According to a report from DruckerChannel, HP was eventually forced to stop production of its cheaper e-series LaserJet printers due to issues customers were having with their online-only subscription that was still tied to HP+. Among other things, HP+ requires a constant internet connection and customers only use original HP ink and toner, which makes it impossible to use third-party alternatives. HP+ does have its perks, including cloud printing and an extra year of warranty, but the requirement to have access to a cheaper printer online has left a sour taste in many consumers’ mouths.
In any case, it is important to clarify that the discontinuation of HP printers will only impact HP LaserJet printers whose model name includes an “e” to indicate the alternative business model. Thus, the HP LaserJet M110w is not affected by this measure, but the HP LaserJet M110we and M209dwe, two cheaper alternatives that are still online, will no longer be produced or sold by HP.
Another crucial point to clarify is that existing HP LaserJet e-series printer models will still work exactly as they did when you bought them. There are no software updates planned to unlock the true potential of the hardware, so existing customers will have to live with it and use HP+ until they can fully replace their printers. At least they will still get the HP+ benefits, but after such a backlash, it would be nice if HP acknowledged its mistake enough to remove some of the restrictions it imposed on e-series printer users.
Speaking to DruckerChannel, an HP representative said the following (translated from German) about the discontinuation of these printers.
“Since the launch of HP+, our smart, connected printing system has been embraced by customers who value the convenience, extended warranty and solutions,” said the HP representative. “We know that some customers in IT-managed office environments are unable to meet the cloud connectivity requirements for HP+. To provide our customers with an exceptional printing experience across all office environments, we will no longer offer LaserJet series products with HP+. We plan to extend proven solutions such as Print from Anywhere and Smart Security to select new HP LaserJet devices. HP+ customers who are satisfied (…) do not need to make any adjustments.”
The HP representative also revealed that “HP will discontinue the Instant Ink toner subscription service later this year. The service will no longer be available to new customers. This will not affect current Instant Ink toner subscribers, only those new to the service.”
The reasons for Instant Ink’s discontinuation are less clear, as it was an optional subscription. DruckerChannel speculates that it may have been confused with HP+, and some customers may even have thought it required HP+. So HP chose to discontinue the service to make things easier for end users. This move, at least, feels like a slight overcorrection.
