"What We Have Here Is... Failure To Communicate!"

Some Printers Just Can't Be Reached!

Every once in a while, I really miss the 1990's.

See, in the 1990's my folks have this old POS Win 3.1 computer hooked up to a rackety old HP 820c inkjet printer via that huge LPT port cable, and it just ran & ran.  You'd stuff in more paper, and every 3 months you'd go get some more ink cartridges, but it was just about bulletproof.

Well, can't have that.  You don't sell enough printers & ink that way.  Since that one got retired, I can't seem to get my parents set up with a reliable printer.

I'm half convinced they're doing something nefarious to screw them up. No other way could they have so much trouble...

They've had inkjets, lasers, all-in-one printer/fax/copiers, Brother, HP, Lexmark, you name it.  They all print for about a month, then never print again.

Those got-damn POS ink cartridges account for most of the trouble.   When the cartridge was the size of a deck of cards, it ran well, and lasted forever.  Then they separated the colors, shrunk 'em, to the size of matchbooks, each one cost $30 and they last about a week before they dry out.  The printer company engineers and execs are gonna burn in hell for that idea...

I got summoned last night to try and fix the latest goof. Multiple drivers installed on both Mom's login and on Dad's.  Locked files, undeletable files, and of course, the diagnostic software says everything's A-OK!!

Screw it.  I told 'em to put the files on a thumb drive and go to Kinko's.  I'm tired of messing with it.

I'm gonna make them some clay tablets and give 'em a cuneiform reed and let them print that way...