# One of the more aggravating things in life: consumer electronic reviews, and printers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2021, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965 "2021-08-16T22:16:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/41 "2021-08-20T20:05:49Z")
My Brother, although it ran fine for several years, has two problems. The red has stopped printing and the cleaning routine Brother suggests had no effect. But just in the past few weeks, it has started to put nagware on my computer. Every hour or so a popup appears to tell me to replace the cartridges. Despite the fact that it still prints fine. I was thinking of getting an Epson, but the post above about problems with Wi-Fi gives me pause. My computer is not in the same room as the printer and, right now, neither is my wife’s. She normally uses the guest room where the printer is, but we are expecting guests. The Brother, at least, had a straightforward Wi-Fi setup and has given no trouble on that score. My router password is all lower case roman letters, although 15 letters long. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/42 "2021-08-20T21:02:32Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I was thinking of getting an Epson… My Epson nags me after I print a couple of pages. Very aggravating! ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/43 "2021-08-20T21:30:38Z")
One trick that has worked for me in the past when one of my color ink cartridges has run out: in the print dialog box there is usually a checkbox somewhere for “Print B&W Only”, which seems to bypass the color cartridges and only uses the black one. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/44 "2021-08-20T21:50:00Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I bought an HP laser jet pro mfp m283fdw. > > So far, I’m very happy with it. It talks (over the home network) to every device I’ve tried to connect to it, including a MacBook pro, an HP spectre, and my Pixel phone. I’m not looking for photo quality, but it prints pretty colored graphs, and prints PDFs nicely. > > I haven’t tried scanning anything, yet. Update: I just needed to scan a document, and it worked very nicely. The second thing I tried worked perfectly, and a couple minutes after I realized I needed to sign and document, I had signed it, scanned it, and emailed it to the appropriate party. Happy camper. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/45 "2021-08-20T21:51:02Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > I’ve since moved on to a black and white laserjet, but I was livid with my old Canon inkjet multi-function when it refused to scan a document when one of the ink tanks was empty. Fucking hell. I would be livid. I’ ma little worried about running into something like that “you have no magenta toner, so we can’t scan”. I suppose I’ll find out in due time. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/46 "2021-08-20T21:53:53Z")
And… since I had a lot of trouble finding this thread, and it’s now mostly about printers, I updated the title. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2021, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/47 "2021-08-21T14:27:26Z")
Disclaimer: I posted a link for a nose hair trimmer review site as a joke, only to find just now that there’s an actual website with that name. I have no knowledge of the legitimacy of that site. On the other hand, [bestdigitalunderarmshaverswithflashinglightsensorsreviews.com](http://bestdigitalunderarmshaverswithflashinglightsensorsreviews.com) doesn’t seem to exist (yet) so take that as my example of dubious review sites. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/48 "2021-08-21T14:37:17Z")
Gotta agree here. The ecotank printers are pretty awesome. There’s a line of them for different needs, I have the 2750, pretty much the same as the 2760, from what I can see. Bit higher on the upfront cost, but the cost of printing is a whole lot less. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/49 "2021-08-21T14:43:34Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Never buy HP. Never put up with any system that requires HP. Never let your daughter date someone that works for HP. We have an HP all-in-one color inkjet printer which we bought three or four years ago. The issue we have with it is that its software seems to have some sort of glitch in interacting with Windows 10 – at first, we had no problems printing in both B/W and color, but somewhere along the line, both my computer and my wife’s computer lost the ability to print in color on it; in the Printer Options menu, there is no option for selecting color, and repeated reinstalling of the printer drivers (which is what is apparently recommended) does nothing to solve the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2021, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/50 "2021-08-21T23:02:31Z")
Well, I’ve given up and just ordered another Epson Eco-Tank. This one is the 2760 mentioned above. My old one goes in the landfill. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/51 "2021-08-22T00:18:50Z")
One thing about infrequent use inkjets that one of IT Gods pointed out to me is to turn it off until you need it. By leaving it in standby it keeps the print heads warmed up and between that and cleaning cycles uses up and dries out your carts. I’ve been doing it with my clearance sale HP all in one and no issues so far. It is a pain to remember to turn it on but I only print one or two items a month usually. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/52 "2021-08-22T03:26:34Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Never buy HP. Never put up with any system that requires HP. Never let your daughter date someone that works for HP. > > These are among the many things that I have learned. You learned wrongly. HP has worked very well for me for many years. I’m currently on a Deskjet printer that’s about 4 years old, and still going strong. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/53 "2021-08-22T03:54:33Z")
I have an HP notebook from work. It’s… quite good actually. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/54 "2021-08-22T04:00:14Z")
Right now there is a business manager at a printer manufacturer desperate to know if it is their firmware which has this design flaw so it can be corrected immediately. I’ve pulled apart several inkjet printers. Their dirty secret is the huge sponge filled tray in the base where they pour all the ink so you have to buy more. Pardon me, I mean where the ink used for head cleaning goes. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/55 "2021-08-22T13:09:31Z")
I bought an [HP LaserJet 4P](https://hitbundle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/223525910010.jpg) in the mid 1990s. It’s still going strong. Never had the slightest problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/56 "2021-08-22T13:40:40Z")
Well, that’s back when HP printers were the standard. Nowadays not so much. I have an HP laptop which works just fine, but I don’t think I’d buy one of their printers. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/57 "2021-08-22T14:36:19Z")
The Wikipedia page does note that the printer is known for longevity. Also that it was introduced in 1993, so before USB. Are you using in on a network? I can’t really imagine using serial or parallel cables these days, but if I had a great printer maybe the adaptors would be worth it. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/58 "2021-08-22T14:48:50Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Their dirty secret is the huge sponge filled tray in the base where they pour all the ink so you have to buy more. Pardon me, I mean where the ink used for head cleaning goes. That’s the one thing about the Eco-Tanks that I am not a fan of, something I only learned about recently. And it’s not that it uses ink, ink for the Eco-tank is cheap, it’s that once the sponge become saturated, it will shut down your printer until it is serviced, and it’s really easier just to buy a new one. Still lasted almost 5 years of some pretty heavy printing, including several hundred full color Christmas cards each year, and still has _some_ life left in it, but it’s been showing me a warning that it will need servicing relatively soon. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/59 "2021-08-22T14:49:07Z")
I bought a “USB parallel” adapter cable. One end of the cable is a 25 pin parallel connector that plugs into the 25 pin connector on the back of the printer. The other end is a standard USB connector and plugs in to the computer. There’s electronics inside the parallel connector to convert the parallel data to USB serial data, and vice-versa. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965/60 "2021-08-22T18:01:57Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > …the Eco-tank is cheap, it’s that once the sponge become saturated, it will shut down your printer until it is serviced, and it’s really easier just **to buy a new one.** My bold. Buy a new Eco-tank, a new “sponge,” or a new printer? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-more-aggravating-things-in-life-consumer-electronic-reviews-and-printers/948965.md?page=4)