On 12/02/2016 06:25 PM, rhkramer@gmail.com wrote:
On Saturday, December 03, 2016 12:19:09 AM Doug wrote:On 11/30/2016 09:57 AM, doark@mail.com wrote:Beware of HP inkjets, HP recently had to change the code so that people could install ink cartridges that were not HP's and no, refilling the old ones did not work. So everyone had to have a firmware update.I heard something different lately, that HP changed the drivers (at least some), to, iirc, prevent people from using ink cartridges from other manufacturers and to prevent people from refilling and reusing their old ink cartridges. Understanding this, I've made a note to myself to carefully avoid accidentally updating the drivers in my HP 4 in 1 printer. (I haven't yet emptied any cartridges, so I don't yet have first hand experience with trying to refill and reuse any...) Did I misunderstand?
I don't think you misunderstood. https://www.wired.com/2016/09/hp-printer-drm/ http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/09/hps-drm-sabotages-off-brand-printer-ink-cartridges-with-self-destruct-date/ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/20/hp-inkjet-printers-unofficial-cartridges-software-update http://fossforce.com/2016/09/hp-retrofits-ink-cartridge-drm-printers/ https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160920/07021035568/hp-launched-delayed-drm-time-bomb-to-disable-competing-printer-cartridges.shtmlThis stuff in addition to the driver plugin decision makes me think that policy wrt HP's attitude toward users of their products has changed over recent years.
I'm hardly an expert, but the "DRM" retrofit strikes me as a pretty dirty trick. And what I, at least, perceive as the slightly sneaky introduction of the binary blob driver plugins while maintaining the guise of fully open-sourced driver software could be more of the same.
In one of my more paranoid moments while considering these factors I actually wondered if the driver plugins could also provide HP a means of preventing the use of alternative inks / toner / etc. That would be kind of nasty, wouldn't it? When I mentioned the idea to my right-wing-nut conspiracy theorist friend he suggested that the driver plugins might provide one of them there back doors" that the gov'ment is always puttin' in our computers. I have to admit I'm a bit bothered by the need to stick libraries and firmware for which we have no source code on the system drive. I might not be able to figure out a nasty hidden ploy in the source, but the fact that no one in the Open Source community has access to do so gives me pause.
Yet, its certainly true that HP has provided a wider range of drivers for its printers and scanners than practically any other common provider. I'm just annoyed by what appears to me to be a slightly "proprietary" (in the commercial and the more alarming social sense) trend. Hey, HP, I bought the printer. It's mine now. Hai capito?
Eh, different strokes for different folks. But HP won't be getting more business from me unless I see a change in the apparent policies like the ones that resulted in the aforementioned behaviors.
I'm more than a little tired of corporate behavior that smacks of the consumer being owned by corporations.
Regards, JP