I can address the Printer issue, or at least think I can. The Epson used to have a routine where the printer heads tested themselves, determined ink tank content volume and also runs a diagnotics on itself. This one annoying set of (ahem) features. The really sad part is it will do it every time you start the printer. What they also do is discharge a miniscule amout of ink (where it goes I havn't a clue) to clear the ink jets (and waste ink faster). They started all that crap after the last good printer they made, the Stylus Color.
Also I echo your problems with HP. I'll share a horror story with you from Personal Experience. I purchased a brand new ZV5037wm Notebook PC. The (wm) on the end stands for WalMart, so now whenever you see that tacked onto the end you'll know. I took it home and it was absolutely beautiful to behold. The wide Screen Format for laptops is breath taking. I soon after started noticing some over bright pixels along the bottom edge of the LCD. I worried a bit and went to HPs' website and they have a FAQ as to LCD Defects and definitions of such and it leads you to the conclusion that some minor defects are to be expected, due to the nature of LCD manufacture. I am a technician so this is understandable. I do not like it but I could live with it. Well, as you are probably guessing the Defects started getting ALOT worse, until the bottom edge of my screen was pretty much useless, to the thickness of the Windows Taskbar. Now I am pretty upset by this time, and am going through the HP Support site and call in to attempt to get the Machine repaired. I have to say that due to starting a new job and going through training, and some family issues being resolved , I was getting pretty close to the end of my warranty. Mind you I was not out of warranty by more than a month and a half, and knowing this I was devoting alot of time to getting it solved quickly.So there I am with a bad screen, and the Notebook Power Assembly Jack decided to pack it in. So now I couldn't recharge the battery, without holding the cord in many precarious position. So I contach HP once again and gain an additional ticket number for this issue. HP now tells me that they are going to send FEDEX, to my door to pick up the Notebook for repair, and that this is a bonafide warranty issue as well as the screen issue. WOW! I am impressed with this Service. Door to Door service, with insured shipping. Fabulous, I think. Three days later I am about to get a RUDE Awakening. I receive an email stating none of my repairs are to be warrantied, and my bill to get my laptop back is going to be $650 US. I spend a nerve wracking week, fighting my way through the HP Tech Supports' different levels, and searching the Web for ways to contact someone, in the USA about the specific damage to my machine that is the reason for the unwarrantied repair bill. I eventually find out that a Liquid has been poured on my Mainboard (Motherboard) and that is the reason for the charges (supposedly.) Now here is a fact. My machine has left my desktop a total of 4 times, honestly. Each time I have removed it, it goes into a hardshelled case and travels, in my vehicle in a cusioned back seat, never a floorboard. To note also it has a special Desk I built for it, that is on rollers with a riser, that the Notebook sits on and a keyboard and trackball set under the Notebook. See? no way for any liquids to get near it, as the Desk is too smal to set drinks on and function. I built it this way on purpose. I spent around $1500 for this laptop and was determined to take care of it, properly. I will admit I have several desktop machines, and abuse them somewhat unmercifully. Well, to the extent that I do not care that the covers are on, and will throw parts in and out of them depending on my needs. But they are cared for and cleaned out and maintained regularly. The Notebook is my Baby though, and it gets special treatment. Anyhow, back to the saga. I am promsed by HP that I will be contacted by the Technicians, then QA Quality Assurance, I am hung up on three different times, by (supposedl) Floor Managers. Like I said before, I am a Technician and am now doing Call center Support (again.) I know the routines to walk through the layers of a Call center. I do some web searching and find out that this @650 dollar MOBO thing is a scam, reported by many people on many websites, and I am the latest participant. I then get contacted by HPs QA Rep. He tries every trick in the book to get me to admit I have neglected my Notebook, damaged it or also that it might have been damaged by a spill with out me even knowing about it. I stick to my resolve and my story arguing all the way, and tell them to just fix the screen then and send the laptop back to me. I am a Technician and will ebay me a MOBO and fix the rest myself. Suddenly!!! I am going down a different track! Well HP will eat the charges for the repair, and they are so sorry about the confusion, and my laptop will be authorized for return at no cost, to me personally. YUP, I said FREE!!! Also I have an additional 90 day warranty on the replaced screen and MOBO. Suspicious??? I now am. I will never buy another HP again. I only bought this one because they bought out Compaq, and I have several Compaq machines that are TANKS, and refuse to stop functioning properly. I was going to buy a DELL, but at the time the feature list on this one had DELL Beat by a mile, in costs and choice.
