Dont buy lexmark

[blobrana]

Hum,
 it seems that printer manufacturer Lexmark has been installing spyware on its customers' computers.
Reports claim that Lexmark has been planting spyware on its customers' PCs in the form of undocumented software that monitors the use of its printers and silently reports back to a Lexmark-owned company website.
So if anyone is thinking of buying a new printer then don’t choose Lexmark;
Ok, it may just be quite innocent,
but, a company decision, to include such software, should take into account the feeling by the net-savvy (that any `spyware is regarded as bad `) and that it would eventually be discovered.

And there is only one way to get the point through to them, financial.

More here...

---------------------------------
Disclaimer: this view may differ from others.

[kd7ota]

I can back this one up...

Just today my firewall caught the lexpps.exe file trying to send out info to their website..........


Man, no wonder why I was wondering it was doing it AFTER I installed the printer driver.  :-)

[XDelusion]

Or HP for that matter...


...I was setting up a friend of mine's NEW (in the box and sealed) HP computer. I installed Ad-Aware, and just for kicks, decided to let it scan....


...it found 6 instances of Alexia.

[Effy]

That´s not the reason why I don´t have got a printer yet, but it sure is something to keep in mind when buying one ...thanks ...

[mikeymike]

IE by default comes with Alexia (usually only one instance though).

[KennyR]

It's not really a problem unless you take exception to the fact you're doing free market research for them. No personal information is being sent, and anyone with ZoneAlarm or another firewall can block it easily. It's not going to tell Lexmark anyone's credit card details or the fact they're printing out 400 copies of the goatse man and posting them to celebrities.

[Holley]

Yeah, been blocking their access for a couple of years now.  Piles of 'useful' programs do it, to be honest if I had to pay for legit software (the joys of being a tech who breaks up old PCs) I'd be running Linux without thinking twice (even though I don't like it).

[that_punk_guy]

Lexmark printers are crap anyway.

[KennyR]

I don't mind their printers, it's the fact that the printer itself costs about £20, and replacement cartridges cost £40. And of course they only print about 10 sheets of text before the black runs out, and can't be refilled. That's what sucks. Bring back dot matrix! :-P

[mindful]

Ad-Aware does not work properly. In fact it' sucks.
I you want the real stuff use Spybot Search & Destroy.
You will notice fast how much crap is left behind after a
scan with Ad-Aware.
Also try using SpywareBlaster.
And if you compare these two programs with Zonealarm
and Norman Virus Control, then your PC should stay clean for a long while. Just remeber to disconnect the tp-cable from you computer while uppgrading Zonealarm.

I've not had any spywares on my pc for a long time now...
PS. I said Norman, NOT Norton...

Regards,

[Doobrey]

KennyR wrote:
 And of course they only print about 10 sheets of text before the black runs out, and can't be refilled.

Dunno what Lexmark printer you`re on about, but my parents Lexmark scanner/printer can be refilled.
 Although saying that, my mum nearly had a heart attack when she saw the price of a replacement cartridge and bought a refill kit (despite my usual ignored advice).
 After that, it`d always print streaky until it`d been told to do a proper head clean, plus the more you use it, the more it leaked inside  :pissed:

 Slashdot also have a story on this "spyware"   linkety link.
 Several posters have said that the packets sent back include the printers serial number, and that the same number is on the warranty card you have to send back to them.. so in theory they could match up the 2 databases.. so much for privacy huh ?

[kd7ota]

mindful wrote:
Ad-Aware does not work properly. In fact it' sucks.
I you want the real stuff use Spybot Search & Destroy.
You will notice fast how much crap is left behind after a
scan with Ad-Aware.

Did you do a web update for the reference files?

I really disliked Spybot since it gets in the way and usually tends to be slow.

So really, stick with what you think is good, dont have to talk and have wars which is better software.

I also think Sygate Personal Firewall is the best firewall i have used.  :-)

[Vincent]

Don't buy Epson either then.

Epson Printer Status Monitor always tries to connect when it's just been used or is about to be used.  It was installed with the printer that I got from my mum, so I think it's a good 4-5 years old.

Granted, Ad-Aware does occasionally leave the odd cookie behind here, but the new Ad-AwareSE 1.05 has picked up on everything so far, looks like it's even solved the Alexia problem like Spybot S&D does.

[smerf]

Hi,

About this spyware being put on your computer without your permission is legal. I mean if you wrote on their computers without their permission they would be crying to the law to put a stop to this. Just wondering if we could turn the tables on them and bring the lawyers and law against them for illegally writing on our computers.

Anyhow I read an article in a mag the other day that lexmark and HP have put chips in their printer carts so that after you print so many pages the cart will quit working. So about refilling them forget it, it won't work.

big brother is watching

smerf

[Argo]

@smerf
 Which magazine?