The Printer Cartridge Game
by Bill Smith
Think you got a great deal on a printer? Like the
rest of us, you probably paid $50 to $75 for a
decent Epson or Lexmark printer. What’s the catch,
you might have asked? Most salesmen would say there
is no catch. They’d probably go into a rant about
how the printer market has gotten more competitive,
driving prices way down. While that’s a true
statement, it isn’t the primary reason for such
inexpensive printers these days.
So, why are printers so inexpensive? It’s pretty
simple – printer manufacturers need you to buy their
printer model so you’re forced into buying their
outrageously-priced ink cartridges. It’s kind of
like the relationship between a gasoline company and
car manufacturer, except in this situation the
printer company is supplying both the automobile and
the fuel. Gas companies wouldn’t make any money if
no one owned an automobile. In the case of printer
manufacturers, things are a little different. They
don’t make any money on selling printers – they make
their money by selling you the replacement ink
cartridges.
It makes a lot of business sense when you think
about it. A consumer buys a printer every few years,
but may buy ink as much as once every three months.
Printer manufacturers would much rather have this
steady stream of income. Consumers don’t factor ink
cartridge costs into the equation when they buy a
printer. They look at the features and price tag.
Sure you’re getting a great printer and not paying a
lot. But if you use your printer on a fairly regular
basis, the cost of ownership over a year or two
(thanks to high priced ink cartridges) may exceed
$500.
Before you buy your next printer, remember to do
some research on printers, paying particular
attention to the cost and longevity of the ink
cartridge replacements. A little research ahead of
time can save you hundreds of dollars. We don’t
recommend Lexmark printers because Lexmark ink
cartridges are generally mc more expensive than
those of other brands, like Canon or Hewlett
Packard. Because Lexmark embeds a special chip right
into the cartridge, the cost of buying replacement
Lexmark ink is astronomical.
About the Author
Bill Smith is an editor at
http://www.inkcartridgesworld.com
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