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Train? What train? We have trains up here called Trans Pennine Express, they look very nice, a long time ago they were efficient. Now, sometimes you may see one moving!

What those of us who work in Paris now and then see, is more and more cash diverted from keeping public businesses going, into the pockets of workers and pensioners. The French rail network is a prime example. Been using it for thirty years so I know.

OFSO wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:54 pm

What those of us who work in Paris now and then see, is more and more cash diverted from keeping public businesses going, into the pockets of workers and pensioners. The French rail network is a prime example. Been using it for thirty years so I know.

Used to use the very efficient TGV on a regular basis to visit my parent's place near Bordeaux. France was as socialist then as it is now. So what has changed? Your analysis for the current malaise sounds like a political prejudice, or a knee jerk, rather than a piece of logical analysis!

What has changed? Excuse me while I jerk my knee...

1) Used to be eight direct trains between Perpignan and Paris. Now are two or three. Others halt at Montpelier. Passengers change to a local train. Late trains no longer run from Paris, so commuters stuck.

2) Trains used to be run by SNCF. Several tiers of tickets including "Prems", early bookers, really cheap. Trains now run by "Oui" an appeal-to-the-young flashy bunch. Only first and second class, nothing off for advance booking.

3) First class return to Paris from Perpignan used to be under €100. I'm paying €144 second class this month, one way. That was cheap. First class single to Paris often over €200.

4) Ticket-vending website hopeless, redesign after redesign, gets worse each time. Read reviews! As you write "you used to use... " Suggest you use the TGV in 2023 and see what has happened.

OFSO wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:35 pm

What has changed? Excuse me while I jerk my knee...

1) Used to be eight direct trains between Perpignan and Paris. Now are two or three. Others halt at Montpelier. Passengers change to a local train. Late trains no longer run from Paris, so commuters stuck.

2) Trains used to be run by SNCF. Several tiers of tickets including "Prems", early bookers, really cheap. Trains now run by "Oui" an appeal-to-the-young flashy bunch. Only first and second class, nothing off for advance booking.

3) First class return to Paris from Perpignan used to be under €100. I'm paying €144 second class this month, one way. That was cheap. First class single to Paris often over €200.

4) Ticket-vending website hopeless, redesign after redesign, gets worse each time. Read reviews! As you write "you used to use... " Suggest you use the TGV in 2023 and see what has happened.

Well let me pull your leg some more...

I am sure that the deficiencies you note are real, but what's the root cause of this degradation across the board? My point being that "socialism" as you put it, actually built the working, at one time excellent railway system in France, so what is different now?

I have two "All-in-one" printer/scanners. One an old Lexmark inkjet that eats one out of house and home via ink cartridges with a ridiculously short lifespa whether used or not. The other a Samsung B/W laser jobbie.
I have changed computer and WiFi since last using either to scan documents into computer or print.
Neither will connect to the network to be of use. Both are rather old by technology standards and aren't very plug and play friendly.
Neither will let me setup a WiFi connection. Both offer WPS however my 5G Gateway/ router does not have that capability.
I was finally able to get the Lexmark to scan to a USB thumbdrive, but only after replacing a cartridge that indicated low on ink.
They have the unit set up so it will not function as a scanner unless all ink cartridges are both present and full.

PP

PHXPhlyer wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 31, 2023 9:50 pm

I have two "All-in-one" printer/scanners. One an old Lexmark inkjet that eats one out of house and home via ink cartridges with a ridiculously short lifespa whether used or not. The other a Samsung B/W laser jobbie.
I have changed computer and WiFi since last using either to scan documents into computer or print.
Neither will connect to the network to be of use. Both are rather old by technology standards and aren't very plug and play friendly.
Neither will let me setup a WiFi connection. Both offer WPS however my 5G Gateway/ router does not have that capability.
I was finally able to get the Lexmark to scan to a USB thumbdrive, but only after replacing a cartridge that indicated low on ink.
They have the unit set up so it will not function as a scanner unless all ink cartridges are both present and full.

PP

I hate printers, and have ever since I first had to battle with the old IBM 4245, text printer back in the halcyon System 38 days when I had to double as a glorified RPG III programmer and operator, charged with printing the shop floor's pay slips on a Friday when I worked at AB Automotive Electronics in Radyr, near Cardiff. The bastard bundle of &%&$ never worked, and yours truly would end up sweating as I removed the confounded cover, covered in ink and ignominy, to remove the tangled mess of paper, and the staff's Friday weekly pecuniary dreams, and try again before a riot broke out at 15:00 hrs knocking off pay time!

Technology has moved on, but printers are still @&*@$'s!

I hate printers, Technology has moved on, but printers are still @&*@$'s!

Absolutely agree. Few years ago had the chance to buy a little Brother B & W printer "On Sale" at a price about 1/4 of the price of replacment cartridges, so bought three of them, should have bought 10. They were cheap and nasty but at least cheap, but all have now packed up. Now back to a Samsung and expensive cartridges.

My Samsung Laser printer's toner cartridge was about a third the price of the printer with a "starter cartridge" ie. not full of toner.
Bought a three pack of compatible toner cartridges from Amazon for about half the cost of one OEM IIRC.

PP

I said the other day that Mrs PN received a hospital appointment and a cancellation in the same envelope last month for the 18th of this. Today we received a new appointment for the 20th. WTF. As she has since gone private, seen the consultant, had the investigation, and had the post op debrief today, she rang up to cancel the appointment for the same consultation that was requested in July.

"Oh, you should not have got that letter. It's been cancelled"

Is it medical staff or administration?

PHXPhlyer wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:16 am

My Samsung Laser printer's toner cartridge was about a third the price of the printer with a "starter cartridge" ie. not full of toner.
Bought a three pack of compatible toner cartridges from Amazon for about half the cost of one OEM IIRC.

We have a Samsung laser printer too, and we also buy the compatible toner from Amazon. I think we're on the third set since we bought the printer, so they're good for at least three years each at our usage rates. I scan more than I print - especially this time of year when tax-related documents arrive. First thing I do is scan them, then lose the paper copy[*] but when it comes to filling in the tax forms, the scanned copies have all the information I need.

[*] To be fair, if I go look at the stack of paper in the scanner output tray, they'll probably all be there.

Give up on all those fancy smancy printers and put your money into an OKI Microline Turbo dot matrix printer, you will only have to buy one and you will never need ink cartridges or soot capsules.

I still have a wide carriage OKI dot matrix printer somewhere. Not sure I've got a parallel port on the computer to drive it though.

In yearly days when many manufacturers were jockeying for a slice of the market I bought a 9 pin dot matrix printer. The name escapes me but not the sailient facts. I bought it from a box shifter on the trading estate in Grantham. It had to come from their supplier in Manchester. I picked it up a couple of days later. A stunning bimbo behind a desk in this trading unit handed it over.

Back home I opened it and found a 10 year supply of dot matrix tapes. Unfortunately there was a problem with the printer to to took it back. The bimbo was still there which sort of made the journey more pleasant.

I explained the problem which in a male solution required a screwdriver. Without moving she made a couple of adjustments with her finger nails.

Never underestimate a bimbo.

llondel wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:23 pm

I still have a wide carriage OKI dot matrix printer somewhere. Not sure I've got a parallel port on the computer to drive it though.

Your Calcomp plotter parallel port followed on from RS232 driven printers which followed on from 20ma current loop devices. Still got a 20ma current loop cable in a box somewhere. Used it to hook a TTY to a PDP11, in my lounge at the time.

I think I need an Enigma machine to decode Alison's last post.

The Ancient Mariner

I think I need an Enigma machine to decode Alison's last post.

Likewise! Anyway, If it's all ok with the rest of you lot, I'll keep my Canon TS9060 printer/scanner/copier.

Sure, it needs Ink cartridges but they're available from the local PO and not all that expensive.

"The Name of the Rose" has some excellent scenes of monks copying the scriptures. No HP or Epson in sight, but there's an occasional Canon.

Alisoncc wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:40 am

llondel wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:23 pm

I still have a wide carriage OKI dot matrix printer somewhere. Not sure I've got a parallel port on the computer to drive it though.

Your Calcomp plotter parallel port followed on from RS232 driven printers which followed on from 20ma current loop devices. Still got a 20ma current loop cable in a box somewhere. Used it to hook a TTY to a PDP11, in my lounge at the time.

I've used 20mA current loop stuff more recently than that. I did have an ASR33 once, used to use it with my BBC Micro. Everyone in the house knew when I was printing something on it, too.