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Printer Wars: Episode 3, Attack of the Firmware

Powering up the printer…

Printer: “Oh, hey buddy.  What are we doing today?”

Me: “I need to print out this Christmas list,”

Printer: “Oh, you’re going Christmas shopping?  How fun!  Do you want this in color?”

Me: “No, black and white is fine,”

Printer: “Are you sure?  Cause it looks like the headings are in color and that would be so festive,”

Me: “Just print it in black and white, please.  And don’t tell me you’re out of ink again,”

Printer: “Hmmm… sounds like someone is a liiiiitle cranky this morning.  Let me go ahead and print this so you’ll feel better,”

Loud noises, time passes.

Printer: “Okay, here you go!  Have fun shopping and try to work on that attitude,”

Me: “This is terrible.  I can’t read any of this,”

Printer: “Gosh, I don’t know what that could be.  You must be doing something wrong,”

Me: “Let’s run some diagnostics,”

Printer: “Okay, but I’m pretty sure this is your fault,”

Me: “Just do a nozzle check,”

Printer: “Alright.  I’m going to need a sheet of paper, though,”

Me: “You have plenty of paper,”

Printer: “Are you sure?”

Me: “Yes, I can see it,”

Printer: “Right, right.  Okay, here you go,”

Me: “This is also terrible,”

Printer: “I don’t know what you want from me.  I’m just doing my job,”

Me: “Sigh.  Okay, try a head cleaning,”

Printer: “I don’t see how that will help, but it’s up to you.  Give me a few minutes,”

Time passes.

Printer: “Okay, I’m done.  You want another nozzle check?”

Me: “Yes, and before you ask, you still have plenty of paper,”

Printer: “Fine.  Okay, here you go.”

Me: “Hey, this looks really good.  Let’s go ahead and get that list printed out,”

Printer: “Are you INSANE? I have an update to do!”

Me: “Could we do that after we print?”

Printer: “No!  It’s firmware!  I need it to LIVE!”

Me: “Fine, fine.  Jeez.  Go ahead,”

Printer: “Oh, and I’ve got a couple teeny tiny software updates to do too,”

Me: “Whatever,”

Update starts.

Setup Wizard: “Verily, I shall be thy guide throughout your update adventure.  If it pleases thee, now is when yon printer should be turned off and the queue of printing should be barren,”

Me: “Turn off?  Okay,”

Powering done the printer.

Setup Wizard: “THOU HAST FAILED!  Yon printer must be turned On to update the firmware, feckless knave,”

Powering back on.

Printer: “What the hell was that?  Why did you turn me off?”

Me: “The wizard told me to turn the printer off,”

Printer: “Oh. Oh.  The Wizard told you.  Nice job, Harry Potter.  You thought you could update a device – with the device turned off?  Nice. “

Me: “I was just doing what…”

Printer: “You know what?  I got this.  And I can turn myself off and back on just fine.  When I’m ready,”

Me: “Fine,”

Printer: “Why don’t you go read a book or something?  Noob,”

Time passes.

Me: “I saw you power cycle.  You ready to go?”

Printer: “Does it look like I’m ready to go?  I’ve still got 2 software updates to do.  Oh, and thanks for asking how my firmware update went. I mean, I could have bricked myself, but I know you don’t really care,”

Me: “Could we skip the software updates?  I really want to get going,”

Printer: “You really want to do this now? After all we’ve been through today?”

Me: “No, I guess not. I’m sorry,”

Printer: “I didn’t think so,”

Still more time passes.

Printer: “Oh, man, that felt great.  I feel like a million bucks!  Hey, I could print you a million bucks, if you want.  I’ve got plenty of ink I could mix to make green,”

Me: “No, just print the list please,”

Printer: “Color?”

Me: “No, just… can you just please print it?”

Printer: “Sure thing, sure thing.  Okay, ummmmmmmmmm… here you go!”

Me: “Hey, this looks really good.  Might be your best work yet.  Thanks.  Think you’ll do this well next time I need something printed?”

Printer: (low, sinister chuckle)  We’ll see.

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