Officejet 8500 won't print Black ink only if other colors are out

  I confirmed with HP's customer support that there is no way to print black
ink only with this printer if other colors
  are out.  Does anyone else feel that this is absolutely rediculous?  If I
have an urgent printing need and I'm out of
  color, it seems that the printer should allow me to print in black only.
This seems to be a way for HP to sell more
  color ink.  ARGH!

  HP and Corporate Plunder

  Now I'm sitting here the day before Xmas, needing to print a black
document, and the printer won't print because the
  color cartridge (which is FULL of ink) is expired.

  You money-grubbing S.O.B.s aren't going to get any more of my $ than I can
possibly avoid, ever again--

Lexmark is just as bad.
I got sick of having my HP color-cartridges dry up on me from lack of
use that I finally bought a rather inexpensive Lexmark Color Laser.
Works good, never dries  up.  But the Lexmark color toner cartridges are
really $$pricey.  I bought a big bottle of black toner for a few bucks
and refilled it myself.  It still tells me that I am out of toner but by
pushing enough buttons I can get to to work.  I've been told that it
will soon lock up on me, in spite of having about a pint of toner in the
cartridge.  Some hackers do sell new chips for the toner cartridge  for
about #10.  I might have to go that route.

Robin F Berglund


My HP 8500 died yesterday. While printing some documents, The computer
started to "chime" , like a piece of equipment was plugged in, and then un
plugged. Printjob finished, but (HP) control panel was blank and
unresponsive. Power lite is lit, so unplugged power, then replugged, ditto
w/ computer cable. Seems like it would still copy without computer
connection, but won't do that either.
Herb Karkheck


Canon Pixma is the same .... if it deems any of the 6 ink cartridges
is empty it stops and insists on a rplacement.

You have to understand the business model ..... they could give the
printers away, they make all their money on replacement ink and toner!

sdorr