Update
December 15, 2001
Updated 5200 C Series Software are Downloadable
from HP Win All including Win2K and XP. The file is over 55 MB.
September 20, 2000
Seven months have passed
since the release of Microsoft Win2000 Professional and still many
manufacturers have yet to deliver the promised USB drivers for this operating
system. In dog year fashion,
seven months must be the computer equivalent of nearly 3 years.
One of these companies is
the new HP, the old Hewlett Packard.
I have been patiently
waiting for the ‘New HP’, to deliver on the promised Win2K USB drivers for
my ScanJet 5200Cse. As of this
writing, there are NO USB drivers for my scanner and Win2000 Pro.
The Promise
Originally, Hewlett
Packard promised the USB drivers for Win2K and then abandoned the ScanJet 5200
claiming that Win2000 Pro was not part of the upgrade path for which the
scanner was designed. After an
avalanche of E-mails and phone calls, HP changed it’s position once again
and promised to deliver the USB drivers for the Win2K platform.
The following is an excerpt from the HP web site regarding HP scanners
and Win2K USB drivers:
“After receiving
feedback from our customers about USB support and Windows 2000 Professional
compatibility issues, Hewlett-Packard is committed to providing a solution for
our HP ScanJet Scanner customers. For customers who own one of the following
HP ScanJet scanners: 3200C, 4100C, 5200C, 6200C and are looking for an update
to run on Windows 2000 Professional scanners, please take the time to register
on this page. Click
here to register and automatically receive an e-mail
notification of patches and software updates. By registering, you will receive
regular updates via e-mail on when the Windows 2000 Professional support
solution is ready and available for you to download. We apologize for any
inconvenience this may have caused.”
The Progress
In the seven months that
have passed, Hewlett Packard has changed it’s name, increased it’s
profitability, named it’s President and CEO Carleton (Carly) Fiorina to
additional positions in the corporation, completely remodeled it’s web site
and eighty-sixed the HP Community Forum Support Boards.
(Although never officially
supported by Hewlett Packard, the HP Community Forum was one of the very few
places a customer could go to get real answers about problems with HP
products).
The HP ScanJet 5200
Community Forum is just another
dead link.
Suggestion
Hopefully, the capable Ms.
Fiorina’s new responsibilities will include Win2000 USB driver development,
customer satisfaction and promise keeping.
As a simple Quaker I learned that it’s just ‘good business’ to:
“Dance with the one that brought you”.
I only hope that a similar lesson was part of the curriculum at
Stanford, Maryland or MIT.
This week HP announced a
One Billion Dollar stock buy back program.
Perhaps a few dollars can be set aside to complete the Win2000 USB
drivers for my ScanJet 5200Cse.
Conclusion
I’m extremely
disappointed so far. There is NO
excuse for not delivering on the promised drivers.
In fairness, there is a
Win2K USB solution for the ScanJet 5200 posted at: HP5200
W2K Fix
Although not fully
functional, I have been using this solution since it was posted in early
March. This fix is the handy work
of a University of South Carolina student named Robert Chapple II.
My question here is
obvious: If a poor college
student can formulate a reasonable solution in just a few weeks, how come
it’s taking a corporation with sales in excess of $47 Billion over seven
months to improve upon it? After
all they wrote the original drivers.
Could it be that a major
American corporation like HP just doesn’t care? Please try to imagine the surprised look I must have on my
face!
Yesterday, in Atlanta,
Georgia, Ms. Fiorina
said, “Almost a year ago … I stood in front of the HP
garage … the birthplace of Silicon Valley … and I asked the world to WATCH
this company. This is a very good
time to stay tuned.”
Well
Mam, one of your customers is watching and per your suggestion I will stay
tuned.
Seriously
though, seven + months is a long time to be staring at a blank screen don’t
you think?
Jeffery
Roberts
HP
Customer?
