I have a HP PhotoSmart 8200 that started showing a "Ink System
Failure" error right after I added new print cartidges..Now it won`t
do anything and HP support was beyond unhelpful "Is it turned on? Is
the cable plugged in? Are you sure you have ink?" They basically told
me, "It would cost more to fix than it does to buy a new one so go get
another HP printer."..Fat chance!..This is the third $200 printer (I
got it when it first came out so it cost more than they probably sold
for later) I`ve gotten in a row that suffered some sort of stupid
error and there seemed to be no easy fix for..I`ve seen stuff on
websites about this (Pull plug, wait, etc) but nothing fixes it..So
that makes an Epson, HP and Brother printer that have all been a waste
of money for me printing wise..The Epson at least can still function
as a scanner
Easy fix is relative term.
There is, to my thinking, no excuse for not thoroughly studying the
field in preparation to buying a printer. An objective, as to how
expectations stack up as to using it -- for a reality check against
user reviews and after-market techniques available -- well and simply
enough, then, because the manufacturer promotion ad-copy looks
appealing.
I was well on my way into inkjet territory, after my last Okidata's
less-than-stellar career, whereupon a sales circular arrived for a $46/
US shipped Samsung laser, I switched to at the last minute.
For instance -- I want black. Only. Color is less of a distraction
than a copier. Something like degrees to my car, with an expired XM
radio subscription, a fancy radio to display all the XM crap, which I
never wanted, but was sold, inclusive of XM's promotion crap now
arriving in the mail every other week. What it does get is 40mpg.
The inkjet was the aim, anyway, and I was leaning towards a Canon
because I liked how some users refill the cartridges. Like the
cheapest car with the longest warranty on the market, a Hyundai
Accent, however, the Samsung presents itself for a more convenient and
efficient means to black. Besides, I working mainly off last year's
review of Canons and hadn't nailed it for 2008 production models.
Which required switching, as well, on what I was reading up on, from
quite a few sites, about what users and toner re-manufacturers are
saying, before going over to Ebay and buying six bottles of 3000-pg
toner powder, shipped for $30/US, being where I am at, on my first
refill bottle for near 4000 pages at Samsung's rating (1000 pages at
mine - books I print from Word4Win).
A relative measure of what I have done, not wanting to talk to a
resourced India help hotline, nor by way of reiterating how stupid I
obviously am after buying several printers consecutively, only to
become very practiced at pulling my hair out. Help-lines, I agree,
seem to be well-trained to be very commiserate in that regard.
Yes, indeed, ma'am -- I'm here to assure you, although we may
appreciate all this fine, new technology -- let us have no delusions
as to an intent contained in the fine print to obfuscate efficiency
for additional cost factors.
There's no getting around being burnt for ignorance of an intent to
milk you for consumables. And, any indignation you may feel about
having to forgo an 'easy fix' in lieu of getting your hands dirty,
please bear in mind, everything about computers is a backdrop of as
much as six-times a cost outlay for a supportive infrastructure that
wouldn't care to sell itself cheap nor, necessarily, efficiently.
