[LINK] Samsung, Lexmark, Xerox printer firmware locks out OEM cartridges

[Alex (Maxious) Sadleir]

On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 8:02 PM, David Boxall
<david.boxall at hunterlink.net.au> wrote:
> The following just arrived from a retailer of OEM printer supplies:
>> Important Message: SAY “NO” TO FIRMWARE UPGRADES!
>>
>> Samsung, Lexmark, Xerox recently launched “Firmware Upgrade” to the printer drivers via online connections.
>>
>> End User Customers previously happy with Remanufactured/Compatible cartridges were duped into accepting a firmware upgrade that promised to “Improve” users printers, but has now locked them into Using ONLY original cartridges.  Firmware upgrades force you to use OEM cartridges at high Prices.

These anti-feature firmware upgrades are getting out of control. Sony
did one to disable 3rd party game controllers on the PS3, Microsoft
did one to disable third-party storage devices on the Xbox 360.
The economics of these closed systems are similar to that of printers
and printer ink. A 3rd party PS3 game pad is $40, a Sony one is
$89.95. An Xbox 360 "memory unit" is $26 for 512MB, a third party
sells a 2GB one for $40, and they are just USB thumb drives (which
retail $8 for 2GB) with a proprietary connector and proprietary
filesystem... to the extent you can just crack them open and solder a
USB plug on to make them work in a PC.