• merc@sh.itjust.works
    9·
    2 days ago

    It’s more the printer companies that are evil.

    Printers from the 90s and early 2000s were still pretty good. They had problems with paper jams, but that’s not really surprising when you’re moving a physical object around like that. The models designed for office use were really sturdy and built to handle a work environment that was still mostly based around paper. So, they expected to be used heavily.

    Since then, they’ve cheaped out on a lot of the components because printing is much less common so they’re not expected to handle as much heavy work. But, more importantly, the DMCA has allowed manufacturers to load them up with DRM that refuses to use any ink that isn’t sold by the printer manufacturer.

    • Kairos@lemmy.today
      1·
      2 days ago

      Printers suck now because they always sucked. You just used models that cost 3x as much.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 day ago

        Printers suck in part because they’re mechanical devices that move paper. They are subject to fatigue and their feed stock is inconsistent, and they are built to a cost so they’re as cheaply made as possible.

        But they also suck because manufacturers aren’t content to just sell machines that either put ink on paper or fuse toner to same. They also have to screw people as hard as possible on ink/toner. Which means artificial limitations rather than physical ones. And that’s where they really start to suck.

      • merc@sh.itjust.works
        1·
        2 days ago

        The models that cost 3x as much now suck. At least it used to be possible to get one that didn’t suck.

  • darthelmet@lemmy.world
    301·
    3 days ago

    I’m also pretty sure that cats understand human languages and just choose to ignore us most of the time.

    • jballs@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      One of my friends, who has never had a cat, told me that cats were way stupider than dogs because they didn’t follow basic commands and probably didn’t even know their own names.

      I think it takes living with cats to realize that they are smart as hell and understand a lot of what you’re saying - they just don’t give a fuck.

      • Tonava@sopuli.xyz
        6·
        2 days ago

        Some are dumb as bricks though, as they’re all individuals. I know cat siblings where one was super smart, careful and fancy, and the other one an idiot, who also drooled and dropped from tables. This applies to dogs too: I’ve met ones with no thoughts behind their eyes, and then ones like my late doberman who could open locked doors if she felt like it

        • darthelmet@lemmy.world
          3·
          2 days ago

          This is just reminding me of my current cat who will open the door to my room, then get inside and close it. I think it’s to get my attention, but the funny part is always when he is ready to leave and he realizes the consequences of his actions.

    • qupada@fedia.io
      211·
      3 days ago

      Bold of you to assume you’re going to be the one to outlive a 90s printer.

    • Rhaedas@fedia.io
      3·
      2 days ago

      I wish I still had my Okidata printer I used with my C-64. Yes, it’s dot matrix and slow, but it knew its job and did it well. Same with our later HP 5P. Solid. What the hell happened, HP?

  • village604@adultswim.fanEnglish
    7·
    2 days ago

    Printers know I’m just looking for an excuse to go Office Space on them, so they always start working when I show up. Same with desktops.

    But get a Brother printer and you won’t have issues. My 2007 model is still working fine, although the NIC died a few years ago and unfortunately doesn’t have a functional driver I can find for a print server.

    But I found a $650 Brother multifunction at Goodwill for $10 that looked brand new, just needed a new toner cartridge.

    • SleeplessCityLights@programming.dev
      3·
      2 days ago

      I have worked with many printers and copiers. I found the small business laser jet Brother printers are by far the best. They just are a little big for an apartment. I would say HP is the worse, but I have worked with Konica Minoltas.

  • Seth Taylor@lemmy.world
    9·
    2 days ago

    I tripped and fell a while ago. I have no idea how it happened but I’m pretty sure I heard the printer chuckle. I’ve been sleeping with the lights on and a balled-up sheet of paper under my pillow ever since. If it tries anything, I’m shoving that paper in its paper tray. And then I’ll say something cool like “I hope you brought your guitar, cause it’s time to jam!”

  • Katana314@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 days ago

    If you only print occasionally, do it at the library. Far better to rely on community printers that are running often to keep the ink warm.

  • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    11·
    2 days ago

    Technically, its not their fault, they were made that way and have no means of changing themselves…

    But that doesn’t change that they functionally are agents of evil.

    … They’re basically Orcs, but with even less agency.

  • WraithGear@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 days ago

    i heard the reason the printer wastes your cyan or magenta and refuses to print without it even for black and white prints is that it has to finger print the paper so it can be traced back to you

  • ZeDoTelhado@lemmy.world
    15·
    3 days ago

    Oh, you need to print a form before going to the airport because of some outdated entry requirement? Sure, I will jam the paper 3 times, ask for a magenta cartridge after failing printing, even if you are printing black only, and then i will ask to sacrifice your first born when you are getting desperate to print and leave!