A few weeks ago, we posted a poll titled 'What do you think of original brand cartridges'? Do they offer value for money, or are they overpriced?
Well, lets put our bias aside for a moment - yes we believe they are overpriced. But we did not influence the votes, and voters have shown about a 92% preference for the vote that original printer ink cartridges are overpriced.
Many say that the printer ink cartridge market is like the razor / razor-blade market. That is, the printer manufacturers follow the business model of selling cheap printers (analogous to cheap shaving razors) and then charging a huge premium for the consumables - that is, the printer ink cartridges (analogous to the replacement razor blades for your razor).
Others have done comparisons proving that the price of ink makes it the most expensive liquid on the planet. More than the cost of champagne, much more than the cost of oil, and even more than the cost of human blood (OK thats a little dramatic, but it is true!)
To make things worse, printer ink prices have been going up in recent months if you factor in the fact that many printer ink cartridge manufacturers are now making their cartridges with less ink.
So, of course we're biased towards ink refills (or toner refills for laser toner printers), but they obviously make sense! Saving money and doing good for the environment never hurt anyone (except for maybe the original manufacturers bottom line).
Well, lets put our bias aside for a moment - yes we believe they are overpriced. But we did not influence the votes, and voters have shown about a 92% preference for the vote that original printer ink cartridges are overpriced.
Many say that the printer ink cartridge market is like the razor / razor-blade market. That is, the printer manufacturers follow the business model of selling cheap printers (analogous to cheap shaving razors) and then charging a huge premium for the consumables - that is, the printer ink cartridges (analogous to the replacement razor blades for your razor).
Others have done comparisons proving that the price of ink makes it the most expensive liquid on the planet. More than the cost of champagne, much more than the cost of oil, and even more than the cost of human blood (OK thats a little dramatic, but it is true!)
To make things worse, printer ink prices have been going up in recent months if you factor in the fact that many printer ink cartridge manufacturers are now making their cartridges with less ink.
So, of course we're biased towards ink refills (or toner refills for laser toner printers), but they obviously make sense! Saving money and doing good for the environment never hurt anyone (except for maybe the original manufacturers bottom line).
