Comment on Discussion Thread š¾ Wednesday 9 April 2025
melbaboutown@aussie.zone āØ1ā© āØweekā© ago
Had to log in install an app and allow location (which I will be turning off) just to be able to print a test page and run the head cleaning thingā¦
I swear ten years ago this crap would have seemed like malware. Requiring a full colour cartridge to print b+w is definitely a scam.
No black is printing despite it saying the cartridge has some. Waiting on a second level clean and next Iām going to try installing new drivers.
Missing my hulking old printer scanner and wishing I didnāt buy a HP.
goodthanks@lemmy.world āØ1ā© āØweekā© ago
Cory Doctorow talks about how printer ink is the most expensive liquid you can buy as a consumer. Note expensive than pure bred racing horse semen (gross comparison though). He suggests a response to US tariffs being that Canada disregards printer firmware copyright and undercuts the US market by offering 3rd party printer ink cartridges via illegal reverse engineering.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone āØ1ā© āØweekā© ago
I wish they would and bring the tech here. You should be able to buy generic and refill.
Thereās libraries but not everyone can easily get there
goodthanks@lemmy.world āØ1ā© āØweekā© ago
I bought a printer for my dad and the refills cost more than the printer. Itās built into the business model. Weāre in the age of the capitalist monopoly squeeze. The squeeze continues until itās squeezed dry. Same reason thereās a huge number of computers heading to landfill due to windows 11 artificial hardware requirements.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone āØ1ā© āØweekā© ago
It sucks. Itās going to get bad when a significant chunk of customers can no longer afford to buy - they could raise the prices but at some point infinite growth is sustainable.
Iām only hoping refurbishing places like Computerbank can salvage a lot of them. Things like Linux and Libre Office will be lifelines to older and poorer people.
If I could just get organised enough and had the mind for it Iād be all over FOSS myself