Over the weekend, I saw a story at Tom’s Hardware that reported MS is phasing out V3 and V4 printer drivers. “Hmmm,” I thought, “I bet this means my 2009 vintage monochrome laser printer is included.” Copilot confirmed that it’s time to say so long, Samsung ML-2850. It runs V3 printer drivers and MS is halting support for same, like now.
Succession Plans After So Long, Samsung ML-2850
The printer still works fine. And it still works — for the time being, at least — with Windows 11. But it’s just a matter of time before it won’t work any more. That might hit as early as whenever 26H2 hits public release. Or it might last as long as 27H2. But its days are now officially numbered.
Here’s my plan: I’m going to use up the laser cartridge(s) I have at my disposal. When the ML-2850 runs out of toner, it’s toast. At that point, I’ll drop it off at Goodwill, where I routinely recycle my used electronika.
How long does that give this device to remain in use here at Chez Tittel? I might print 100 pages of output a month on this printer, max — probably less. So it could be 6 months or more before I pull the plug and pack it off to Goodwill. Let’s see what happens, shall we?
But Wait, There’s More…
My Dell 2155cn is also facing obsolescence, but it qualifies as a V4 driver, not V3. So I’ve probably got another year or two before it, too, goes off to Goodwill for lack of driver support. What will I buy next? I’m thinking something like the HP M455dn, which is a low-end business class networked color laser printer that retails for US$550-800 depending on bells and whistles. Or whatever its equivalent may be when I exhaust my final set of CMYK cartridges for that printer (I’ve got a set of spares, and CMY all ahow 100% in the Dell Printer Hub’s toner status display, with B at 80%).
I’ve got at least 2 years left on that printer, it seems. Then, I’ll buy another. Interesting note: it will probably be the last printer I ever purchase, seeing as how the Samsung has lasted 17 years, and the Dell more than 13. It seems that obsolescence comes calling long before the hardware itself runs out. That was also the case for my Apple LaserWriter 1, purchased in 1985 and still running like a champ when I gave it away in 2005. For all I know, it’s still running today — that thing was built like a battleship.
