Welcome to The Gadget Professor Show #778 hosted by Don Baine.

This week, I’m doing something a little different.

Instead of reviewing the latest cutting-edge gadget, I’m talking about something we all rely on… printers — and why I made the decision to remove four HP printers from my studio and home office.

After years of mechanical issues, frustrating customer service experiences, and being transferred endlessly on support calls, I finally hit a breaking point. My printers refused to print, claiming I did not have “valid HP ink” — even though I was enrolled in the Instant Ink program and using genuine cartridges sent directly from HP.

When I cancelled the subscription, the printers blocked the cartridges entirely.

That was it.

In this episode, I’ll break down:

What actually happened

How subscription-based ink programs really work

Why your printer may not truly belong to you

And the financial reality of cartridge printing vs tank systems

I replaced all four units with the Epson EcoTank ET-2988 — and the cost comparison may surprise you.

This isn’t about brand bashing. It’s about consumer ownership, control, and understanding the long-term cost of the devices we bring into our homes and businesses.

If you’ve ever been frustrated by printer subscriptions, firmware lockouts, or rising ink costs, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Let’s get started.

— Don Baine

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