Smart technology a go go or a no no

[cliffed]

With all this Smart Technology around who uses what

 

[DPG]

Long story short, I had trouble printing to an older HP deskjet, so I tried to find a driver...no luck. Only way to get it working apparently is to install the HP app on my phone...did that, printer still didn't work and my guardian angel app on PC and phone blocked over 100 attempts to access my info.
Now, I don't believe that HP are trying to do me any harm, but honestly...it's a printer ffs!
I did find a work-around that worked ok, and also allowed me to use my Epson scanner which hates Windows 10 and has no drivers...but why do we have to suffer these hassles?
I'm a complete amateur with IT, but I didn't want to dump the printer (cheap) or the scanner (expensive) jusr because I had my PC updated to Windows 10.
Now both work fine, and I have found a reason to keep my laptop running 8.1 and my netbook running xp!
Smart?
NOT!
Lights work with a switch, I like that!

You will find a lot of this sort of detection software gives loads of false positives.

 

[littlespark]

My HP printer just throws a wobbly for no reason

Works fine for days... prints from any laptop, any device.... Its wifi, so no cables between....
I want to do a quote that must be, has to be sent tonight... and the damn thing goes "no..... not responding"
In the huff.

It takes a reboot of windows, and a power cycle of the printer... all while im standing on one leg... its the only thing that seems to work

 

[DPG]

My HP printer just throws a wobbly for no reason

Works fine for days... prints from any laptop, any device.... Its wifi, so no cables between....
I want to do a quote that must be, has to be sent tonight... and the damn thing goes "no..... not responding"
In the huff.

It takes a reboot of windows, and a power cycle of the printer... all while im standing on one leg... its the only thing that seems to work

When you select print, leave it for 30 seconds or so on the print dialogue box before hitting the button to actually start the print. Some printers don't like it if you start the print before they've had chance to wake up and communicate with the PC.

 

[Simon47]

HP have jumped on the "never mind the quality, how can we screw over the users" bandwagon. It's a common opinion that their current printers are no better than from the cheap tat manufacturers, and they've done stuff like rejecting third party cartridges with a misleading error message.
As for drivers, they've gone away from making drivers compact, clean, and easy to install - instead lumping them in with a pile of other cr...rubbish you didn't want to install.
I wouldn't buy another HP printer.

 

[ipf]

I'm not into HP, either.
On HP laptop now. Absolute load of cr*p.
Touchpad ridiculously bad and isn't even listed in 'settings' to try to sort out.
Using a separate mouse at present which, at least, prevents the cursor from jumping around like Mick Jagger.
Need to change it.
Epson printer OK.