Technology challenged

[pbray]

My ancient inkjet printer has been slowly dying--at first it was misfeeding paper and then it developed a tendency toward spitting out ink. I changed inkjet cartridges (twice), but while there was a brief improvement, the smearing ink came back. As did a new symptom, where random lines appeared much lighter than the text above and below them. I tentatively diagnosed a problem with the track mechanism--as it travels back and forth the cartridge is either too close to the paper (smearing) or too far (light print).

So on Saturday I went over to Staples to see what they had in stock, and found a printer that looked good, with a 30% off rebate. But since I hadn't made up my mind, I decided to check a couple of other places to see what they had on offer.

Somehow I missed the fine print that the rebate offer was only good for one week. When I returned Sunday, the printer was back to its regular price.

Grr. Argh. Now I'm stuck waiting to see if that printer goes back on sale, or trying to find something else at a comparable price. And in the meantime, my HP knows it's about to be replaced and is misprinting with wild enthusiasm.

Comments

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

Oh dear.

The wiliness of computer hardware is exceeded only by the wiliness of the people who sell it. :P

[pbray.livejournal.com]

They are tricksy creatures indeed.

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

I keep saying, to myself and to other people, that technology is the new magic. We depend on it to work, but we don't really understand how it works; we are most of us powerless to fix it when it breaks, and again depend on rarefied magician-types (such as yourself) to help us; it performs miracles when it feels like it, but when not, not; we perform superstitious rituals that (again) we don't really understand in the persistent belief that they will make some difference to the outcome ...

I was reading Susanna Clarke's The Ladies of Grace Adieu & Other Stories this weekend, and I kept thinking about computers. :P

[pbray.livejournal.com]

It's very much a game of shake the rattles, sacrifice the chickens and pray to the gods of chaos.

Plus, even when you can identify the problem, repairs are often far more expensive than replacing the failing item. That's the part that gets me.

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

And also the chicken-sacrificing just makes such a mess ;^)

Planned obsolescence is a pet peeve of mine as well.

[pxcampbell.livejournal.com]

If you can get by with a B&W printer, it might be worth looking into a laser pinter. I bought a Brother all-in-one (printer, fax, scanner, copier) and it's blazing fast. I've changed the toner cartridge once (25,000 pages -- yep, I have to print out all my drafts). They seem pricey, but when you calculate the price per page, they are dead cheap.

The inkjet printers are a classic of scam of the type pioneered (I think) by Gillette -- give the razor away free and charge for the blades.

I've never owned an HP that didn't come up with paper feed problems sooner or later.... :)

Good luck!!

[pbray.livejournal.com]

The printer that was on sale was a Brother laser printer, for exactly the reasons you mentioned. (I think someone recently did an analysis that showed ounce for ounce, black inkjet cartridge ink was among the most expensive liquids on the planet).

Keeping fingers crossed that it will go back on sale. Otherwise, I'll just bite bullet and buy it after Christmas.

[pxcampbell.livejournal.com]

Check Costco.com, too. They have a couple of different Brother models.

I'm really happy with mine.

[jlawrenceperry.livejournal.com]

You STILL haven't replaced that thing?

[pbray.livejournal.com]

I am the Mistress of Procrastination. Or really, really cheap, take your pick :-)

It was a large enough purchase to ping my radar as "nice to have but can live without." Until, of course, the current printer started throwing hissy fit.

[jlawrenceperry.livejournal.com]

Reckon you're just far more responsible than I am. What with being a video game addict AND a man, perhaps I am less restrained when it comes to electronic things.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Well I'm irrational about books, and I do a far amount of traveling, so I need to economize somewhere :-)

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Is there a Best Buy in that Mall Sprawl west of Binghamton?
When I needed a new monitor, I went to STaples and Best Buy -- the cheapest one they had was the very same monitor: $169 at Staples, $129 at Best Buy.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Nearest Best Buy is over an hour away. All we've got is a Circuit City and a Staples. Used to have an OfficeMax but they closed.

No Costco either, but we do have WalMart, Sam's Club and a Target.