Hewlett-Packard promises innovations as profit dips

I love my workhorse of an HP, with its removable battery, ethernet jack, and other useful features that other makers have ditched in their attempts to become Crapple clones.

I hope this "innovation" doesn't lead to the demise of their classic laptops, which are low-priced, solid, reliable and extremely functional.

HP used to OWN the printer market with laser printers that would still be running a decade after they're purchased. That's not profitable, though, so HP started making printers that needed replacing every few years, or printers that went through cartridges like they were ice cubes in the summer sun. HP/Compaq laptops are not on my "A-list" because when they need warranty service, the procedure to get the tech out to fix the thing is like rolling dice. I have no doubt they're seeing profits "dip" because what used to be a reliable brand has been besmirched by excessive profit-taking at the expense of quality.

-They make little money off the printers. They make it off the ink/toner -which companies now offer refurbished/refilled cartridges for 1/2 price or less. If you have an inkjet that you barely use and just gobbles up ink -consider going laser printer. You can get a b/w laser printer for <$100. A laser printer you can turn off and a year later fire it up -still works, no clogged ink-jets.

Innovation these days: copy Apple design, with Android inside. Just like everybody else, HP.