Travel Technology - List of products not to buy

HP 3310 printer.

Not only does it request ink cartridges continuously, the software it came with took hours to install, and the printer [wireless connection] is unreliable. Support was virtually not existent.

Add your 'not to buy' here:

Sadly most HP printers are like that nowadays :(

I recently needed to a quick scan of something off an AIO I normally don't have installed (use it stand alone). The download of the driver was 390Mb and took 3 hours to install. When it was done I had so much crap on the machine that I restored it from an image.

I've had quite the opposite experience with the HP C6180. 802.11 support works transparently for printing, scanning and faxing, and while the software is quite bloated, it works pretty well if you do a selective install.

I don't grind out reams of paper, though, and am still on the original ink cartridges. It does seem to spend a little more time clunking, farting and grunting before actually printing something than my old K80xi did, but the pluses so far outweigh the minuses . . .

Epson inkjet printers. The cartridge is just an ink tank that doesn't have the print head in it (the way HPs do). So if the print head gets plugged up, you have to have it serviced (at $125 an hour, oh yeah) or pitch it.

With HP, you get a new print head with every cartridge (and you can refill them yourself if you're the least bit handy).

Brother, Lexmark, and Dell printers printers. The software is horribly intrusive and the printers frequently fail and require dis proportionally expensive replacement parts.

If we keep going here there won't be any printers we CAN buy ;) I think that's why subjective "don't ever buy this because I couldn't get it to work right and I'm mad at them" threads aren't worth the bits they're written in...

Brother, Lexmark, and Dell printers printers. The software is horribly intrusive and the printers frequently fail and require dis proportionally expensive replacement parts.

If we keep going here there won't be any printers we CAN buy ;) I think that's why subjective "don't ever buy this because I couldn't get it to work right and I'm mad at them" threads aren't worth the bits they're written in...

Actually I've been pretty happy with my Canon printers and scanners.

Hated my HP printer (slower than molasses) and scanner. Had constant software conflicts with both of them.

Actually I've been pretty happy with my Canon printers and scanners.

Hated my HP printer (slower than molasses) and scanner. Had constant software conflicts with both of them.

Actually, I've been pretty happy with the canons too. That said, the best printers I've used have all been LaserJets. I can't believe my LaserJet 5P is still kicking 13 years later, and every bit as strong as the day I bought it. In computer years that's pretty crazy. I haven't been able to find a good excuse to replace it - so on it goes! It'll probably keep going until Microsoft stops publishing drivers for it.

1997: Bought first HP printer from a friend for $249. Rarely used, d. 2003.

Upset at poor build quality (never even replaced cartridge) I considered switching, but the HP price was too good to pass up.

2003: Bought HP 1110 print/scan/copy for $89 after OD rebate. Used all the time, works like a charm. Upset when I found out it could not be plugged into Apple wireless network (spent hours with various web workarounds). Finally donated to not-for-profit where it is still in use.

Called HP support - like most others - you get what you pay for. After being told the 1110 wouldn't network, I received a call from a nice salesperson who told me that HP sells only 3 printers that could be networked, the cheapest a refurb at $350+ Thanked her and hung up as even HPs website showed many printers that could be wired into an airport.

2007: Bought HP 7310 for $199 online OM sale. Works like a charm with Apple wireless network. :)

Moral of story - don't expect too much from printer support given the price you paid. don't pay too much as your software may not be updatable (and price/value always falls). if possible don't install HP software (I think both Windows and Mac include the drivers).

I do think the subject line should be edited to more clearly reflect topic. :)

I'm a big cynic about IT hardware in general but I do believe in HP printers, especially the cheap ones. I have a three-year-old HP5510 all-in-one on my desk that I abuse horribly but is so far unkillable. We've got another three or four around the office.

Epsons are the worst. They pack up at the slightest provocation and cost more to fix than they did to buy. No more Epsons.

If we keep going here there won't be any printers we CAN buy ;)

Laser printer (i.e. no inkjet cartridges that dry out and are expensive per page to print with) with Postscript or PCL capability (i.e. no strange drivers that may have bugs or are only available for limited OSes).

From what I have seen, most inkjet printers are very cheaply made, and both low volume users and high volume users will find the ink very expensive (low volume users will find the that the ink dries up, while high volume users will find it to be expensive per page). The drawback of laser printers is that color laser printers are expensive.

To avoid weird drivers, look for a printer that is not limited to a small number of versions of Microsoft Windows. If it is limited only to a small number of versions of Microsoft Windows, it likely has weird drivers.

Actually, I've been pretty happy with the canons too. That said, the best printers I've used have all been LaserJets. I can't believe my LaserJet 5P is still kicking 13 years later, and every bit as strong as the day I bought it. In computer years that's pretty crazy. I haven't been able to find a good excuse to replace it - so on it goes! It'll probably keep going until Microsoft stops publishing drivers for it.


My wife and I have two old HP LaserJets - a 4P and a 6MP - that are 12 and 11 years old respectively, and they still work extremely well. We wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

On the flip side, I bought an HP Officejet 6210 all-in-one which is just total c**p. After only two months of use, I cannot use the document feeder for scanning, copying or faxing as it creates huge black streaks on the page. There is no point in getting this serviced as the repair costs will probably be equal to the cost of the unit itself.

My old hp 1200 laser works great, and I needed an all-in one to replace a very old fax. I read the reviews of the HP's on CNET while in Office Depot on my BB and bought the Canon MP530, so far so good.

Don't buy a Polaroid TV, cheap and stylish, did I mention cheap, as in crap. Picture went out after about 14 months. But hey it was cheap! :rolleyes:

If I need a laser I'll get HP. If I want inkjet I'll get Epson. If I want a photo printer I'll use Snapfish.
HP lasers work fine for me. For the inkjet I like the Epson. A full set of ink is about 65% the price of a new all-in-one so if it craps out I just toss it and buy a new one which is a bit faster and has nicer features. It seems to me that using a house-brand ink cartridge seems to hasten failure of the printer.

I love HP printers but the per-page costs are high, and I hate all the bloatware. By default, my HP 7200 wants to dump over 200MB of apps onto my PC.

I think what's so interesting about this thread is how the title is "List of products not to buy" and the only things so far are printers. I know the average name-brand ink cartridge is more reliable than the average name-brand inkjet, but I thought by now there would be some other products coming up.

I'll add Sony laptops to the list.

Printers: For Lasers I buy HP (I have a lovely fleet of LaserJets here in daily use from a 4M+ to a 5500). Ink jets I now buy on a "use and dispose" basis (that or give them away to someone afterwards. I think consumer printers fall into this category unfortunately :(

Laptops: You pay for what you get. Very plain and simple. I avoid like the plague the cheaper versions that have crammed desktop components into a laptop chaises. Apart from cooling issues, they have minimal life on the road.

The Sony we had in the office was a case of touch and it broke (I can't remember the model number now - suffice to say it went back to the supplier).

The biggest no-buy in my opinion are Tablet PC's. Although I see an application for them, they're fickle and the Acer ones we've had.. well I've had to scrap one after 2 years (enterprise warranty and Acer doesn't exactly go together). Suffice to say I'm sticking to Toshiba and HPQ in the future.

And finally... Blackberries go on my no buy list :D.... Why? Until people learn how to switch them off and enjoy their lives without being on an umbilical cord to the office...

Do not buy any microsoft software on the first run/or mac for that matter!



VIIIIIISSSSSTTTAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!:mad:

Don't buy:

1) Any inkjet printer. Maybe buy a scanner that has a free inkjet printer attached, but don't use it. Buy a laser printer.

2) Monster Cable. Or anything else made by Monster. Buy cables online. Keep an RCA a/v cable, an svideo cable, a component and an HDMI cable on hand. When you buy a new toy, use the spare, and order the proper one, and put the spare back.

3) Extended warranties - unless it's a laptop.

4) Anything from Radio Shack that isn't needed within the next hour to save life, limb or employment. You used to be able to buy cables there, but now you'd have to violate item number 2.

5) Bose. If you must have a pair of QCs, that's fine. Stop there. Do not proceed to the demonstration room with astonishingly small speakers.

6) Sony. For so many reasons. Price. Ethics. Ok, mainly those two.

Tend to disagree with Extended warranties. I paid 249 bucks warranty for my refridgerator and I've had to use it twice in 6 years and warranty goes till 2011. Compressor went out, and then a selonoid that drives the ice machine. All in all, it was well worth the money.

To add to the list:

Cell phone batteries off of ebay. Great price, crappy products.

I still use a HP LaserJet 4 purchased in 1993. It works like a charm except for paper getting jammed occasionally. You're all making me very nervous about the day when it dies.

I've had bad experiences from HP printers, too, and great ones from Canons. My Canon bubblejet is 7 years old and still works like a dream. I'm a low volume user and I really can't find an excuse to scrap it.

Another "avoid" for cheap laptops here. I've had bad experiences with HP/Compaq, but it could have been random. My current Fujitsu-Siemens feels a lot sturdier, tho. Made in Germany, too.

Canon printers yes. Sony notebooks no. I had a Sony notebook in a case with a Canon BJC-85 printer/scanner. Thief took the printer and left the notebook.

I still use a HP LaserJet 4 purchased in 1993. It works like a charm except for paper getting jammed occasionally. You're all making me very nervous about the day when it dies.

Don't worry about it. You can roll right into an LJ5 or 6 that's been refurbished. We spent $14k on two VERY big HP lasers about three years ago. They're total crap. They never work properly. They CONSTANTLY jam.

In frustration I went and bought an HP8150DN off Ebay for $600 + $200 shipping about 6 months later. One fuser and a toner cart later, it worked like new. Today? The 'new' HPs sit unused and the 8150 cranks out hundreds of pages a day. You'll be able to replace that printer for at least another 10 years yet with something workable. ;) Case in point. My uncle has an HP Laserjet II+. It FINALLY bit the dust last year after being repaired a few times over the years. He bought it in 1987. The thing lasted NINETEEN YEARS!

Don't worry about it. You can roll right into an LJ5 or 6 that's been refurbished. We spent $14k on two VERY big HP lasers about three years ago. They're total crap. They never work properly. They CONSTANTLY jam.

In frustration I went and bought an HP8150DN off Ebay for $600 + $200 shipping about 6 months later. One fuser and a toner cart later, it worked like new. Today? The 'new' HPs sit unused and the 8150 cranks out hundreds of pages a day. You'll be able to replace that printer for at least another 10 years yet with something workable. ;) Case in point. My uncle has an HP Laserjet II+. It FINALLY bit the dust last year after being repaired a few times over the years. He bought it in 1987. The thing lasted NINETEEN YEARS!

I, too, had an HP LaserJet IIIP. It was never repaired and turned out good looking pages from 1990 or '91 through to 2005. Home office, light to medium duty at worst. But still - and it is funny to be old enough to utter this old chestnut - they don't make 'em like they used to!