Owners and users of nearly 30 different Hewlett-Packard laptop models, beware: It turns out an unknown number of computers shipped with a keylogger embedded in them, tracing and recording your every keystroke. [More]
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EFF: HP Should Reverse Software Update, Actually Tell Customers About Planned Limitations
By 9.28.16
When you buy a toaster, you do so with the assumption that the toaster company won’t go in a few years from now and make it so your favorite brand of bread made by a different company is incompatible with the toaster you’ve purchased. In a letter to printer-maker HP, the Electronic Frontier Foundation laid out exactly how terrible an idea it was for the company to ban third-party ink cartridges as part of a software update. [More]
HP And Sony Recall Laptop Batteries Due To Possible Overheating And Fires
By 6.27.16
Lithium-ion batteries are part of items that we use every day and we hardly think about them, but they can cause explosions and fires if they’re prone to overheating. That’s the case for batteries that are part of laptop computers sold in the last few years by HP and by Sony, and now those batteries have been recalled. [More]
Printer Ink Sale At Staples Excludes Ink For Most Printers
By 10.6.15
You can’t use this Staples coupon anymore, because it’s expired since reader Chris sent it to us. That probably doesn’t matter in the long run, because you can’t use the coupon on ink cartridges from HP or Epson. “I’m guessing HP and Epson account for 85% of all printers out there,” writes Chris. That seems high, but those are two major brands in the industry. [More]
Chubby Checker, HP Reach Settlement Over Penis-Measuring App
By 7.25.14
It’s been more than a year since a dispute between singer Chubby Checker and Hewlitt-Packard over a penis-measuring app plunged this country into darkness, dividing households, pitting brother against brother, leaving deep scars from which we may never heal — but which will always stand as a reminder of an era we’d all like to forget. Finally, the two parties have put aside their differences for the sake of generations to come, and reached a settlement. [More]
If Walmart Won’t Take Your Printer Back, Don’t Throw It At The Customer Service Rep
By 1.17.14
When we advise unhappy consumers to escalate their customer service complaints, we mean to take your issue to a store manager or someone at corporate HQ. We don’t suggest that you ramp up your anger by smashing things and tossing printers at store employees. [More]
Google: Stop Using That Charger That Comes With Your New HP Chromebook 11
By 11.13.13
One of the selling points of the recently released HP Chromebook 11 was that the laptop could be charged using the same micro-USB chargers used for many non-Apple mobile devices. Alas, the chargers supplied with these new Chromebooks can get super-hot (something I can attest to first-hand) so Google and HP from temporarily pulled the computer for sale and told current HP Chromebook 11 owners to use any other UL-approved micro-USB charger to power up their laptops while the companies sort out a resolution with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. [via GigaOm and The Verge] [More]
3 Years Is The Warranty Length, Not How Long It Should Take To Get Your Computer Back
By 10.23.13
The state of California has pretty good consumer protections, but not when it comes to extended warranties. That’s what a family who bought a laptop computer at Fry’s learned after a planned five-week repair of an HP laptop ended up taking three months. Three months? [More]
Why Do My Instant Photos Take 7 Hours?
By 5.14.13
“Instant?” typed user Jake when he sent us a picture of the kiosk screen after he sent some photos to the printer at Walmart. His “instant” photos were promised six and a half hours in the future. Why, that’s not very instant at all. [More]
HP: No, Downgrading To Windows 7 Doesn’t Really Void Your Warranty
By 2.14.13
Yesterday, we shared the story of Nick, a university information technology professional who bought a computer for a new employee that already had Windows 8 on it, tried to downgrade to Windows 7, and was told that doing so would void his warranty. While the person at Enterprise support he spoke to may have said this, it is not, strictly speaking, true. That’s great to hear. The bad news, of course, is that someone told Nick this in the first place. An ordinary customer who doesn’t work in IT would be completely confused at this point. [More]
HP Support: Downgrading Your New Computer To Windows 7 Voids The Warranty (Update: No, Not Really)
By 2.13.13 — Updated: 2.14.13
Nick needed a PC for a new employee, and went to Fry’s and bought it retail. Here’s the problem: the computer came with Windows 8, but the department where he works still only supports Windows 7. It was only after he downgraded that someone on HP’s support staff told him that going back to an older operating system voids the new computer’s warranty. Update: This is not actually the case. [More]
If You Want To Scan Without An Ink Cartridge, Maybe Don’t Buy An All-In-One At All
By 1.24.13
All-in-one printer/scanner/copiers are nice and all, but everyone knows that you don’t really need ink to scan a picture. That doesn’t stop manufacturers from making our gadgets unable to perform other functions when they’re out of printer ink, an intentional flaw that is wasteful and frustrating. This week, we’ve heard from owners of Epson, Canon, and HP all-in-ones who complain that the devices are a useless lump of plastic without a print cartridge. They aren’t the only companies to pull this trick, but some tipsters have let us know that there are ways around the flaw. [More]
Beware Of HP’s Free Nook That Isn’t So Free
By 1.16.13
On Cyber Monday, Brian called HP about their selection of computers, and ended up selecting and ordering a computer of his own. The salesman offered him a promotion: a free Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader with the purchase of his Ultrabook. Well, as long as it’s free… The problem came when he decided the computer wasn’t for him, and returned it. HP wouldn’t take the Nook back, and insists on charging him the $99 plus tax that it costs. [More]
HP’s Free Nook Promotion Could End Up Costing You $355
By 12.6.12
HP’s website has an offer going right now where you can score a free Nook Simple Touch (a $99 value) with the purchase of a new computer. But depending on which computer you buy, you could end up spending several times the cost of the e-reader. [More]
Have You Finished Buying All Your 'National HP Toner Month' Gifts Yet?
By 9.10.12
With so many things going on in this crazy world, it’s easy to lose track of the holidays. Luckily, Consumerist reader Mike recently received an e-mail from Office Depot reminding him that September is indeed National HP Toner Month, that time when families gather together by a bonfire to roast marshmallows, sip cider and swap tales of past National HP Toner Months. [More]
I Can't Shut My Business Down For 3-4 Weeks While HP Repairs My Only Computer
By 8.24.12
Here is the lesson that everyone who telecommutes or runs a computer-based home business learns at some point: you need more than one working computer. Otherwise, when something goes wrong with that computer, you will be stuck the way that Meredith is right now. Her HP laptop needs repair for two relatively minor problems. Wanting to get it fixed before the warranty is up, she inquired about sending it in for service. Of course! She would just need to wait 15-20 business days to get her computer back. Shut down her business for a month, that’s all. [More]
HP's Repair Depot Fixes The Wrong Problem, Charges Me Extra $200
By 8.16.12
Dheeraj hasn’t owned his HP Envy ultrabook for very long: barely a year and a half. But the computer, with an upgraded display and purchased for photo and video editing projects, began having overheating and video problems early on. He accepted that gaming on the computer wasn’t going to happen, but sent it in for repair once the other problems became unbearable. After a lengthy stay in the HP Hospital, the computer came back with a new, inferior display and the top panel repaired at a cost of $200. Which is nice and all, but neither of these were the reason why Dheeraj had sent the computer in. And it still had all of the original problems. [More]
HP To Give The Axe To 27,000 Employees
By 5.23.12
Earlier today, HP announced its latest quarterly earnings and the results were not good — like “We are going to have to lay off 27,000 employees” not good. [More]
