to phone home with the ink levels.
- Crosseye_Jack 3y ago
  Just recently brought my brother a cheap cannon inkjet [1] and that didn't come with a USB cable, I don't think (esp at the lower end) they give two craps about bundling a cable any more because either the customer already has one (which my brother did) or they will just pick one up at the same time as getting the printer. > Also, this reminds me of a common CPU manufacturing practice; most CPUs from a generation are the exact same, except that the ones with flaws in them will have that part of the CPU disabled / severed and the unit sold as a slower and cheaper model. Happens in the oscilloscope market all the time, create one unit per "family" of products and keep locking features away until you have created every model between the bells and whistles and the budget models (Obv its hard to "software lock" extra channels :-P but I've seen even sample rate/memory depth being software limited, and big jumps in sample size/memory depth will often have different internals), as for placing a sticker on a unit, well the printer out of the box is covered in stickers to prevent things moving about during shipping so I don't see it that much of a PITA to add one more over a USB port to encourage the user onto the network to make it easier for it to phone home. (though that doesn't "explain" the PSU case, just gonna presume that it doesn't cost too much in labor where the PSU is manufactured/packaged to add a sticker) [1] yes, yes, I know, shoulda gone laser/led... And if it was for me I would have gone laser/led, But he aint the brightest tool in the shed, the cannon was cheap (so if it breaks its not the end of the world), printhead is in the cartridge so if it clogs, its just a new cartridge, and his old cheap inkjet lasted over 10 years before that died. And while he don't print a ton, he wants colour, not take up a ton of space, and not cost a fuck ton (he aint too bothered about on-going costs as he will just buy 3rd party ink from the local supermarket. So Inkjet it was. side note: went cannon because fuck HP's Instant Ink BS :-P
  - pnutjam 3y ago
    Printers traditionally never come with cables.
- rekoil 3y ago
  > they would save a few pennies for not needing to ship a USB cable Very few printers I've unboxed actually shipped with a USB-cable... They always use USB-B ports which nobody has cables for and seldom include a cable in the packaging, infuriating.
  - thewilliamist 3y ago
    I’m old/crusty enough to remember parallel cables not being shipped with printers.
    - doodpants 3y ago
      What do you mean "old enough"? They still don't ship parallel cables with printers. :D
- shaftway 3y ago
  It's not just in CPUs. The government stipulates this in munitions that are sold / given / whatever to other countries, including allies. They agree to send bombs with guidance accurate to 10m, then send some bombs capable of guidance accurate to 1m, but with that capability locked out. Source: I interviewed for a job attempting to hack these munitions to re-enable the functionality, as a cross-check that they were locked out well.
RecycledEle 3y ago
I've done this when executives decry any PC with PS/2 ports as obsolete, but are perfectly happy with the same PC sans PS/2 ports.
- bombcar 3y ago
  I remember older PCs that shipped with graphics card - but had onboard graphics, too. They’d cover the VGA port on the motherboard so that customers would plug into the right one. But if you configured windows right, you could use both and have a second monitor.
gruez 3y ago
Apparently there's more to this. They're blocking the usb port to get the user to set up over wifi first, not because it's non functional. Why does a printer need to be set up over wifi? Because certain models are tied to hp ink's subscription service and sold at a discount. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37007036 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37007036
- delfinom 3y ago
  This is exactly what they do. Not to worry, they also region lock the ink as well.
  - 1-6 3y ago
    I wonder what happens when car companies increasingly connect their vehicles to cell towers?
    - eli 3y ago
      https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscriptions-microtransactions-heated-seats-feature https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscription... (I believe they rolled it back after an outcry)
    - qwerty456127 3y ago
      They will make using an app on a vendor-locked smartphone the only way to unlock the doors, start the engine etc.
    - thrtythreeforty 3y ago
      People have started identifying and pulling the fuses on vehicles' cell radios. I would also be interested in digging down to the radio itself and replacing the antenna with a dummy load.
      - midnitewarrior 3y ago
        That may create a parasitic battery drain if I radio is constantly seeking connection to a cell tower and not finding it. Subaru experienced a similar problem with their StarLink service after the 3G network shut down, car batteries started draining while trying to talk to towers that no longer existed.

Cthulhu_ 3y ago

Was the wifi only printer cheaper for the consumer? I mean they would save a few pennies for not needing to ship a USB cable but I can't see that being a big enough win for them to add a step to their manufacturing process to add that sticker. Same with the PSU on the photo, although in that case I can imagine they were able to remove some more of the internals and target a different market. Also, this reminds me of a common CPU manufacturing practice; most CPUs from a generation are the exact same, except that the ones with flaws in them will have that part of the CPU disabled / severed and the unit sold as a slower and cheaper model.

telemeter 3y ago
It's not about the USB cable, it's about getting the device on the purchaser's network so it can phone home with all kinds of juicy telemetry that may (in the case of consumables) or may not (in the case of other data gathered from the network) have anything to do printing. HP (and printer manufacturers generally) have long led the way in enshittification.
- kalleboo 3y ago
  In the case of HP, it's because they sell printers where you get a discount on the price of the hardware if you promise to sign up for an ink subscription, and that requires the printer to phone home with the ink levels.
Crosseye_Jack 3y ago
Just recently brought my brother a cheap cannon inkjet [1] and that didn't come with a USB cable, I don't think (esp at the lower end) they give two craps about bundling a cable any more because either the customer already has one (which my brother did) or they will just pick one up at the same time as getting the printer. > Also, this reminds me of a common CPU manufacturing practice; most CPUs from a generation are the exact same, except that the ones with flaws in them will have that part of the CPU disabled / severed and the unit sold as a slower and cheaper model. Happens in the oscilloscope market all the time, create one unit per "family" of products and keep locking features away until you have created every model between the bells and whistles and the budget models (Obv its hard to "software lock" extra channels :-P but I've seen even sample rate/memory depth being software limited, and big jumps in sample size/memory depth will often have different internals), as for placing a sticker on a unit, well the printer out of the box is covered in stickers to prevent things moving about during shipping so I don't see it that much of a PITA to add one more over a USB port to encourage the user onto the network to make it easier for it to phone home. (though that doesn't "explain" the PSU case, just gonna presume that it doesn't cost too much in labor where the PSU is manufactured/packaged to add a sticker) [1] yes, yes, I know, shoulda gone laser/led... And if it was for me I would have gone laser/led, But he aint the brightest tool in the shed, the cannon was cheap (so if it breaks its not the end of the world), printhead is in the cartridge so if it clogs, its just a new cartridge, and his old cheap inkjet lasted over 10 years before that died. And while he don't print a ton, he wants colour, not take up a ton of space, and not cost a fuck ton (he aint too bothered about on-going costs as he will just buy 3rd party ink from the local supermarket. So Inkjet it was. side note: went cannon because fuck HP's Instant Ink BS :-P
- pnutjam 3y ago
  Printers traditionally never come with cables.
rekoil 3y ago
> they would save a few pennies for not needing to ship a USB cable Very few printers I've unboxed actually shipped with a USB-cable... They always use USB-B ports which nobody has cables for and seldom include a cable in the packaging, infuriating.
- thewilliamist 3y ago
  I’m old/crusty enough to remember parallel cables not being shipped with printers.
  - doodpants 3y ago
    What do you mean "old enough"? They still don't ship parallel cables with printers. :D
shaftway 3y ago
It's not just in CPUs. The government stipulates this in munitions that are sold / given / whatever to other countries, including allies. They agree to send bombs with guidance accurate to 10m, then send some bombs capable of guidance accurate to 1m, but with that capability locked out. Source: I interviewed for a job attempting to hack these munitions to re-enable the functionality, as a cross-check that they were locked out well.

RecycledEle 3y ago

I've done this when executives decry any PC with PS/2 ports as obsolete, but are perfectly happy with the same PC sans PS/2 ports.

bombcar 3y ago
I remember older PCs that shipped with graphics card - but had onboard graphics, too. They’d cover the VGA port on the motherboard so that customers would plug into the right one. But if you configured windows right, you could use both and have a second monitor.

gruez 3y ago

Apparently there's more to this. They're blocking the usb port to get the user to set up over wifi first, not because it's non functional. Why does a printer need to be set up over wifi? Because certain models are tied to hp ink's subscription service and sold at a discount. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37007036 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37007036

delfinom 3y ago
This is exactly what they do. Not to worry, they also region lock the ink as well.
- 1-6 3y ago
  I wonder what happens when car companies increasingly connect their vehicles to cell towers?
  - eli 3y ago
    https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscriptions-microtransactions-heated-seats-feature https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscription... (I believe they rolled it back after an outcry)
  - qwerty456127 3y ago
    They will make using an app on a vendor-locked smartphone the only way to unlock the doors, start the engine etc.
  - thrtythreeforty 3y ago
    People have started identifying and pulling the fuses on vehicles' cell radios. I would also be interested in digging down to the radio itself and replacing the antenna with a dummy load.
    - midnitewarrior 3y ago
      That may create a parasitic battery drain if I radio is constantly seeking connection to a cell tower and not finding it. Subaru experienced a similar problem with their StarLink service after the 3G network shut down, car batteries started draining while trying to talk to towers that no longer existed.