Our monetary system should be backed by printer ink

[Pigeon]

Gold standard is gone. let's use inkjet printer ink.

HP inkjet printer $29.00

HP ink refill for printer $31.00

Cheaper to by a new printer then the replacement ink. *

The ultimate consumables market.

* Although some printers arrive with low capacity cartridges

[Escape_Artist]

lol, good point!

[Mur]

Not only that...I suspect they are programmed to say they are out of ink when in fact they are not....and they stop working

I have a Lexmark that runs out real quick....regardless whether I print or not.

[MrPenny]

That is true.....the firmware will report an empty cartridge very early. Some printers would allow you to keep printing for quite some time....but now, the firmware quite often shuts down all printing and forces you to install a new, vendor manufactured cartridge.

A study some years back showed Hewlett-Packard selling printers for less than the manufacturing cost.....clearly the intent was to make the money on the 'back end' when replacement cartridges were purchased.

Heck, I've got an HP Color Laserjet 2600 sitting here in my office that will cost me $300 to replace the cartridges........I bought the fucker for $299.

[Pigeon]

Heck, I've got an HP Color Laserjet 2600 sitting here in my office that will cost me $300 to replace the cartridges........I bought the fucker for $299

Toner is similar racket. It's a way to keep make good money in the near paperless world.

[Egg]

You buy a few cartridges it's more than the printer. Ridiculous.