As a result of comment posted by Neil, I discovered that some individuals have received their HP Z3200 printers at no charge. Either for free; on a long-term if not permanent "loan"; or a temporary arrangement.
William Morse, to his credit, voluntarily disclosed in a different thread that he received the Z3200 on a free loan from HP, and I commend him for doing so.
Anyone else who is singing the virtues of the Z3200, and did not purchase the printer with their own hard-earned cash, should do the same.
I suspect that many who have already had the Z3200 for an extended period of time also received it for free or as part of an extended loan from HP. For how else could they have the printer so far in advance of anyone else, as it is only now going on sale?
Disclose your own arrangements with HP. Let the readers of the forum decide whether that influenced your opinion or not.
(The only exception, either for HP or any other manufacturer, would be someone who is already very well known for an established commercial relationship with the manufacturer in question and where such a relationship has already been disclosed and is generally known.)
At the outset, let me note that a person who receives free equipment might have sincere and positive comments.
But would such an individual, who benefits from loans of very expensive equipment, post sharply critical comments if that was their actual and honest perspective? Or would they fear that it might be the last free printer you'll ever see, because no one bites the hand that feeds them? Isn't it more likely that such a person would only share highly critical comments privately with HP, and we would never benefit from or hear such comments in a public forum?
If you are a world famous reviewer, with your own established web site or magazine, you'll likely receive the equipment even if you do on occasion publish sharply critical reviews. The manufacturers can't ignore you, however upset they might be with you.
But a less important and not publicly known individual could get cut off from free merchandise in a nanosecond after posting a sharply critical review. It is silly and just plain naive to try to tell us that is not the case. Such a person is far more likely to only share an extremely critical review on a private basis with HP and never post it here. Again, that person won't bite the hand that feeds them.
And that would result in a skewed set of publicly posted positive reviews in this or any other forum. Which is why, for HP, this is a great way to ensure positive comments in reviews and on this forum. Providing merchandise for free -- either permanently or on a semi-permanent "loan" -- will do wonders with regards to guaranteeing rave reviews. (And I'm sure that HP is not alone, among manufacturers, in doing this.) This is also why any consumer with a half a brain should treat published reviews, that are almost entirely positive, with extreme skepticism. The same set of issues apply. Either the reviewer gets free equipment, or the magazine only publishes positive reviews so that they continue to get paid advertising from the manufacturer. That is, after all, why some of the leading consumer magazines state, right up front, that they pay for everything; they never accept anything for free; and receive no advertising from the manufacturers that they review. That is why some web sites that review equipment have no advertising from those manufacturers, and honestly disclose how they receive equipment.
So let's have some honest disclosures, and then the readers of the forum can reach their own conclusions. I am less likely to trust the views of someone who is praising a piece of merchandise, and has not openly disclosed such an arrangement.
Finally, before anyone reacts with indignation at the suggestion that you have been influenced by a free loan, I would note that your indignation would be better received if you had disclosed the fact of the the loan of permanent "loan" of the printer on your own, and done so up front, without any prompting.
If you failed to do that, then you are in no position to protest your indignation or innocence.
