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HP Explains Why Printer Ink Is So Expensive

CWmike writes "'There's a perception that [printer] ink is one of the most expensive substances in the world,' says Thom Brown, marketing manager at HP. Well, yeah. One might get that feeling walking out of a store having spent $35 for a single ink cartridge that appears to contain fewer fluid ounces of product than a Heinz ketchup packet. Brown was ready to explain. He presented a series of PowerPoint slides aptly titled 'Why is printer ink so expensive?' I was ready for answers. The key point in a nutshell: Ink technology is expensive, and you pay for reliability and image quality. 'These liquids are completely different from a technology standpoint,' Brown says, adding that users concerned about cost per page can buy 'XL' ink cartridges from HP that last two to three times longer. (Competitors do the same.) The message: You get value for the money. No getting around it though — ink is still expensive, particularly if you have to use that inkjet printer for black-and-white text pages."

2 of 651 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Give me Laser Toner any day of the week by BikeHelmet · · Score: 0, Troll

    I would make the same arguments as you, except in favour of the digital frames rather than printed photos.

  2. Re:Shill for HP by sonicmerlin · · Score: 0, Troll

    The gap between the rich and poor has steadily widened since 1980. What we need is an increase in progressiveness in taxation. But what can you do when the voting populace continually votes down any attempt to raise taxes on the rich? It's the voters' own fault for being so stupid as to believe they're better off letting the rich get richer.