[ILUG] Lexmark Linux Printer/AIO Driver Developer's Kit

[Brian Foster]

  | Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 13:04:40 +0100
  | From: Conor Daly <conor.daly_ilug at cod.homelinux.org>
  | 
  | On Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 06:58:04AM +0200 or so it is rumoured hereabouts,
  | Brian Foster thought:
  |  > the only issue I've had is the first Epson eventually
  |  > exceeded what can only be called planned obsolescence,
  |  > with the firmware _deliberately_ refusing to allow me
  |  > to continue using the printer.  [ ... ]
  | 
  | I heard of this.  Essentially, it claims the waste ink pads are full and
  | you have to send it off for replacements.  Now, you can _clean_ the ink
  | pads but the printer will still refuse to work.

 correct.  you also have to reset the counter which controls
 the refusal.  on the low-end model I had, that apparently
 could only be done by command (over the USB link) from the
 host, and Epson is coy about saying what the command is.

  |  > I did ultimately buy another Epson,
  |  > this time a higher-end model.  I subsequently found
  |  > that other people have made the same decision under
  |  > the same circumstances [ ... ]
  | 
  | My assumption is that the other people were stuck in the old mode of:
  |  "MS Windows has broken so I'll pay MS more money for an later version
  |   of MS Windows..."

 bad assumption.  I said _identical_.  the other cases
 I know of also use Linux.  M$-DoS losers _do_ have a
 solution.  there is freeware(?) program available from
 some hackers(?) in Russia that will reset the counter.
 however they are very anti-Linux and refuse to provide
 a Linux version, or (like Epson) even to say what the
 command is.

 also, my researches found the high-end models do have
 this “feature” _but_ can be reset by a magic mix of
 control button presses.  (not verifed for the model
 I now have!)  and the "feature” is not quite as stupid
 as it sounds since apparently when the ink pads really
 _are_ full, you get a nasty mess under the printer (or
 even tilting the printer when picking it up).  I cannot
 verify this, as the counter triggers early; i.e., I did
 not have that problem.

 having said that, it is obnoxious Epson does not make
 available instructions for DIYers, especially people
 in the situation I had — a very cheap printer, that
 was out of warranty.  and having said that, Epson did
 win in the sense I spent more money on another Epson
 printer (and on ink since).  and the reason they won
 is because both printers work quite well.  I expect
 the new one to continue to do so for multiple years;
 and when it does eventually fail/refuse to work, I may
 be interested in some other unit anyways.  like I said,
 this is not a heavy-duty office use/abuse unit, and so
 bullet-proof robustness is not a key issue.

cheers!
	-blf-
-- 
Experienced (20+ yrs) kernel/software Eng: | Brian Foster   Montpellier,
 • Unix, embedded, &tc;  • Linux;  • doc;  | blf at utvinternet.ie   FRANCE
 • IDL, automated testing, process, &tc.   |  Stop E$$o (ExxonMobile)!
Résumé (CV) http://www.blf.utvinternet.ie  |     http://www.stopesso.com