One can hack together an equivalent non-ecotank Epson with either aftermarket refillable cartridges or an external “CISS” (continuous ink system) for less, but Epson seems to be making that incrementally less practical with each new generation of models.
I did the numbers and concluded that for the few A3/Tabloid/poster size prints we do per month; along with the few photos & artwork reproductions – the lifetime cost of cartridges is less than the CISS/ecotank/refillable cost for me.
My Brother colour-laser mulltifunction ($50 used) has much higher usage per month.
I’ve used a mobile camera app with perspective adjustment whenever I’ve needed a scan lately. It’s not quite as good as a flatbed scanner, but it’s good enough for my purposes.
They’re not immune from crapulence, either - I got an all-in-one for free when I bought a MacBook. It uses little ink cartridges (which is how Irather quickly figured out how they could afford to give away the printer); like others have alluded to where if one of the colors runs out, too bad: still can’t print a black-and-white document.
This was from almost 16 years ago; I keep it around as a scanner and even that seems slightly out-of-focus. If I have to print something in color, I just make arrangements to do do somewhere else.
YMMV of course, but these days many things are digital, including receipts. Forms can be digitally signed and emailed. Assuming you are US-based, chances are you have a FedEx Office or UPS Store near you, which are self-serve should the rare time arise when you need to scan or print anything. You can take your own USB stick to print or save anything and/or have the scans/copies emailed to you. Finally, should your printing needs go beyond basic 20# office paper, they can accommodate that, too.
Years ago, my Samsung B&W laser printer just up and quit working and it was then that I realized I couldn’t recall the last time I needed to print anything. I never replaced it.
yep. used this method for at least the last 6 years. its just faster and almost every smartphone-cam (even the really cheap ones) nowadays are good enough for it.
even for free I wouldnt take one of these …yes, there crappy as shit and there was a time around 2012-15 where you saw this junk everywhere on the streets with a note that said “for free - scanner works”…
HP printer software turns up uninvited on Windows systems
Windows users are reporting that Hewlett Packard’s HP Smart application is appearing on their systems, despite them not having any of the company’s hardware attached.
While Microsoft has remained tight-lipped on what is happening, folks on various social media platforms noted the app’s appearance, which seems to afflict both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The Windows Update mechanism is used to deploy third-party applications and drivers as well as Microsoft’s updates, and we’d bet someone somewhere has accidentally checked the wrong box.
