Unclouding Dusted Optics
by Don Thompson · GRC · April 1, 2008 - page(s): 40-47
Industry insiders predict that the SOHO market will bloom, born out by increasing numbers of low-end color laser models like the 2600n and variants 1600, 2605dn, CM1015 and CM1017 steadily appearing in homes and small to medium-size offices.
While cartridge re-engineering creates reliable methods for remanufacturing their cartridges, a key machine problem literally clouds the horizon for the models mentioned, each based on the same Canon print engine.
Week after week, new printer users appear on HP's LaserJet Bizsupport Forum complaining about faded red tones. Discussion involving toner cartridge quality spells losses for the unknowing customers and cartridge suppliers. “Could it be a bad run of magenta toner?” “Perhaps a corrupted printer driver software?” “Or, a bad high-voltage power circuit?”
The real problem lies within the design of the machine leading to dusted scanner optics, aggravated by the environment it occupies.
Is HP covering up? No one wants to admit to something that will hurt sales of a product. As much as we all love HP for all the good products it makes, when things go wrong with a product, we have the right and duty to expose it. Faced with all the questions about faded red tones, HP's solution exchanges the printer for another for about $80. We have a reasonable alternative, but only for those with technical skills.
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This article will be available online on 10/01/2008
