This Is Why So Many People Hate HP Printers

If pay-per-page printing subscriptions weren’t enough, Reddit is full of complaints about the connected account and always-online features many HP printers rely on. One Reddit user complained in a now-viral post about an HP Smart account login error that made the printer refuse to print anything at all. The HP Smart account is meant to help users set up and manage their printers remotely and print over a wireless connection, but it seems HP completely locks the printer down when an account or internet connection is not available. 

As it turns out, many users have had similar problems with the HP Smart account and the Smart app that accompanies it. Some users even reported being unable to use their printers without installing the Smart app. HP’s drivers and software bugs also seem to be causing a bit of a stir, as one user reports that the printer driver doesn’t persist through reboots, and requires a reinstall from HP’s site every time the computer restarts — although, this could be a problem with the Windows Print Server, to be fair. 

Something that seems to happen far too often is the printer failing to recognize a non-Instant Ink cartridge if you are trying to move away from the subscription — a problem that often requires HP support intervention to resolve. Not all printer manufacturers have gone this route, though. For example, Brother printers have become popular largely due to their Ink Tank system that helps cut down on ink costs, relatively speaking.