Using an outdated"razor-and-blades" business model, printer companies sell printers at a loss and make up for it in ink sales.
Printer companies do whatever they can to squash competition from more economical and sustainable third party options by frequently updating the firmware in the cartridges.A gallon of printer ink can cost you $12,000. When in cartridge form, it's more expensive than vintage Champagne and even human blood. In fact, it can be cheaper to buy an entire printer than it is to purchase new ink cartridges.
Let's start with the first printers. No, not that far. No. Come on. There we go. Inkjet printers were first developed in the 1960s, and early computer inks were made from food dye and water. Because of this, they would fade after a few months, so companies had to develop a dye that gave permanent photographic quality. In 1988, Hewlett-Packard achieved just that, with the first mass-market inkjet printer, which sold for about $1,000. But a lot has changed since then.
Today, you can buy a brand-new printer for around $35. But there's a catch. When the ink runs out in one of these printers, you need to buy specific cartridges, and these cartridges are expensive. So why are the cartridges so pricey?This is David Connett. He's the former editor of The Recycler and has been lobbying for change in the printer-ink industry for years.They sell the printers cheap. They sell the consumables at a very expensive price.
It might be outdated but they sc….w us with it!!!