Don't feel left out gas path, like you (and like my experience with BT Broadband on another thread), I haven't had any problems with HP hardware....yet. The comments about the software I agree with, however.
Our 2 year old Canon printer/scanner broke a small plastic part which I couldn't get hold of. That had to go up the tip. Our 10 year old Lexmark still works but is horrendously expensive in respect to the ink cartridges.