<p><strong>Welcome to The Gadget Professor Show #778 hosted by Don Baine.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://thegadgetprofessor.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/02/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-19-2026-09_43_17-PM-540x360.png" alt="" width="540" height="360" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-3927" srcset="https://thegadgetprofessor.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/02/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-19-2026-09_43_17-PM-540x360.png 540w, https://thegadgetprofessor.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/02/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-19-2026-09_43_17-PM-300x200.png 300w, https://thegadgetprofessor.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/02/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-19-2026-09_43_17-PM-768x512.png 768w, https://thegadgetprofessor.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/02/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-19-2026-09_43_17-PM.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /><br /> <strong><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f399.png" alt="🎙" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> This Week on The Gadget Professor Show</strong></p> <p>This week, I’m doing something a little different.</p> <p>Instead of reviewing the latest cutting-edge gadget, I’m talking about something we all rely on… printers — and why I made the decision to remove four HP printers from my studio and home office.</p> <p>After years of mechanical issues, frustrating customer service experiences, and being transferred endlessly on support calls, I finally hit a breaking point. My printers refused to print, claiming I did not have “valid HP ink” — even though I was enrolled in the Instant Ink program and using genuine cartridges sent directly from HP.</p> <p>When I cancelled the subscription, the printers blocked the cartridges entirely.</p> <p>That was it.</p> <p>In this episode, I’ll break down:</p> <p>What actually happened</p> <p>How subscription-based ink programs really work</p> <p>Why your printer may not truly belong to you</p> <p>And the financial reality of cartridge printing vs tank systems</p> <p>I replaced all four units with the Epson EcoTank ET-2988 — and the cost comparison may surprise you.</p> <p>This isn’t about brand bashing. It’s about consumer ownership, control, and understanding the long-term cost of the devices we bring into our homes and businesses.</p> <p>If you’ve ever been frustrated by printer subscriptions, firmware lockouts, or rising ink costs, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.</p> <p>Let’s get started.</p> <p>— Don Baine<br /> The Gadget Professor</p> <p>Visit The Gadget Professor on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheGadgetProfessor">www.facebook.com/gadgetprofessor</a> &#8211; check it out and LIKE him!</p> <p><strong>Follow me on Instagram: @TheGadgetProfessor</p> <p>The post <a href="https://thegadgetprofessor.com/2026/02/19/hp-blocked-my-ink-so-i-replaced-all-4-printers-tgp778/">HP Blocked My Ink… So I Replaced All 4 Printers TGP#778</a> appeared first on <a href="https://thegadgetprofessor.com">Gadget Professor</a>.</p>