Adventures in IT #1: Printer Logic

So when you work for a computer consulting company, you get to deal with a lot of fascinating people. The stories of IT misadventures are near legendary. Although I haven't encountered anything even remotely close to the famous "Can't find the Any Key", I've had some mildly interesting tales to tell. This first one so much isn't funny Ha-Ha, more funny What-Are-You-Thinking-You-Illogical-Humanoid! When I first started, there was a printer on "The Bench", which is where there having me start out. Normally we don't repair printers, it's just not worth it, but this was one of those All-in-one fax/scanner/printers, so we accepted this challenge. This printer frequently jams, and the diagnosis was that it was either the rollers or the motor that needed to be replaced. Now the thing about printers is, there comes a point where the cost of the repair exceeds the cost of the printer. This was one of those times. The cost of new rollers for this outdated and unsupported printer would be about $125 (including labor). I called HP and for a few extra dollars, our customer could invest in a new all-in-one printer complete with warranty. Logic dictates you ditch the obsolete printer and spend the money on a newer model, especially if the repairs do not guarantee fixing the printer!

You know where I'm going with this.

On top of it all, it turns out this guy is the IT guy for a non-profit organization. He above all should know this printer isn't worth it, especially if he's on a tight non-profit budget. I have a creeping suspicion that he tried to fix it himself, failed, and secretly passed it on to us to save face.

Next Time: Shaking hands with a guy I think sells male enhancement...