HP Smart app mysteriously appears on non-HP Windows PCs | Microsoft is investigating

GiddyGap , 8 months ago

Just bought a new Lenovo PC. And sure enough, there’s the HP Smart app.

TwoBeeSan , 8 months ago

Hp and Microsoft are two sides of the same shit coin.

Do a lot of tech support for older retired professionals. I believe 90% of hps business are these people. They used their products when they were working and believe they are still a reliable product.

Between the ink subscriptions and the absolute nightmare of that fucking app have had 7 hp printers stop working since January exclusively because of software.

There was an article on here a while ago showing the sticker that hp put over the usb port in an effort to get you to register the product and use their app. It’s literally a sticker covering the port direct from the manufacturer. Saw one in real life last month and was still dumbfounded.

Everyone wants you on the subscription tit it seems.

Noerttipertti , 8 months ago

And they can’t even dig that tit from their shirt properly. They can deliver managed enterprise printers quickly, but getting necessary onboarding info requires kidnapping a product manager and removing few fingers…

Sir_Kevin , 8 months ago

Was HP ever a reliable product?

RubberElectrons , 8 months ago

I was and still more or less am a fan of HP for their business-class products. I’ve strayed away for my current gen of personal machines only because of budget, but their tablet PCs were absolutely awesome with Linux.

I got into an accident with my bicycle, the tablet chipped a corner of its magnesium case, but the screen and internals were a-ok even though I broke my shoulder.

helenslunch , 8 months ago

They used their products when they were working and believe they are still a reliable product.

There are almost no products that stay good forever. They make great products for a while, develop a stellar reputation, get bought out by a greedy corporation, then the new owner exploits that reputation for short term profits.

phoneymouse , 8 months ago (edited 8 months ago)

My partner bought an HP printer/scanner once. I was setting it up and the thing required me to accept data sharing with Google and Facebook. Sorry, no you may not share the things I print with Google and Facebook. What the fuck. This is a printer I paid for, not a god damn website. I returned it the next day and bought the dumbest laser jet printer I could find. It’s been 3 years and hasn’t run out of ink yet. No need for a damn ink subscription either.

lemann , 8 months ago

Anddd this is why I run LTSC on my gaming desktop, with automatic driver installation OFF 👍 and Linux on my laptop + everything else that doesn’t have peripherals that only work fully under Windows.

I went to my Makerspace a few days ago to print something (both of mine are dead) and they only have HP printers… which weren’t working. The HP Smart app would freeze on the logo. Eventually got it sorted, but I’ve never had that issue when at my parents, or at my partners parents who both have Brother laser printers

Appoxo , 8 months ago

Just don’t buy the loss printers and buy proper office/business class printers.
Not that hard.
Our main printer at work is HP and has no HP apps (besides the driver) associated on our workstations to print on the bloddy thing.

DudeDudenson , 8 months ago

Surprised they don’t force upon business some shitty cloud service to use their enterprise printers

JJROKCZ , 8 months ago

We wouldn’t buy them if so. There are plenty of other enterprise printer suppliers (using Konica currently but not loving it) that we IT departments would contract instead. I probably won’t look at Konica for my next contract but it definitely won’t be HP.

DudeDudenson , 8 months ago

Ah but if Samsung adds the notch then everyone gets the notch.

Just saying if there’s money to be made they’ll stop at nothing

Appoxo , 8 months ago

It’s an older model so my information may be outdated in regards to current models.
We sell brother to our customers but no printer is every your friend anyway.

Sir_Kevin , 8 months ago

Same! 99% of the problems people have with Windows goes away when you use the no-bullshit enterprise edition and disable automatic updates.

Also +1 for Brother

aeronmelon , 8 months ago

‘Microsoft, the company that allowed the app to bypass its gatekeepers, was surprised by getting caught in the act and now promises to come up with an excuse that shifts the blame away from them as soon as possible.’

Gazumi , 8 months ago

“How the Dickens did that get in there?” said an unnamed spokesperson for Microsoft