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Monday November 13, 2006

For A Haporth Of Tar

If you don't want to read a grown man ranting, best to avert you eyes.

Now that I'm working from home, I can get various pieces of equipment to help me do my job. One such piece is an HP LaserJet 3050 combined printer, scanner, copier and fax machine.

In the Bay Area, Sun has set up a special iWork Central Provisioning Fund to charge expenses like this to. A few weeks ago, I ordered one.

About ten days ago, it arrived at my managers office, and I went into the Sun campus in ~~East Palo Alto~~ Menlo Park, and picked it up.

My manager had phoned me a day or two before this to tell me that it had arrived and to warn me that it probably didn't have a USB cable included with it. I pooh-poohed this, thinking what large computer equipment manufacturer would sell you a product and not include all the parts you'd need in order to get it to work.

He was right though. Smart man. There is everything in the box except the USB cable. Luckily I has a spare, so I didn't have to traipse off to Fry's or the local Radio Shack to get one.

But let's think about this. Why would you leave out the cable that you need in order to connect this up with your computer. My computer didn't come with spare USB cable, so they can't have been thinking that the user would have some that way. Is it the cost? I just checked on the Amazon website and the cable in question is just over five dollars. I bet if HP bought them in bulk, they'd get them for less than a couple of bucks. Maybe they could (or do already) make them for themselves...

So why didn't they include it? Why not go the extra distance and make the purchasers installation experience so much nicer?

Beats me. Perhaps somebody from HP is reading this and can throw some light on it, or at least put a fire under some HP vice-president, to get this problem fixed.

[Technorati Tag: HP]

[Technorati Tag: Printers]

( Nov 13 2006, 09:41:01 AM PST ) [Listen] Permalink Comments [15]

Comments:

Ok, I'm not _normally_ a conspiracy theorist: Basically I think that resellers pushed for this as it has a _very_ thick profit margin. Same story with video cameras not coming with Firewire cables. Worst Buy deserves special scorn for this in that they sell _only_ their re-branded cables at almost $50 (~$7 after S&H from monoprice.com). In the end, customers are ultimately to blame, blinded by low up-front prices instead of looking at TCO . Shame on _them_ but more-so shame on _us_ for thinking that retailers & business owners were looking out for us and not looking for the "catch."

Posted by Rob Caskey on November 13, 2006 at 10:34 AM PST #

Not just HP. For what I know, no printers manufacturer includes the USB cable.

Posted by Ghiorg on November 13, 2006 at 11:22 AM PST #

I don't know about HP, but Dell sells USB cables for $25. Their printers ship without one.

Posted by 129.176.151.7 on November 13, 2006 at 11:25 AM PST #

$2? Think more like 60¢, max. Here in the UK, a (small) computer shop I used to work for paid about 40p for them. And no, no printer manufacturer supplies them, and yes, that IS probably all about massive profit margins - you add a cable for £10 and you've just doubled your profit on the sale of the printer. Oh, and the blog's comment authentication shouldn't depend on javascript :-p

Posted by Fred on November 13, 2006 at 05:31 PM PST #

Thanks everyone. Personally I think it sucks, but it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon. (that includes the need for JavaScript ;-) )

Posted by Rich Burridge on November 13, 2006 at 05:43 PM PST #

this is most certainly a measure to please the shops selling the printers - most sell usb cables at a ridiculous overcharge (as has been written, they cost less than 1 $/€ if you know where to look, and most shops sell them for 10 bucks or more). the thinking goes "if we include the cable and thusly rob the shop of the 9 bucks of profit, they'll try to sell more *brandthatdoesntincludecable* of course it also helps the manufacturer - even 30 cent is money if you multiply by the hundred thousand - and as long as every printer manufacturer on earth doesn't include the cable, it has no real negative impact

Posted by sdf on November 13, 2006 at 06:28 PM PST #

Does your 3050 have the optional JetDirect Ethernet port? If so I bet they expect you to use network. I completely agree that its silly not to include a full set of cables, though. Seems like many devices fail to include all of the cables. For example, I've noticed that DV cameras with USB and Firewire never include both cables.

Posted by David L Norris on November 13, 2006 at 10:06 PM PST #

It really is a matter of cost... Also, most people are not buying their first printer, so maybe manufacturers assume that you have a USB cable already. I have a big box of old parallel port cables... :-)

Posted by Jeremy on November 13, 2006 at 10:28 PM PST #

The cable is the profit margin (same with cell phone charges etc.). They cost about 30 cents in bulk, and get sold for up to 30 dollars. I think it just irritates the customers, and it affects the image of HP and the likes in the long run.

Posted by Lode on November 14, 2006 at 12:36 AM PST #

HP may have an (expensive) option to buy a cable with the printer? Dell do this at least, charging €18 for a cable here in Ireland. I instead bought a canon printer (that included the cable) for a friend's new Dell PC just on principle.

Posted by Pádraig Brady on November 14, 2006 at 02:17 AM PST #

The primary reason they don't come with the machines anymore is because the retailers want the pure profit margin on the cable (which is extremely large, almost as much as ink) all to themselves. I could probably find out the direct cost my company pays for the cable and I'n sure its less than $2

Posted by Chris on November 14, 2006 at 07:11 AM PST #

To: David L. Norris: no optional ethernet port.
To: everyone: I understand the <strike>greed</strike> need to make a profit but it really does affect the smart customers attitude. Like Pádraig, if I was buying a printer for myself, I'd be factoring in whether they supply all the parts in a single package. Sun's paying for it, so I have to live with what they provide me. Maybe somebody in our purchasing department should investigate alternate solutions...

Posted by 24.6.152.125 on November 14, 2006 at 08:09 AM PST #

One could make an argument that is so the customer can choose the length of the cable they need, instead of getting one that is to short or to long. While that may be a part of it the real reson is reseller pressure. I worked at CompUSA many years ago, none of the printers used to come with USB cables. At one point some of Epson's multifunctions started including them, until they got too much pressure from the retailers to take it out(according to the Epson Rep). I can certainly understand this because many printers the cost is only $10 less than the retail price, but the cables have a cost of about $3, and retail for $20-$25, sadly the retail stores (or atleast CompUSA) makes more money off selling you the cable then they do the printer themselves.

Posted by CJ on November 14, 2006 at 06:55 PM PST #

it sucks. I just bought HP laserjet 1020, came home, and was surprise - where the hell is USB cable? So, I have to find tommorow some computer shop ner my office and buy one... But, it's just capitalism - they are trying to get more money from you. HOnestly, I was really pissed off when I realised that I have to go to stupid shop again.. Bastards!

Posted by Branislav Zvarik on December 03, 2006 at 04:06 PM PST #

Not just HP. For what I know, no printers manufacturer includes the USB cable.

Posted by Ghiorg on February 01, 2007 at 03:11 PM PST #