The Printer Thread

[Mark W]

And yeah, printing is shit. I don't understand why people still do it anyway.

Sort of handy for picking orders. Sort of handy for sending people invoices. You know, just those 'running a business' sort of things. Also useful for showing photos and things like that to elderly relatives and the like.

People really still use fax?

Quite a lot of the companies we deal with ranging from finance-related companies and some big-time clothing companies all request that we do business with them through fax.

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

Just 2 or 3 weeks ago I got them to e-mail my prescription after I'd lost it just after my sight test.

I stand corrected.

[JD™]

I stand corrected.

Didn't mean to make it as 'matter of fact as that' though, sorry about that!

Ultimately it's been covered - Businesses still use these processes for one reason: It's all about the lowest common denominator. If, as a business, you have the choice between setting up everything electronically (and thus having to assume the people you do business with are set up in the same way) or doing business in a way which you know will be understood by the receiver then you're obviously going to choose the way you know will work.

As soon as every business knows that every other business has a system in place for PDF orders, invoices and the like then maybe printers wont be needed so much. But for now they are.

[Mark W]

We'd still be raped without printers/print-outs, and every other mail-order shop (not just bike-related) I've used would be raped too. My uni would've been f**ked too, as would every school I've been to.

[Bronz]

Let's not also forget that the print medium is far easier and more comfortable to read/consume than it is on-screen.

Also, annotations can't be made on screen with any real ease.

And things like vouchers/tickets need to be printed. i.e. one voucher per person type deals—they need a tangible thing to put against a person.

I can also see the benefit in faxing. Imagine emailing an order or something to a company who would then have to print out the email and take it to the shop-floor to find the corresponding items (to use one of many many examples). Why not just fax it? Then it's already in print form…

People will always need printers, I personally haven't needed one for years now, but such is the nature of my daily life that I just don't have anything worth printing :/

Edited October 6, 2010 by Bronz

[Max Quinn]

This thread just goes to show how much of a dick that kid acts on the internet.

[Muel]

Buy Cheap, Buy Twice.

Or not. I'd rather have one good printers than two shit ones.

In 2000/2001 we bought our current printer, it rarely jams and everything comes out straight on the page and looking pretty. It's an HP Deskjet 940C, and you can still get cartridges for it!

It was pretty mid-range back then I think, you could get printers for £75 and it was £140, but it's been a good buy and still works with W7. The only downside is it's white and looks f**king ugly.

Should have taken it with me when I moved out really, my family have no use for it.

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

HP Deskjet 940C

Represent! My 940C is still going strong too. I really don't get on with the 5740 I 'replaced' it with and would much rather use the old beast.

[Skoze]

I just don't understand it. It's the oldest method of doing anything..

How is that anything to do with my ego?

It's old and it works, your view of everything needing to be top-of-the-range technology when it's not even needed (and anything else being shit) is just pretty immature, really.

Matt62's got it really, there's a lot to be said for being able to hold something in your hand.

[bikeperson45]

Matt62's got it really, there's a lot to be said for being able to hold something in your hand.

I think that when I see things on the internet. Naughty things.

[Token]

WHERE'S MY SAUSAGE SANDWICH?