Printers are the text book examples of why device manufacturing shouldn’t be left to big companies. You have tracking dots, spyware infestation, subscription for ink/toners, reporting of the cartridge as empty when you still have much left in it, refusal to print when unused color cartridges are empty, intentional bricking if 3rd party cartridges or ink is used, and utterly crappy firmware in general.
Inkjets require precision manufacturing. But assembling it or other types from components should be possible - like how desktops, mechanical keyboards, etc can be. We really need to ditch filthy mass market printers because DIY printers will be much better than anything they offer.
I do think it shoukd be left up to (potentially big) companies; however, we should put restrictions on e.g. ink cartrige compatibility, just like what the EU is trying for smartphones and messagin right now.
It was requested by the secret service as a countermeasure for counterfitting. More frequently it’s been used to “catch other criminals”, at least that’s what they say.
The problem with printers is that no one actually cares. There are plenty of DIY 3D printers, which are arguably even harder to make, but there’s a huge community behind. Regular printers - no one cares.
It’s actually easier with 3D printers in some ways.
3D printers:
Only one extruder needed
Parts are easy to source (basic aluminum extrusions, stepper motors, wires)
There software is easy to find online and install
The accuracy needed is pretty lax
2D printers
Can get away with 1 color, but 4 if you need full color which gets complicated fast. Granted 3D printers aren’t much better on this front
The parts are not easy to source. They’re often proprietary and therefore expensive
Good luck finding software for it
The accuracy needed for printing is far higher than 3D printing
There are open source 3D printers, and quite a few of them. To my knowledge, there are no 2D printers that are open source. At best you can find instructions on how to hack proprietary ones.
Printers are the text book examples of why device manufacturing shouldn’t be left to big companies. You have tracking dots, spyware infestation, subscription for ink/toners, reporting of the cartridge as empty when you still have much left in it, refusal to print when unused color cartridges are empty, intentional bricking if 3rd party cartridges or ink is used, and utterly crappy firmware in general.
Inkjets require precision manufacturing. But assembling it or other types from components should be possible - like how desktops, mechanical keyboards, etc can be. We really need to ditch filthy mass market printers because DIY printers will be much better than anything they offer.
I’m pretty sure this measure was requested either by the government or some big three letter agency.
I doubt that, if all printers were manufactured by a government monopoly, you wouldn’t have this shit baked in. It would probably be way worse
I’m not at all asking for a government monopoly on making printers, if that wasn’t clear.
Open source printers
Use the 3D printer to make the 2D printer. Finally, we are moving in the right direction.
You can tape a pen to your 3d printer to use it as a plotter.
Honestly, yes. I love open source hardware
I do think it shoukd be left up to (potentially big) companies; however, we should put restrictions on e.g. ink cartrige compatibility, just like what the EU is trying for smartphones and messagin right now.
It was requested by the secret service as a countermeasure for counterfitting. More frequently it’s been used to “catch other criminals”, at least that’s what they say.
Germans are used to this already. It’s called “Salamitaktik” (pushed piece a piece).
I see. Sort of like what the Republicans/fascists are doing with, well, everything.
It helps catch morons copying classified materials.
The problem with printers is that no one actually cares. There are plenty of DIY 3D printers, which are arguably even harder to make, but there’s a huge community behind. Regular printers - no one cares.
It’s actually easier with 3D printers in some ways.
3D printers:
2D printers
There are open source 3D printers, and quite a few of them. To my knowledge, there are no 2D printers that are open source. At best you can find instructions on how to hack proprietary ones.
I want a full color 3d printer.