The stupidity continues. Now a very popular printer doesn't work right under Vista

[Adam Albright]

I have a Epson Photo 900. I use this to print directly on CD's and
DVD's. Just had a "web chat" with a Epson "service" guy and he tells
me it isn't fully supported in Vista because it comes with a "in-box"
driver, that of course doesn't work with Vista since the printer is a
couple years old. They do have a new driver and supposedly that's
included with the Vista DVD.

HOWEVER...

My experience is that's a crippled version and takes away some
features or makes them very clumsy to use. For example under XP there
was a control center on the task bar from which you could access all
your printer functions, like clean the nozzles, check toner level, set
preferences, text, photo printing options, adjustments, etc.. This of
course is a very common feature.

The arrogance of these companies! Now they say tough cookies, go and
do that from Control Center and several clicks down you'll find it.
Well to nobody's surprise not all work like they used to and this is a
royal pain in the butt instead of having the features right on the
task bar. Asked if they plan to upgrade this. They say no, buy a new
printer.
'm
I just about at the boiling point since "upgrading" to Vista.

My system has been DOWNGRADED in several ways. Some of the hardware
doesn't work as well, some software now acts up when it worked fine
under XP, Windows Vista itself doesn't help you, it mostly gets in
your way and is a annoyance. I am now totally disgusted. Vista isn't
worth the price of the packaging it comes in, which itself is a pain
in the ass to open.

Microsoft totally screwed up on this release and all they will succeed
at doing is pissing off a hell of a lot of customers. They have
succeeded with me in doing exactly that.

 

[Richard Urban]

Again, someone taking out their angst on Vista when they should be directing
it against the hardware manufacturer.

Do you complain about your Ford because your after market Firestone tires
are out of round? No, you complain to Firestone on their quality.

Do the same here.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[BobS]

Adam,

I can understand your frustration but that printer is 4 years old (it's also
discontinued) with the last driver update in 03 but software was updated on
Jan 06 and they did provide MS updates for Vista.

Do you think they should support a discontinued item? They did:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supAdvice.jsp?type=highlights&noteoid=86150

The fact it works (but maybe differently) is a plus for Epson and to Vista
but yet you're finding fault with them both because it's not like it was in
XP?.

Most likely there were some security issues in the way the manager software
worked and Vista handles it differently. Not the same but I have a Canon
i9900 and they released an add-on which effects the management of the
printer much the same as you describe. I don't use mine as much as you
probably do so the changes are a minor thing to me but certainly useable.

Think you need a break from the 'puter for a day or two.....;-)

Bob S.

 

[John Barnes]

I have a similar problem with my Brother MFC. In addition, it doesn't show
the ink out popup that it had is all previous versions so no warning. No
control center here either. I don't know whether this is limited to Vista64
or both, but it is a pain to say the least.

 

[Adam Albright]

Again, someone taking out their angst on Vista when they should be directing
it against the hardware manufacturer.

Another Microsoft butt kisser heard from.

Let me help in your further education in the real world which seems to
be lacking. Hardware vendors need to conform to faily rigid specs and
follow specific guidlines that Microsoft places on the OS or NONE of
their drivers would work right. I guess you didn't know that.

What we're seeing is what we always see everytime there is a new
Microsoft OS. Endless finger pointing where the clods at Microsoft
point their fingers at hardware vendors and the hardware vendors point
their fingers at Microsoft. The bottom line is there is pleny of blame
to go around.

This is one area where the Mac guys are absolutely correct. Most Mac
hardware DOES WORK out of the box because they control the process.
Microsoft keeps moving the goal posts ie changing what needs to be
done which I'm sure drives hardware vendors crazy.

For your information I also let my feeling be known to Epson and other
vendors that have caused me endless headaches this past week.

 

[Richard Urban]

Good. I'm glad you also complained to the people who are responsible for
your hardware. If enough people do so, maybe they (the hardware
manufacturers) will do something about it.

If their mentality is to use the current situation to sell more printers,
then you have to live with that also.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Adam Albright]

Good. I'm glad you also complained to the people who are responsible for
your hardware. If enough people do so, maybe they (the hardware
manufacturers) will do something about it.

If their mentality is to use the current situation to sell more printers,
then you have to live with that also.

I'm curious what so many MVP's feel obligated to blindly defend poor
Microsoft design decisons. Care to share?

As far as selling more printers all Epson has accomplished for me is
to be sure my next printer will NOT be a Epson brand. For those that
aren't aware they were the subject of a class action law suit where
they were accused of deliberately misleading users to replace their
ink cartridges with a message indicating you needed to do so popping
up in the printer control center before the ink was anywhere near as
"empty" as the indicator said was the case. The settlement involved
giving all purchaser's replacement refills. I'm still waiting.

 

[Richard Urban]

Hey fella.

I have a 4 year old HP Deskjet 970cxi. I have basic functionality (which is
more than I expected). I am glad I have that as I was prepared to purchase a
new printer to use with Vista.

It is Hp, H/P, Hewlett Packard who is at fault here. It is not Microsoft. HP
had 5 friggen years to do drivers that are good for Vista. It is up to HP to
supply drivers to Microsoft for inclusion with a new operating system. It is
up to HP to make their customer happy. I am NOT happy. But it is ***NOT***
Microsoft's problem. It is between me and HP.

I bought a new printer when Win98 came out. I bought a new printer when
Windows 2000 came out. After Windows XP came out it was 6-8 months before HP
got off their collective asses and released drivers for that operating
system.


Now, place your vender above wherever you see HP.

And, place the blame where it belongs.

No one forced you to buy Vista. You wanted Vista, the same as I did.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[John Barnes]

And after 1 1/2 years still few drivers for XP X64

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Richard;
I have you beat.
My 5 year old HP 842c works well with Vista native drivers.
As for additional functionality, I never use so I do not know what if
anything I am missing.

I was fully expecting and prepared for the printer to not work, but it did.

 

[Richard Urban]

My printer is as noisy as all get out when I start the print process. This
one is off, until you press print. It then powers up and initializes. This
mechanical noise and stuttering is not present under Windows XP.

But hey, It's 4-5 years old now and I have to live with that. (-:

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Adam Albright]

My printer is as noisy as all get out when I start the print process. This
one is off, until you press print. It then powers up and initializes. This
mechanical noise and stuttering is not present under Windows XP.

But hey, It's 4-5 years old now and I have to live with that. (-:

How old is the house your live in?

Surely less then 4 years old or you would have torn it down by now
right?

I'm being a bit flip for a reason. Technology wise nothing much has
changed with printers for some time aside from them printing at higher
resolutions and printing faster. A "upgraded' driver should involve
nothing more than a few hooks to plug it into Vista. That isn't rocket
science.

I don't know about you, but I know few people that will gladly toss a
printer that's about 2 years old and working fine.

 

[mikeyhsd]

all you seem to do is whine.
you profess to be an experienced computer person.
yet all you want to do is whine whine whine.

now complaining about printers.
hell lexmark has never produced drives for the one I had during xp Pro x-64 bit testing. been 4 years.

lexmark says the printer is to old to support. its surely not microsoft's fault..

grow up, quit whining.
or whine to the proper people.



(e-mail address removed)@sport.rr.com

I have a Epson Photo 900. I use this to print directly on CD's and
DVD's. Just had a "web chat" with a Epson "service" guy and he tells
me it isn't fully supported in Vista because it comes with a "in-box"
driver, that of course doesn't work with Vista since the printer is a
couple years old. They do have a new driver and supposedly that's
included with the Vista DVD.

HOWEVER...

My experience is that's a crippled version and takes away some
features or makes them very clumsy to use. For example under XP there
was a control center on the task bar from which you could access all
your printer functions, like clean the nozzles, check toner level, set
preferences, text, photo printing options, adjustments, etc.. This of
course is a very common feature.

The arrogance of these companies! Now they say tough cookies, go and
do that from Control Center and several clicks down you'll find it.
Well to nobody's surprise not all work like they used to and this is a
royal pain in the butt instead of having the features right on the
task bar. Asked if they plan to upgrade this. They say no, buy a new
printer.
'm
I just about at the boiling point since "upgrading" to Vista.

My system has been DOWNGRADED in several ways. Some of the hardware
doesn't work as well, some software now acts up when it worked fine
under XP, Windows Vista itself doesn't help you, it mostly gets in
your way and is a annoyance. I am now totally disgusted. Vista isn't
worth the price of the packaging it comes in, which itself is a pain
in the ass to open.

Microsoft totally screwed up on this release and all they will succeed
at doing is pissing off a hell of a lot of customers. They have
succeeded with me in doing exactly that.

 

[Richard Urban]

My HP printer is supported because HP sent in "basic" rudimentary drivers
for inclusion with the operating system. They intend to do no more. If the
drivers weren't present I would buy a new printer.

You're just out of luck - or had none to begin with. (-:

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[BobS]

And how far back does an HP4 Laserjet and HP200 plotter go - early 90's and
Vista recognized both. I did have to go to the HP site and download a Vista
driver for the plotter......

Bob S.

 

[Richard Urban]

I also have an HP5L. I haven't even tried it yet as Vista isn't too great
with serial port devices. I may give it a whirl now.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

See this is the mentality that pisses people off.

The idea that they can charge you $400 for an OS, but claim no
responsibility for making it "play" with your system is ridiculous. A
computer is more than Windows, although I think Microsoft has forgotten that.
A computer is a collection of hardware and software that must all work
TOGETHER. The mentality you "butt-kissers" portray would indicate that MS
might as well not sell retail version of Vista, but include only in a new
system, 'cause you'll need all new hardware and software anyway! And
hardware vendors take advantage of this, because they know you'll have no
other choice, unless you can write your own drivers.

It is not entirely MS fault. But they are still at fault, too. Just wait a
few months, as more and more systems are delivered with Vista preinstalled...
and consumers start to realize just how many purchased programs are now
incompatible.

BTW, Richard, your statement about Ford and Firestone would be more accurate
if you brought the car in for on oil change and found out afterward that your
tires would no longer roll because they aren't compatible with your engine
upgrade! But hey, those tires were 1/2 worn anyway, right? ;-)

 

[Adam Albright]

And how far back does an HP4 Laserjet and HP200 plotter go - early 90's and
Vista recognized both. I did have to go to the HP site and download a Vista
driver for the plotter......

Why shouldn't Vista recognize millions of pieces of hardware still in
use?

A much better question would be how come Windows that's been around
for 20 years STILL has some of the orignal bugs and they haven't been
fixed yet?

 

[Adam Albright]

all you seem to do is whine.
you profess to be an experienced computer person.
yet all you want to do is whine whine whine.

I'm pointing out issues beta testers were too dumb to notice and
Microsoft was too lazy to fix. If you call that "whining", so be it.

 

[Adam Albright]

See this is the mentality that pisses people off.

The idea that they can charge you $400 for an OS, but claim no
responsibility for making it "play" with your system is ridiculous. A
computer is more than Windows, although I think Microsoft has forgotten that.
A computer is a collection of hardware and software that must all work
TOGETHER. The mentality you "butt-kissers" portray would indicate that MS
might as well not sell retail version of Vista, but include only in a new
system, 'cause you'll need all new hardware and software anyway! And
hardware vendors take advantage of this, because they know you'll have no
other choice, unless you can write your own drivers.

It is not entirely MS fault. But they are still at fault, too. Just wait a
few months, as more and more systems are delivered with Vista preinstalled...
and consumers start to realize just how many purchased programs are now
incompatible.

BTW, Richard, your statement about Ford and Firestone would be more accurate
if you brought the car in for on oil change and found out afterward that your
tires would no longer roll because they aren't compatible with your engine
upgrade! But hey, those tires were 1/2 worn anyway, right? ;-)