SVcrossDO@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.worldEnglish · 7 months agoHP is in the rent-a-printer business nowwww.theverge.comexternal-linkmessage-square14fedilinkarrow-up17arrow-down10file-text
arrow-up17arrow-down1external-linkHP is in the rent-a-printer business nowwww.theverge.comSVcrossDO@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.worldEnglish · 7 months agomessage-square14fedilinkfile-text
minus-squaretutus@links.hackliberty.orglinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·7 months agoHP is so desperate for money that this is what they need to do to survive. What does HP (hardware) actually do these days? Where do they compete (and I mean compete, not have products in)? They ruined Compaq. They killed their golden goose printing business with bullshit like this. They killed their server hardware business with bullshit like locking software, drivers and firmware behind support contracts. As somebody who always bought HP and advocated for their hardware (many years ago), I would never buy anything they make today.
minus-squareRedEye FlightControl@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·7 months agoThe day HP locked all firmware and driver downloads behind active contracts was the day I stopped buying it. I can go on Dell’s website and download drivers for a server I bought in 2004. For free. By just putting the service tag in. Don’t even get me started on HP’s partsurfer or warranty websites. It’s a mire of hundreds of subdomains, none of which are actually managed properly. It’s no wonder they’re swirling the drain. They are blatantly anti-consumer and anti-corporation.
minus-squareBoingboing@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·7 months agoWait. What? Is this real? Firmware and drivers behind a pay wall? Are they insane?
HP is so desperate for money that this is what they need to do to survive.
What does HP (hardware) actually do these days? Where do they compete (and I mean compete, not have products in)?
They ruined Compaq.
They killed their golden goose printing business with bullshit like this.
They killed their server hardware business with bullshit like locking software, drivers and firmware behind support contracts.
As somebody who always bought HP and advocated for their hardware (many years ago), I would never buy anything they make today.
The day HP locked all firmware and driver downloads behind active contracts was the day I stopped buying it.
I can go on Dell’s website and download drivers for a server I bought in 2004. For free. By just putting the service tag in.
Don’t even get me started on HP’s partsurfer or warranty websites. It’s a mire of hundreds of subdomains, none of which are actually managed properly.
It’s no wonder they’re swirling the drain. They are blatantly anti-consumer and anti-corporation.
Wait. What? Is this real? Firmware and drivers behind a pay wall? Are they insane?