Suffolk Punch wrote:
> Hello all & Microsoft,
>
> I have been trying to download a driver for the HP Photosmart 1115. HP say:
>
> We are sorry to inform you that there will be no Windows Vista printer
> driver available for your HP product. Therefore your product will not work
> with Windows Vista.
> If you are using the Windows Vista operating system on your computer, please
> consider upgrading to a newer HP product that is supported on Windows Vista.
> HP has numerous products on the market that support Windows Vista:
> http://www.hp.com/united-states/tradein/home_flash.html
>
> This is outrageous, I am going to have to junk my perfectly good printer.
> Can some pressure be applied to HP...its only writing a printer driver !
>
> Alex
If it's 'only writing a printer driver' then I'm sure you can do one
yourself!
HP launched that printer in 2001:
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/pr...1/011001b.html
Therefore that printer model is over 5 years old.
First, have a think about what goes into developing drivers. Whilst you
may 'only' spend 4 weeks writing the code for the drivers, you then need
to fully test it. This may itself take a month or so to get completed
(don't forget you need to schedule time in the test lab, get the
equipment etc). Now test it on 64bit Vista, thus doubling the testing.
So, a rather conservative estimate is maybe 3 man months to develop a
printer driver for a class of product.
Now count the number of products HP has produced since 2000 and multiply
that with 3 man months per product.
Then weigh up the fact that, whilst you're spending all this time
writing drivers, your developers are unable to be working on drivers for
next month's new products. Add in the fact that you'll have to support
those drivers for the next X years (MS provide 10 years of support for
each OS delivery).
And finally, you're aware that those products are old, and you're aware
that by not developing Vista drivers, you may be able to encourage some
people to purchase new printers etc.
All in all, this seems to suggest that you're spending quite a
significant amount of money to support reasonably old products (in
computing 5 years is quite a while) and whilst doing so, reducing the
market for new products.
Had the product been released in 2005, then it would be more of a
problem. Don't forget - this particular printer was released prior to
Windows XP!
And finally - HP are not forcing you to dump your printer. They have
provided support up to and including XP. No one is forcing you to use
Vista, if you don't want to spend £100 on a new printer, then don't
spend £200 on Vista.
Oh, and really, I do mean finally! You may find that the XP drivers
will work in Vista. *May* being the important point! I'm running the
XP drivers for my HP LasjerJet 1200 as the MS drivers for this printer
were generic and not very good (read, impossible to print more than 1
copy of a document, even if you selected multiple copies in the print
options). Going to the XP drivers, everything worked fine. I've not
checked in the last few weeks to see if HP have released new Vista
drivers for it.
Hope that helps,
David
Linear Mode
