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Dan Fixes Coin-Ops's posts Post Back to profile
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Security Writer :verified: :donor:

@ifixcoinops This is incredibly accurate. I recently replaced my previous laser printer with a brand new Brother duplex MFD. Kyocera would be my second pick.

I did so precisely because it’s old fashioned. Any ‘smart’ features utilise ancient protocols so won’t get in the way.

It sits on the network, it prints. It looks like it was designed in 1994 (which to be fair, it probably was, and I’m cool with that).

And guess what? It works. No subscriptions or barcodes or apps that are no longer available on the store, no obscure print protocol that Google will drop in a couple of months time, no HP buyout that will delete the drivers from existence (stores on device), no ‘use by’ date on my toner…

I require zero innovation in this department if ‘innovation’ is what we’re getting with other manufacturers.

I would sooner design a secure print protocol middleware than embrace the current shower of offerings. Plus, my personal computers are Macs, so I don’t have to deal with any Windows printing BS, it just works.

27 Nov 2023 at 7:45 | Wall-to-wall | Open on infosec.exchange
6 comments
Wortex17

@SecurityWriter @ifixcoinops Was about to ask about opinions about Kyocera, always eyed that one (but didn't have enough space in the home office)

27 Nov 2023 at 7:54 | Open on mastodon.gamedev.place
Security Writer :verified: :donor:

@Wortex17 @ifixcoinops I’ve found them to be good, but the lower end ones have limited configurability and the web interfaces are lacking. The mid range ones are much better.

27 Nov 2023 at 8:06 | Open on infosec.exchange
Observer

@Wortex17 @SecurityWriter @ifixcoinops Kyocera machines are generally good, but do tend to have issues with aftermarket toners. Not (usually) because of any chip/drm shenanigans, but because Kyocera uses a much finer particle size for their toner that aftermarket companies just aren't great at duplicating consistently.

Source: am a printer tech for 10 years with a boss who insists the $7 cartridges (that we charge $100 for) "work just fine" when I'm visiting those machines monthly, while the ones running OEM haven't been touched in years.

But yeah, especially for home use, most Brothers "just work" for years and years

@Wortex17 @SecurityWriter @ifixcoinops Kyocera machines are generally good, but do tend to have issues with aftermarket toners. Not (usually) because of any chip/drm shenanigans, but because Kyocera uses a much finer particle size for their toner that aftermarket companies just aren't great at duplicating consistently.

27 Nov 2023 at 15:05 | Open on hackers.town
Security Writer :verified: :donor:

@observer @Wortex17 @ifixcoinops oh definitely, I never buy anything but OEM anyway, learned the hard way that the little extra QC they do goes a long way not not having problems.

Good to hear from a printer tech that it’s not all in my head, too. You have greater patience than I dealing with those things every day when clients insist on cutting corners.

Edit: as a print tech, who’s your go-to OEM? Mine used to be Sharp until they got ‘smart’. So Brother it is.

27 Nov 2023 at 17:20 | Open on infosec.exchange
Observer

@SecurityWriter @Wortex17 @ifixcoinops I'm at the whim of the bosses as far as what brand, but I mostly deal with Kyocera and Sharp these days, and yeah, 3 iterations ago were probably the best machines Sharp would ever make and it's been a steep downhill since. With a few exceptions, I've been pretty impressed with Kyocera though. Easy to work on and pretty solid. Haven't seen too many of the newer Brother machines though, mostly because the old ones are still out there chugging away. Brother's "Authorized service provider" setup is a bit of a joke though. $80 in "credit" to the shop for half a day's labor doing a warranty board swap

@SecurityWriter @Wortex17 @ifixcoinops I'm at the whim of the bosses as far as what brand, but I mostly deal with Kyocera and Sharp these days, and yeah, 3 iterations ago were probably the best machines Sharp would ever make and it's been a steep downhill since. With a few exceptions, I've been pretty impressed with Kyocera though. Easy to work on and pretty solid. Haven't seen too many of the newer Brother machines though, mostly because the old ones are still out there chugging away. Brother's...

27 Nov 2023 at 18:11 | Open on hackers.town
xethos

@SecurityWriter @ifixcoinops God I love the features using ancient protocols. They're well understood, unlikely to change, and supported on all the devices I want them supported on.

The immediate example I have is using my Brother printer to auto-upload scans to a local FTP server, which just leads to my NAS drive.

Meaning my gf or I scan anything, and it's available on any device we pick up, immediately.

I would honestly just go on and on about my Brother printer, but I'm out of characters.

27 Nov 2023 at 16:08 | Open on mastodon.xethos.net
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