Revenge, as they say, is a dish best savoured cold. This is usually because such things only ever perform one of their functions well, or because the user simply doesn't need all the bells and whistles on offer. Undeterred by this, Hewlett Packard has made such a success of its hybrid printer, copier, scanner and fax machine, the T45, that it has generously cut a third from the retail price. Microsoft, meanwhile, has gone one better and helped HP cut three-quarters of the machine's functionality. Mole has received several messages from customers who have tried in vain to configure the device to work with Windows 2000.
Printing is still possible, but everything else has gone to the dogs.
To paraphrase TS Eliot, humankind cannot bear too much functionality.