One of the most expensive liquids on the planet!
I'm sure Jusers have written before about the atrocious cost of printer cartridges. I noted a new HP advert the other day that 'pushed' their ink, comparing it to car buying. "HP. Very reliable.No previous owners." The ad goes on to say: " A new original HP inkjet cartridge is guaranteed to be exactly that: new.
Re-filled cartidges may have been around the block again and again, using the same print head. How many times? No one knows. More importantly, you don't. So, for reliable trouble free printing don't buy used. Always choose new."
They are quite right. I've bought refills that cannot put a smudge of ink on paper. I've also bought refills that leak like the Titanic. One refill I bought was not recognised by the printer. And, using syringes and bottled refill packs is a pain. Let's face it, if we want good ink we buy the originals!
Problem is they cost an arm and a leg. The other day I was despatched by my good wife to buy a new printer and some spare cartridges.I went out into the seething masses of Cairo to hunt down a "good " basic printer (no money for fancy laser stuff), and found one in Sudan Street for $25. The HP Deskjet I bought looked neat and good value. Then I bought two spare cartridges (one black, one colour), because I know the ink that you get with the printer is a "complimentary demo", i.e. has about a quarter of the ink in a normal cartridge.
Here's how it panned out:
* Cost of printer: $25
* Cost of black cartridge: $25
* Cost of colour cartridge: $30.
Ok, so I know the cartridges have a print head and are the product of sophisticated technology . I also know that they work well. But at what cost? I discovered, on looking at the packaging that each cartridge holds 5 ml of ink. That is sufficient for my wife to print out 20 photos or 30 colour worksheets. Ergo, one week. Furthermore, We all now know that the plastic machine that accepts these cartridges is worth zilch(ever tried to sell one?). Some conclusions:-
Result: 5ml of fluid ink prints 30 colour worksheets for $30. Black lasts a little longer. That 5ml of fluid in the colour tank is more costly than most fluids on Earth. It is probably more expensive than liquid Mercury!
We are being ripped off every time we buy a printer and ripped off further when buying cartridges. And Canon, Epson and Lexmark et al are just as much to blame.
We're in a corner here. Is there a way out?