March 11th, 2008
Ink Jet Ink Now $8,000 a Gallon
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
I just saw $3.99 on a gas station pricing sign this weekend, and you know it’s not going to get any lower. Being an optimist, I decided to see what other fluids are even more pricey than light sweet crude. Turns out - Ink Jet ink has now reached an unbelievable $8,000 a gallon.
We’ve covered this before, but let’s do some more math. HP is reporting that over 40% of its $2.63 billion in operating profits last quarter came from it printer business. Ink jet ink used to cost more by the ounce than Dom Perignon (still does,) but whatever way you measure it, people keep snapping up cartridges and filling up those thirsty, thirsty little printers. Source: Popsci.com
Our question: Why is this shrugged off?
Keith says:
Shrugged off because there aren’t better printer technologies for home use. Home use tends to be a mixture of black and white printing, which laser is better suited for, but also color printing, especially photographs from digital cameras, which laser is not suited for — at least not in the price range of the average user. “Better” includes quality and price. I hope someone can show how wrong I am because I’m desperate to find something with the right price to color quality ratio to justify getting rid of my ink jet. I’m even willing to spend more, although not thousands, for a printer if the break even relative to ink cost is at least somewhat close to my ink jet. And while I don’t drive a hybrid car, I would really like a printer that is overall more environmentally friendly. I try to keep printing to a minimum, but it is necessary at times.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
greg says:
i’ve seen/heard this comparison before, from anything like milk (when gas was cheaper than milk) to (as above) ink jet ink. what is usually not included in the calculations is the amount of the product consumed during normal use. people use gallons of gas a day but probably use only milliounces of ink jet ink a day. a better calculation would be the price/daily use or something similar.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:42 am
Robert Brown says:
I’m not convinced that a daily measure actual does portray a good value. If I had a pair of gold earrings that I only use once a month, would they be worth more, or less, if I started wearing them once a week?
Just face it ink cartridges are generally overpriced.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:08 am
greg says:
Robert-
when discussing cost/use, there is a difference between things that are consumed, such as gasoline and ink jet ink, and things that are not consumed, such as earrings. i’m not saying ink jet ink is not expensive, but until you’re spending $30-50/week on ink jet ink (probably about the average an american spends on gasoline every week), i don’t think we need to complain. and if you are spending that much on ink jet ink, then you should start doing more of your printing at your workplace, like i do! now if i only worked at a rental car company so i could get my gas for free too.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Jim says:
There is pretty much an inverse relationship between the cost of the printer and the ink. Get a cheap printer and ink costs a fortune. Buy a more expensive printer and the ink cost is more reasonable. Still over priced, but better.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Trip says:
Cheap ink jet printers are a scam. I’ve been a lot happier since I got a laser printer (Brother HL-1440) and send my photo printing needs to Shutterfly.
March 12th, 2008 at 7:41 am
BillBC says:
I refuse to buy another inkjet printer. I can’t stand the price of the ink…every time I print a page, I hear the cash register… I now use a laser and send my photos to Costco. Inkjets are the worst ripoff in the computer world.
March 12th, 2008 at 8:46 am
I Don't Do Smack! says:
Hey you buffoons, don’t you know that printer companies are just like Heroin Dealers???
The printer (syringe) is sold at or below cost, and the first Fix, er, cartridge(s) is free…. then, once you are “hooked”, keep buying your Heroin, oops, ink and keep your habit growing!
Don’t you realize that their core business is selling ink, not Printers?!?!?!
Have a nice day!!!
March 12th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
JOF says:
What do you mean shrug it off. What would you like me to do, go into the ink business?
“I don’t do Smack!”, thank you for pointing out the obvious. Seems you too can read a financial report. Congratulations Einstein.
March 12th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Michael Forry says:
This is a topic that has been complained about so much and NOTHING ever gets done. I still have an older Canon printer that I can buy bulk ink for and refill the cartridges easily myself. I will NOT pay $15 for one color cartridge when the ink inside is worth a couple cents.
Mike
Wasnt the government looking into this ink price gouging practice a while ago - kinda just disappeared?
March 13th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Things that make you go: Huh? « Institute of Important Studies says:
[…] that make you go: Huh? Jump to Comments Here’s an idea. No one really wants to go to the store to buy graph paper or foolscap pads orlined note pads. So now, you can go to the store and buy blank paper and ink for the printer (($2,000 a litre by the way) and print your own. […]
April 24th, 2008 at 5:56 pm