The last HP printer I bought was 12 years ago, more like a gift from my wife and it was an Envy 110, a printer with WiFi connectivity, support for AirPrint, with an LCD screen that allowed me to make photocopies without having to turn on the computer. Throughout her life and after several moves, she had reached a point of physical deterioration that made me reconsider renewing her. But, as it worked like the first day, I never took the step.
However, there came a day when HP did not agree with me continuing to use compatible cartridges and the printer displayed an informational sign recommending that I use original cartridges to get better impressions. What initially seemed like an informative message, really wasn’t.
The printer was mine, not HP’s
There was no way to remove that message and print. I spoke with the technician who sold me the cartridges (and who also fixes printers) and he told me that there was a hidden menu inside the printer to access the internal configuration options to restore the firmware previous to the one that had been installed in the last update and it had blocked my printer.
The technicians of printer repair They share a database with the keys to press to access the hidden menu of this type of printers with LCD screens, so restoring the firmware was no problem. The problem is that this update that blocked my printer had come through the firmware but from the application that I had installed in Windows.
If you have an HP printer, you know that the HP app has access to the same information displayed on the screen, such as ink levels, information that I never had access to when I decided it was time to stop paying the price of the original HP cartridges. The technician tried a thousand and one ways to try to reverse the changes that had been made to the printer and that prohibited me from continuing to use it as the first day, so I had no choice but to take it to a recycling point.
But first, as a last effort and because of the years we had been together, I decided to give it one last chance and buy the original cartridges. Nothing. The printer had completely closed in band and she did not want to know anything about anyone, as if she had reached her intentionally established useful life cycle (planned obsolescence).
I switched to Canon
If we are looking for a printer that is not from HP, the manufacturer that offers the greatest number of options is Canon, followed by Epson. After speaking with the technician and after knowing that my need is to print a couple of sheets once or twice a week, he recommended that I opt for Canon.
Epson printers offer the same print quality as any other printer, however, they are designed for daily use, otherwise the cartridges dry out easily. Canon printers, like HP printers, include the head on cartridgeso if I don’t print for a long time, just by changing the cartridge, I can do it again.
But, the most important thing of all is that, according to what the technician told me, I will never have problems with compatible Canon cartridges. The cartridges are just as cheap as HP’s and the print quality is the same. And, if I want to use the original cartridges, these are cheaper than HP.
After several models on the market, I finally decided on the Canon Pixma TS5350aa 3-in-1 inkjet multifunction printer with Wi-Fi connectivity and double-sided printing, a function that had become essential since it was discovered with the Envy 110. After using it for 3 months, I couldn’t be happier and If someone asks me which printer to buy, I would definitely recommend this model.
