I previously posted a solution on the software issues -- see "Catastrophic Vista software failures." This reports on an update I received from the design team in Spain on the mechanical issues.
They are designing a solution related to the rollers and star wheels, which presumably will mean new parts that will fix these problems. Those parts are not yet available. The design team in Spain anticipates that these parts will be available in the "spring/summer" time frame. (Meaning that they are aiming for spring, but the release date might slip to early summer.)
This corrects previous statements from US HP tech support that such parts aren't in development -- because they are. The team in Spain is aware that participants in this forum have received erroneous information from tech support in that regard -- because I specifically brought that to their attention. This also lets all of you know that if call tech support today, they will not have the new parts. So don't bother IMHO.
I candidly told the team in Spain that it is not acceptable that a $4,000 printer, that is less than one year old, has these mechanical problems. I don't see reports on this forum of such a range of mechanical problems with the equivalent printers from Epson. I also told them that, based on comments on this forum, it is these mechanical problems that are scaring potential buyers away from HP and the Z3100. Specifically related to ink building up on print heads (mat black being the leading problem, it happened to me); mat black ink cartridges then failing (as previously reported in this forum, and it happened to me as well); and marks on paper from the rollers and star wheels (which I have also experienced).
But the bottom line issue is whether HP intends to fix these problems; not that these problems are occurring. I believe the HP team -- at least the team in Spain -- is deeply committed to fixing all of the issues we have identified, including the Vista software issues, ink build up on print heads, and marks from the rollers and star wheels. I am happy to be patient and wait for the resolution of these issues in the next three to six months. I give the HP team, and specifically the team in Spain, very high marks for outstanding service and a fairly rapid resolution of these problems as they are reported.
If you search under my user name, you'll find that I have been very critical of HP in the past. So I am not a partisan or unthinking booster of HP. My current assessment of HP is based on my own personal experience with HP support in Spain and the US.
However, there is one important caveat. Once the team in Spain develops these fixes, will US tech support be supportive and arrange for the fix and upgrade? Or will they jerk us around? Only time will tell. We are dependent upon US tech support, not that of Spain to arrange for the upgrade. But it would be utterly illogical for the team in Spain to commit the resources to develop new parts, only for the Z3100 owners to be jerked around by US tech support as to whether we will receive the upgrade. So I believe it is safe to assume the best in that regard. (Despite the fact that US tech support appears to be out of the loop, and told some forum participants that there are no plans to fix these problems. And apparently, based on some forum reports, refused to believe that these problems were even occurring, thus my concern and why I included this caveat.)
To those who have posted nervous questions about whether to buy the Z3100, my response is that you should take advantage of the rebate before it expires. Bear in mind that the roller and star wheel marks are inconsistent. They appear to occur more frequently with some users than with others. And even when they do occur, it is inconsistent and not on all papers. My point is that the printer works for all us, and will work for you, until HP releases the fix in three to six months. I assume that once the fix and parts are available, instructions will some out of Spain to US tech support to cooperate and facilitate the installation of those parts. In the meantime, take advantage of the rebate if this printer interests you. See my comments in the other thread about "talking me out of the Z3100."
Finally, I told the HP team that I am very impressed by the large number of tech bulletins and manuals that they have provided. The number of tech documents and wide range of topics that are covered simply blows away the meager support from Epson. In the Technical Newsletter of Nov 2007, HP actually tells us what the settings in the drivers do, although as noted below, more information is still needed. They have done a great job of providing flexible drivers, and tech docs, with a range of options such as "less ink" and "more ink" with generic settings that can be used with a range of papers.
But I did offer two suggestions in that regard. They should provide an additional document explaining when and how these various settings should be used. This is especially important for many advanced amateurs who simply don't have the experience to know how all of these settings might work. Some professional photographers might not understand all of these settings either, if they aren't graphic artists who print all day, every day, and might not run all the tests to understand all of the settings.. When should we use less ink or more ink? What is the difference? When do we use the option for longer drying? What should we look for? When should we use Fine Art Pearl -- based on the surface appearance of the paper? For example, I assume Epson Exhibition Fiber has a somewhat FAP appearance (I haven't seen it) since some use that setting, but Epson recommends Luster. Wouldn't Luster be closest to Semi-Gloss/Satin in the HP driver? Again, HP doesn't tell us. At the present time they only provide the options, and we are left to guess as to when to use those options. And the same document should point out, for example, that Fine Art and Fine Art >250 use the same head height, the only difference is in the volume of ink. I was confused on that point until I read a reference to that on the wiki, and then studied the table in their tech bulletin very carefully. Another example -- a revised or new tech bulletin should explicitly point out, for example, that only FIne Art > 250 uses the Quad Inks. You have to study their table very carefully to catch that. (Sure, some of this is covered in the forum. But that means that anyone who just bought a 3100 would have to plough through all of the postings to catch these small nuances. It would be far better for HP to simply provide an additional document that explains the various settings.)
My second suggestion was that they update their Nov 2007 Technical Newsletter on non-HP papers, and do so every few months to reflect the three or four papers that are currently the hot best sellers -- tell us what settings to use. A new document that explains the settings would be read in conjunction with a Tech Bulletin that provides the settings for new papers, and together that would answer many questions as new papers are released. In its Nov 2007 technical paper, HP also currently lists a number of strange and rarely used papers, that are almost never cited in this forum as papers we use, such as Tetanol and Fuji, in addition to some that we do use, like Crane and Hahnemuhle. Let's hope that HP adds more of the papers that are actually used and most frequently mentioned on the forum. I also suggested that if they really have the universal printer, they should include Epson and papers like Epson Exhibition Fiber, although I admitted that HP marketing might view that suggestion as heresy. But if HP includes Epson in their tech document, telling us what settings to use, and Epson does not, it sends a clear message as to which printer really is the Universal Printer.
The team in Spain didn't specifically respond regarding my suggestions for the otherwise excellent tech support document, other than to thank me and say that my suggestions would be seriously considered.
