Computer Hope
Other => Other => Topic started by: Freedomrydr on August 27, 2010, 11:17:54 PM
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I recently bought a Lexmark S305 all-in-one printer for basic office tasks. I found out quickly that there is even less ink in the carts than the skinny profile would lead to believe. I went through 2 black cartridges in as many weeks, doing routine documents. But the REAL issue is the last time I ran out of black ink, and had to drive 40 miles r/t to buy a new one, I put it in and it reported that it still would not print because the magenta cartridge was low. Using the printer prefs control, I told it to use 'black ink only', and I got the same report. 'Replace magenta cartridge'! Rather than drive another 40 miles, I refilled the magenta cartridge. Same report. Magenta cartridge empty. :P Frustrated, I contacted Lexmark, and they told me that this was a built in function, and the printer would not print in any color if any other color was low or empty! :o This is the stupidest thing I ever heard!! Even set on 'black ink only' which it would do, but only if the magenta cartridge is replaced. Not refilled mind you, but replaced! I am sure that if I drive 40 miles and shell out the $$ for a new magenta cartridge, the cyan cartridge won't work. What a SCAM! >:(
OK, now that I got that off my chest, here is my question(s)
1. WHAT THE F****?? :-X 2. Why won't it acknowledge the refills? 3. Most importantly, is there a workaround, a reset, some way to keep from pouring money into this piece of crap, to get it to print in black? ???
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1. Please don't use profane language, even with asterisks.
2. It's not just printers made by Lexmark that refuse to print if one colour ("color") is empty. Most of them are like that.
3. The cartridges have chips that record ink use so you can't refill them and use them again.
4. The cheaper the printer, the higher the running costs.
5. The Lexmark S305 is a very cheap machine.
6. Why do you think it was so cheap?
7. Google for printers/all-in-ones with lower running costs. Canon and Kodak are brands to check in my opinion. Read customer reviews.
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Also, instead of a 40 mile round trip, order some and have them delivered BEFORE you run out. Always works for me!!
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Salmon:
1. Sorry to offend your sensitivities. I will keep my asterisks to myself! :'(
2. Funny, I own 7 printers, a plotter, and 3 all-in-one laser faxes, NONE of which have this little 'quirk'. (Except the Lex)
3. When did this start? They all have 'chips', and I can refill all but the Lex!
4. 5. 6.- It was an impulse buy. I did not read reviews and go shopping. Saw it, bought it. I will stick with HP from now on!
7. You can keep Canon! I have one of those too. My last one! Kodak should stick to consumer cameras!
8. Lex S305 for sale... CHEAP! ;D
Redd: As you can see by my inventory, If I did that, I'd be out thousands, not just gas money! I am sure that Lexmark would like me to 'stock up' on 4-ink systems! One round costs more than the printer! I buy them as I need them, which is not often as I refill them as needed (Except the Bast... oops... the Funky Lex!) With the exception of the Canon, I have no problems with any of my other printers (Mostly HPs). Just a bad printer with dumb, ripoff technology.
Thanks for the input! :-*
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While as salmon-trout has stated more and more printer manufacturers are moving in the direction of curtailing printer use when "one " cartridge is indicating empty there are alternatives to get around that situation.
1. Chip re-setters are commercially available for "most" manufacturers "chipped' cartridges. Manufacturer and also often model specific.
2. In many cases alternative cartridges are available that do NOT require chip resetting and will NOT ever indicate an out of ink situation.
Unless warranties are NOT a consideration i would advise against either solution above during the warranty period. Also the presumption re both solutions above (to save tons of money on replacement OEM cartridges) is that you would purchase bulk ink (plus the required paraphernalia) to refill the cartridges that meet the above criteria yourself.
Neither of the above solutions is ever offered by your printer manufacturer and must be found elsewhere. truenorth
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There are many printers i've come across that won't print black with an empty color cartridge...however you could try it in "draft mode"///
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1. Sorry to offend your sensitivities. I will keep my asterisks to myself! :'(
It has nothing to do with "sensitivities". it's both the forum rules, and, more importantly, it's fully possible to communicate without them.
2. Funny, I own 7 printers, a plotter, and 3 all-in-one laser faxes, NONE of which have this little 'quirk'. (Except the Lex)
This may surprise you, but only inkjet printers use ink. therefore only inkjet printers will complain about low ink. and Plotters are very expensive and generally high quality for the same reason that laser printers are (again, usually). Additionally the "I've never encountered this before and therefore it is new" argument isn't very powerful.
3. When did this start? They all have 'chips', and I can refill all but the Lex!
I didn't know they all used the same cartridges and that you had and fully comprehended the schematics for them enough to know that the only ones that have chips that store the current ink state were the lexmarks. I salute your thoroughn... Oh wait? What's that you say? You HAVEN'T examined them all and therefore are making wide sweeping claims based entirely on purely subjective evidence?
4. 5. 6.- It was an impulse buy. I did not read reviews and go shopping. Saw it, bought it. I will stick with HP from now on!
translation: "I bought a value priced product from a name brand manufacturer and couldn't believe I got value priced performance"
7. You can keep Canon! I have one of those too. My last one!
Yet again, the "I bought a single value priced product from a name brand manufacturer and couldn't believe that it didn't perform as well as their more expensive lines" pure nonsense argument poised by almost everybody who likes to complain about manufacturers.
The most hilarious part is that the companies themselves don't actually build the printers. I'm sure a good number of HP printers are made by the same folks that make some lexmark printers. Name brand is almost entirely meaningless except for support. I'm sure your going to counter this with some sarcasm riddled response as you've done for ST relating your experience with your 7 printers which somehow proves some point regarding the makeup of their respective companies, but oh well.
Kodak should stick to consumer cameras!
Yeah, They've only been making printers for 11 years. But they should stop, because you say so.
Redd: As you can see by my inventory, If I did that, I'd be out thousands, not just gas money!
no idea what your inventory is and even less idea how it's relevant. to my understanding two cartridges (one color, one Black) don't come close to approaching thousands of dollars.
I am sure that Lexmark would like me to 'stock up' on 4-ink systems!
You say that like they shouldn't.
One round costs more than the printer!
You keep repeating this in various ways like it's some divine revelation, that your the only person to ever realize this and that they are the first company to do this. Hardly. Gillette was the first to pull the old "sell em something, but make it need something disposable that they need to keep coming back for". It works, Gillette is still doing it and in fact the "old" cutthroat razors are nearly impossible to find.
I buy them as I need them, which is not often as I refill them as needed
This may surprise you, but all printers allow you to see the ink levels in their control panel/software. When you see it starting to get low, you put up your index finger and say "I KNOW! I'll order some ink now so that I don't have to drive 40 miles later on and then decide to gripe about it on a computer help forum as if it's the manufacturers fault!".
(Except the Bast... oops... the Funky Lex!) With the exception of the Canon, I have no problems with any of my other printers (Mostly HPs). Just a bad printer with dumb, ripoff technology.
Are the HP's inkjet printers? how much did they cost? If they aren't inkjet printers or they cost more then your "problem" printers
then you hardly have a fair metric with which to compare. I highly doubt their more expensive office-grade printers (both canon and lexmark) have the same problems as a value model(s) you found in a retail store.
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BC, your replies are just the best ;D
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I concur with reddevilggg as to BC's commentary. It has occurred to me on numerous occasions that a career as a surgeon could well suit his precision and rapier skills.truenorth
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Childish sarcasm I'd call it.. The guy was looking for help. He only needed to be asked once to drop the profanity, then I think a reasoned response to his questions might have been in order. Then again, I'm not a genius..
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Childish sarcasm I'd call it.. The guy was looking for help. He only needed to be asked once to drop the profanity, then I think a reasoned response to his questions might have been in order. Then again, I'm not a genius..
Your replying to a Year old thread...
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I know but I was looking for an answer to a similar question and I guess others will find it for the same reason..
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well if i were you, i'll try to use another printer. like what i did. one of the printer that i am using does not work properly even i tried to sent it to the printer mechanic. then i bought canon ink jet printer which has the pgi-220bk cartridge. it good. very fast in printing and don't eat much ink.
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just grab a box of crayons and its done.
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Your replying to a Year old thread...
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Your replying to a Year old thread...
Very often, such posts are spam... or SEO in this case, I think: since he's coloured it black, there's nothing to visually identify the link, but at least Google will see it.
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p29/badoit/spampost.jpg)
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Cannot believe I had to take the time & energy to register to a site I will probably never log into again, just to interject, when I was on my own mission to solve the printer problem of the inability to print blk when color cartridges are low. I am a passionate person...
Salmon, Reddevil, & BC - you know you are total D.B.s! Freedom was seeking help (yes, I am aware of the age of his post!), & as previously stated, he DID apologize maturely for voicing his dismay, unlike the patronizing, yet childish replies posted, with still no resolution to his legitimate issue. And I'd swear, (yes, a grammatically incorrect sentence fragment beginning with the forbidden conjunction... b/c you three are the snobbish types to grade my paper vs ingest it for its intended information...) yes I'd swear Reddevil & Salmon are partners in trolling on a whole other industry board, as noted by their pedestal-position writing styles, but I too have allowed myself to stoop to their level. You know, intelligence is only noble if you can control your modesty for it. Otherwise, the perception's psyche of reader majority is overruled by your snobbery, which makes you in turn, look real stupid. Perhaps you are both cosmetically ugly, or maybe handicapped or paralyzed, or maybe you're both married to witches & haven't an ounce of household power, which depletes your manhood... who knows or who cares what your hang-ups are... but you don't have to be condescending just because you don't have the solution to someone's inquiry. And Patio, many people use search engines to isolate answers to their questions of issue, which is what leads those of us to boards such as these. So replying to a post that's outdated isn't really relevant regarding someone who stumbled onto it in their search & wanting to voice their opinion on the behavior of those audacious participants. Some are just passionate/against the existence of rotten people.
And BC, according to the length of your book, I mean reply, you really need to get a life.
So here is my suggestion to the three of you, just as you've submitted for Freedom, as an alternative for being the board jackassholes (not technically cursing!) & actually doing some good for your fellow-man, with the kind of support that you three would want had you submitted a cry for help:
Turn off your computers; put some respectable clothing on containing more than your sweats; go outside (all the way, where there is nothing but atmosphere over your heads); take in many breaths of the freshest of air your community will provide; locate some sunlight, be in it, for man has not yet determined a way to synthesize pure vitamin D, necessary for the promotion of mental stability & health; do this for the duration necessary in losing the sticks up your _ _ _es ; & only then should you proceed to join the rest of us inferior folk in conversation on this board.
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their pedestal-position writing styles
I think he means "proper English".
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(http://imgur.com/5N9BKyo)
I know that's not a Lexmark, but it's as close as I could find.
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