Price Confusion: High Cost Compatible Ink Cartridges and Low Cost Printers?
A common trend in the advancement of technologies is that, as a device or concept becomes more prevalent and easier to produce, the price is reduced. This is no less true in the case of computer printers. The first inkjet printer intended for home use, 1988's DeskJet, cost $1000, while printers today can be purchased for as low as $30. Considered against the high cost of compatible ink cartridges, we are presented with an enigma. This pivotal piece of the printing process can sometimes reach upwards of a hundred dollars, and more in the case of toner. Where are the cheap toner cartridges produced, if we follow the model, by their proliferation in the market? Why, with the spread of cheap printers, has the ink not followed suit?
There are a few relevant answers. The first explains not only the high price of compatible ink cartridges, but also the very low price of printers. Companies like HP, Dell and Lexmark have all produced cartridges that include the print head, the piece that shoots ink toward the paper, either at the behest of thermal power or piezoelectric influence. Cartridges which include this technology will be considerably more expensive. Likewise, the printers they furnish will not have print heads, and as such the cost of the printer will be greatly reduced. The disposable print heads, to be renewed with each cartridge purchase, add more continuity to the printing process in that they are not subject to the wear of time like their permanent print head counterparts. As such, a low cost printer requiring these special compatible ink cartridges will, in fact, cost more over time. In this case, we see another common trend: a larger initial investment will have greater savings in the long run.
Another reason ink cartridges cost so much is because it is not the ink that is being paid for, but also the case, its regulation, packaging, shipment, maintenance and retail overhead. Ink itself is rather inexpensive. Compatibility issues allow manufacturers to have a kind of monopoly over compatible ink cartridges. That is, the purchase or a printer limits the market pool from which a consumer can choose, increasing the demand for specific products and inversely affecting the supply. A cursory understanding of supply and demand demonstrates how this high demand and limited supply can lead to higher costs. This, of course, is not accidental, but by design, as planned obsolescence combined with highly specialized necessities creates enormous profit for companies all over the technology industry, from cellphones to video games.
In response to all of this, there is a rising demand and market for affordable ink and toner cartridges. Third party suppliers are increasingly making inroads into this territory, building their business model on assuaging the very discrepancy discussed in this article.
About the Author
http://www.Tonerize.com is an online retailer providing compatible toner cartridges and ink cartridges, at a cost much less than normal retail price. Expect the same quality as brand name toner cartridges, but without the high price tag. Learn more by visiting our blog at http://www.tonerize.com/blog/
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