Firmware update bricks HP printers, makes them unable to use HP cartridges

Update strategies and growing distrust

• Many commenters now view firmware updates as inherently risky or hostile, except for clear, critical security fixes.
• Common strategies:
  • Never update printers/IoT if they work; block internet access at router or VLAN level.
  • Update browsers/OS/servers quickly, but delay or avoid firmware and non‑essential apps.
  • Use “jail LANs” or parental controls to let devices talk only on the local network.
• Several people describe past firmware updates (printers, routers, baby monitors, motherboards) that removed functionality or outright broke devices, reinforcing their avoidance.

Printers, DRM, and vendor comparisons

• HP is widely condemned as the worst offender: bloated drivers, expensive consumables, DRM, and now firmware that can disable printing or refuse cartridges (even HP’s own).
• Brother and Epson are frequently suggested as “less bad” alternatives:
  • Brother B&W lasers praised for reliability and cheap toner, but there is concern about newer chipped cartridges and disputed reports of firmware blocking third‑party supplies.
  • Epson EcoTank praised for very low ink cost and long life, but people refuse firmware updates out of fear of future lock‑ins.
• Frustration that all major vendors push non‑replaceable waste ink pads, color-cartridge dependencies, and constantly-changing cartridge SKUs.

Broader hostility to firmware/software updates

• Many see a wider pattern: updates as a way to remove features, push accounts/cloud, inject telemetry/ads, or nudge hardware upgrades.
• Some maintain older “archival” PCs with frozen software and no internet for stable, reproducible environments.
• There’s skepticism about vague release notes (“stability improvements”, “runs smoothly”) and “critical security updates” being used as a cover for anti‑user changes.

Apple/phone slowdown and planned obsolescence

• Large sub-thread on iPhone performance throttling:
  • Some claim Apple “made phones unusable” to force upgrades; others demand evidence and call that hyperbolic.
  • Multiple commenters note Apple admitted to battery-related throttling, argue the technical rationale (avoiding brownouts and shutdowns) is sound but communication was disastrous.
  • Debate over whether users should have had an explicit opt‑in/setting, and whether newer OS versions are intentionally too heavy for older hardware.
• Parallel anecdotes about aging Android devices, Nexus tablets, and non‑replaceable batteries feeding perceptions of planned obsolescence.

Security vs connectivity and complexity

• Strong theme: if a device doesn’t need internet, it shouldn’t have it. Printers, TVs, appliances, vacuums, etc. are often blocked from the WAN entirely.
• Some argue that if products require post‑sale updates to be “finished,” they’re too complex; others counter that adding new features post‑launch can still be legitimate.
• Concern that malicious/hostile updates damage overall trust in patching, which harms security more broadly.

Legal, market, and open-source angles

• Calls for class actions and even criminal prosecution under computer misuse laws for vendor firmware that damages devices customers own.
• Recognition that HP’s razor‑and‑blades model persists because consumers keep buying cheap printers despite long‑term ink costs.
• Interest in:
  • Open‑source firmware or replacement mainboards for existing printers.
  • Choosing hardware where users control software (Linux, LineageOS, devices with unlocked bootloaders)—though commenters note these options are shrinking.
• Some speculate LLM-based shopping assistants might eventually punish brands like HP (unless ad/placement money biases them).

“Bricked” terminology

• Debate over whether these HP printers are truly “bricked”:
  • Some argue “bricked” should mean permanently inoperable, not fixable even by another firmware.
  • Others note popular usage has drifted toward “temporarily inoperable” or simply “too broken for the average user to recover.”